And Cupcakes

And in between the quilts I've been finishing, I've been making cupcake pincushions. They are super fun to make, and cute as can be.

A friend and I are going to be doing a craft show in November. I have several other things I've made for the sale and decided to add the cupcake pincushions. It was a good choice - I've already sold a dozen of them, and it isn't even near the time for the craft show.

They are in different colors, with different colored cups too . . .

And one with whipped cream and a strawberry on top - looks almost good enough to eat, don't you think?

Vintage Tablecloth

I do love vintage embroidered linens. We went to an estate sale down the street and I found this tablecloth. There was lots of other things at the sale - but nothing else that I wanted.

The embroidery is perfectly done and in wonderful condition . . .

I later found out that these tablecloths had belonged to the grandmother a young man that we hired to do our lawns this summer. I am happy to have something that belonged to his grandmother.

Jahn Learns to Sew!

While Jahn's pop was busy building the deck, there was some free time for Jahn and me. I was sewing and asked Jahn if he wanted to learn to sew - and he said "YES" - so we started. First was practice on the Featherweight with paper and unthreaded needled. That went super well - and then on to practicing on some fabric with thread in the needle - again - super!!! That Jahn really does learn fast.


He knew exactly what he wanted to make. He has a favorite computer game called Mine Crafter - you fly about and dig up treasures to advance - and he wanted to make the logo as his quilt block. So he got busy designing the block.

Next came cutting templates - since it was not a simple design. I asked if he wanted to start with something a little easier but he really wanted to make this block. His goal was to make a pillow with the Mine Crafter logo on it.

I was so excited about teaching him to sew that I didn't think to get out the camera until after he had done his practice on paper, and had sewn together the three pieces for the logo. It resembles Tumbling Blocks, and he dealt with the Y seam (inset seam) like a pro. I gave a little advice, and he zipped it right up.





Next came topstitching - I know - things we don't learn until we are a bit more accomplished - but he wanted to try it.


And top stitch he did - like he'd been doing it all his life. On the very edge - straight and true - I couldn't have done it better myself.




Sewing the back and front of the pillow together - again - the 1/4 seams were perfect.

Then he decided that he wanted to embroider the words - Mine Crafter Fanatic - on the pillow - so a quick lesson in embroidery and he was off. He wrote the words in chalk pencil and embroidered them in turquoise - his lucky color.

An embroidery hoop helped . . .

Some stuffing and we have the makings for a good pillow.

Hand stitching the opening on the pillow. Can you believe he had never sewn before?

A very successful pillow . . .

Next he decided that he wanted to make a purse for his friend Nina. Nothing like jumping right in. So he picked fabric and with some instructions from Grandma he had that purse whipped up in no time.

A button for the closure . . .

Concentrating on that button . . .

And then he wanted to embroider Nina's name on the purse. His own design and great embroidery work.

All done - and posing for a silly photo!!

I am so proud of Jahn's work. Next we started a quilt - but didn't get much done on it before it was time for dinner and then they all went home. Jahn designed the quilt (again from Mine Crafters - but not with inset seams). We got the squares cut and the first two rows sewn - so this will have to wait for another time.

My latest project

I've been working on quilts forever, it seems, and finally I hit the wall. I've had my fill of little pieces and cutting and sewing and fitting together and ripping apart and coordinating colors and cleaning up scraps - - - I'm burned out on quilting.

I sorted all my fabrics, de-cluttered the studio, sorted things into their proper plastic boxes, organized everything and put all of my quilting projects away - snuggled them up in plastic boxes and sent them on a vacation on the top shelves.

So I cast about for something else to do - for I can't just sit and twiddle my thumbs now, can I? And there is no limit to the things I can choose from in my studio to do instead of quilting. I have paints and brushesand pencils and art paper - I have felt and embroidery floss - I have beads and wires and strings and needles - I have wooden pieces to paint - I have yarn and crochet hooks and knitting needles - I have stones and buttons and a BeDazzler(hmmmm maybe we should BeDazzle something) - I have a little machine that makes magnets or stickers - I have feathers and fur and fun fabrics - I have patterns and books and ideas - no - I don't want to do any of those. I dabbled at a few of them - put them aside and then decided on what I would do.

