Making A Selvage Pincushion… Cathedral Window Style

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You know I had to try it, didn’t ya? I already made two of these babies.

So when I was thinking I should make a selvage pincushion, the Cathedral Window design came to mind.

There is a fantastic tutorial at Riley Blake Designs. http://www.rileyblakedesigns.com/cutting-corners/2012/02/17/cathedral-window-pincushion/ Easy to follow with great photos. It is what I used. I only deviated from the instructions near the end.

OK, want to see how I made mine? I won’t bore you by repeating EVERYTHING that the above tutorial already told you. So I will mostly show you mine via photos with an added note thrown in here and there.

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Ready….

Select a few of your Selvage Strips.

You will need about 10-11 of them. (I sewed over the actual fabric.) Sew strips onto muslin. Cut a 4 1/2″ square.

Now select the fabric for the “peel back.”

Add your Windows.

Peel back. (If you want a slender tip, come in some at the bottom. A wider mouth will give you a more rounded look.)

The BACK.

Select the fabric for the back of your pincushion.  I followed along with the RileyBlakeDesign tutorial but I added an extra half inch all around.

This is what I did differently. I ironed fusible fleece to the two back pieces.

I wanted the fabric to feel sturdier. Give it some weight. Plus it protects the ground walnut shells I put inside instead of polyester filling.

Next, sew front to back.

Sew on button or embellishments NOW. Unless you want to sew through the walnut shells.

Fill or stuff with whatever you wish. And done!!

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I made a second pincushion. This is how my corners looked when I did not taper enough at the tips during the peel back. It looks OK but I like the tapered look best.

I am going to make another one and try to taper the ends a bit more. Make it more pointy. If you make this selvage pincushion, send me a photo and I will post it on my blog. Thanks!!

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Here are the walnut shells I used. Came in a 7 lb bag. I have used half of it.

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Linking to…

http://richardquilts.blogspot.com/2012/11/laff-41.html

http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2012/11/finish-it-up-friday-111612.html

http://www.sew-much-ado.com/2012/11/we-did-it-wednesday_13.html

http://www.conniekresin.com/2012/11/linky-party-tuesday_13.html

http://aroundtheblockdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/really-random-thursday-111512-before.html

http://www.confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2012/11/can-i-get-whoop-whoop-giveaway-and.html

Can You Stand One More Bird? :)

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Well, two more. And one more pincushion. Now that March is here, I need to catch you up on what I made in February that I haven’t shown you.

Sorry, but I DO LOVE making these. So addicting.

AND I have some tips to share with you on making these birds, in case you plan to make a few.  And then I will get on with the other stuff you see in the photo.

Making Birds Tip 1: Reinforce the beak section with a patch of batting. When you turn the fabric inside out, you will only need to add a tiny bit of stuffing.

Making Birds Tip 2: This tip is from my husband. Use a thin pencil with an eraser on the end to push a tiny bit of stuffing into the beak. It worked well for me. He saw me struggling to fill the space. (Which is the real reason I decided to add a bit of batting first.)

Making Birds Tip 3: Don’t overstuff the neck area. Won’t topple over as much.

OK, I am done making birds. You can take up where I left off. Have fun making them.

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Now let me show you the rest of my “Bird and Pincushion” project.

I recycled this DVD box with zebra duct tape and made a carrying box for my two new birds.

Then I duct taped these quilting pins. Just to be different.

Here they are stuck in my new Cathedral Window pincushion which I also love making.

Sigh!! Got to move on. Can’t keep making the same old stuff. Can’t keep showing you the same old stuff, even though in different colors.

Time to move on to something else. Next!!

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Friday Linky Parties. Check them out!!

http://www.confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2012/03/can-i-get-whoop-whoop-busy-week.html

http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2012/03/finish-it-up-friday-week-17.html

Wish I Could Keep You… But You Have To Go Home

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Have you ever worked on a project that you enjoyed so much you hated to see it end? So, you purposely dragged it out. That happened to me with my Brown Bag Project. A project from my quilt group.

You are probably saying, “What’s a Brown Bag project?”

It’s a project where you send off a bag of scraps to your quilt partner and she makes something FOR YOU FROM YOUR SCRAPS. Not sure why it is called Brown Bag since any bag would work. Zip Lock even. But it just sounds more mysterious. Actually it could be called the Mystery Project because you have no idea what will be sent back. I will show you what I sent once I have my completed item back. So you can see the before and after.

But I can do a Show and Tell of what my quilt partner sent me and what I made for her.

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BEFORE

These are the scraps she sent per the guidelines. Nothing larger than a Fat Quarter or smaller than a 5″ square. A mix of purples and lavenders.

OH!! I forgot to tell you. I was allowed to use one fabric from my own stash and batting. This is what I used. A dark purple and lavender fabric.

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AFTER

First, I made a table mat. Would also be pretty as a wall hanging. It measures 18″ by 18″.

I used my Double Strip Ruler to cut the triangles and I have to tell you, the seams lined up perfectly. No stressing out. I will definitely use it again.

Still lots of scraps left so I made a table runner. It measures 28″ by 12″.

I just love the look of these two fabrics together. One is a Batik. And the other, a soft cotton print.

And then, with still some scraps left, I made two stuffed birds. Are you getting the picture? LOL. I don’t want this project to end.

And lastly… I had just enough fabric left to make the pincushion I showed you a few days ago.

Ha!! You thought I made that pincushion for myself, eh. I wish, but nope, it goes HOME too.

Everything gets shipped off today. I will be sad to see it go but all things must come to an end. Can’t wait for my quilt partner to see what I made from her scraps. I hope she likes. I know I do!!

Go here to read about the making of my pincushion.

http://thisyearsdozen.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/cathedral-window-pincushion/

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Have you ever done a Brown Bag Swap? What did you make?

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Bird pattern here.

http://www.spoolsewing.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/birdpattern1-1.pdf

Pincushion pattern here.

http://www.rileyblakedesigns.com/cutting-corners/2012/02/17/cathedral-window-pincushion/

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Linking up to:

http://conniekresin.blogspot.com/2012/02/linky-party-tuesday_28.html

Thanks, Connie!!

Cathedral Window Pincushion

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This is one of the blocks I have been itching to try. I moved it to the top of my To-Make list after deciding to try something small.

I have been wanting to make a pincushion for months. But I wanted to make mine with crushed walnut shells inside and didn’t have any. So, off I went to Petsmart.

Rather than walk around searching for the shells, I asked for help right off the bat. The lady asked me what type pet I had. None. I quickly mentioned I wanted the shells for crafts. Specifically, pincushions. Must not have been the first time she heard that. She never blinked. Didn’t say “for real.” None of that. She walked me to a bag. The ONLY bag they had. 7 lbs. I will be making lots of pincushions!!

But first, let me show you the one I made yesterday. All from scraps in purple and lavender.

It looks ok. It will pass.

The button in the center is not just for decoration. It is for saving face. Covering my poor stitching.

I put the walnut shells in a little sack I made out of batting. Then inserted it into the opening in the back. (I ended up using this darker purple for the back instead of the glittered fabric.)

It fits perfectly inside one of my recycled wooden frames. Is this cool or what!! It measures 3 1/2″ square and 1 3/4″ high.

This is the tutorial I used. Go here if you would like to make one. It’s easy. Only one confusing part but I figured it out.

http://www.rileyblakedesigns.com/cutting-corners/2012/02/17/cathedral-window-pincushion/

Have you tried making a cathedral window block? Do you like them?