I'd crochet a tablecloth. A round one. I want a round table for the dining room - a nice big old round table. I can see it already, round and shiny and ready for dinners when the kids come over - waiting for holidays and new tablecloths and napkins - patiently enjoying crafts and little boys playing legos and star wars on it - holding cups of tea and plates of cookies for friends that stop by - oh I can see it all.

So I started on the tablecloth, a pineapple design that I've made before. I made it when I didn't have a round table (wait, I still don't have a round table, but I will). The museum in Blue Lake, CA was having a fund raiser and I gave my round tablecloth to be auctioned for the museum. And now I want a round tablecloth again for my round table that is coming, one day.

I love vintage, and vintage looking crocheted items, and pineapple design especially.

This is how far I had gotten by the end of today - just beginning the pineapple design part of the tablecloth. The crochet thread is size 20 (sewing thread is often size 50, for comparison) and the hook is a metal size 7.

And then - I had to rip back to the beginning of the pineapple design. The tablecloth was not lying flat - it had extra "ruffles" in it - and it is not a ruffled tablecloth. I knew this was happening and should have stopped and taken it out when I first discovered it - but nooooo - I had to crochet on and on until I had to take out 12 rounds - so I am starting again at the beginning of the pineapple design, adjusting the pattern just a little bit so it lies flat - and I know I will eventually be happy that I did it correctly.

You probably can't see the "ruffle" in the photo - but it is there - believe me. I just squished it around so it wasn't so visible because I wanted a photo - partly to remind me that I should have stopped when I first thought there was a "ruffle" coming.

I've made small pineapple doilies . . .

And found patterns for pineapple swans that hold your bar of soap . . .

I love the vintage patterns for pineapple crochet . . .

I got a kick out of this picture from an old crochet book - the cigarettes are just naturally a part of the decor . . . 1950s no doubt . . .

I used to have some snack dishes like these - look at the lowe right hand corner, you see a little place to rest your cigarette while you are having tea with the girls in your club . . . Oh - sorry - back to crochet.

A vintage book has a pattern for a crocheted baby bonnet . . .

Books that show us how to make square pineapples . . .

I love the old crochet books and patterns . . .

If you would like to do a little crochet - here is a fun pattern for pineapple design beaded earrings.

Have you ever crocheted doilies or tablecloths? It is such fun!

Want some watermelon?

I just love pincushions - and I have quite a few. Some are gifts from friends and some I've made myself. Well this one is a gift from a friend that I made myself. My friend Vicki gave me the pattern for this at the last sew-in in Anacortes.



If you would like to make one go to quiltmag.com - click on Sewing Projects and then Accessories - the pattern is on the first page - in two sizes. I made the small one.

There is lots of cute stuff to make there - I especially like the pattern for making a visor. I bought one but don't really care for the pattern on it - so I might make a few. Wouldn't it be cute to have a visor with baseball fabric for the baseball games - and veggies for gardening? Ohhh I'm getting inspired.

Back to the pincushions - do you have a favorite - or one you really enjoyed making?

Three or More Tuesday - Angels

Three or More Things on Tuesday - what fun.  My Three or More is angels I have made - 

 Long ago I painted these wooden angels, floating about on clouds . . .

Three sweet angels made from vintage hankies and lace . . .

Wooden angels for your kitchen . . . or garden . . .

This angel, with painted wooden head and body and lacy skirt, sits atop our christmas tree some years.

Lacy Victorian lady angels, sweet as can be in their very lacy skirts.

As you can tell - I didn't make this angel - but it is the cutest angel donkey I've ever seen.  Can't you just see those shining angel wings?

Click here to visit many more wonderful Tuesday posts.