Pins on the Prairie

Ah hah!  You’re back, and I bet you didn’t  believe I would also be here with a finished project tonight, did you?  Okay, actually, I was very doubtful myself…but here it is!!

One Prairie Flower Pincushion from Moda’s free online sewing patterns. 

The pattern went together very well, as I am always pleasantly surprised when circles and circumferences match.  (As far as I’m concerned, there’s only p-i-e.)  I used two sets of charm squares, and pulled some extra matching squares from my stash to equal enough points for the top and bottom. When I got to the end, I was lucky enough to have my favorite fillings on hand: play sand and polyfill.  It gave a the pincushion a nice weight and fullness, without being too heavy.

I’m so excited about getting a project completed and off the to-do list!  That probably means it’s time to head back to the beach!  …or get back to some of those unfinished projects…

Prairie Points and Hexagons

This was a Sunday of firsts!  The first time I used transparent poly thread, the first time I made hexagons and the first time I made prairie points!  Very excited about all three, I’ve been anxiously plowing through my Prairie Flower Pincushion pattern and kit I got on my trip to Olde City Quilts, and by the looks of my stitches, I’ve probably been moving a little too quickly.

The kit came with two charm packs of Moda’s Verna, 1” hexagon templates, batting and the printed pattern.   After pawing over a couple of the samples in the shop and enjoying the summery colors of Verna, I decided that maybe I really did need another pincushion.  (And, my 93-year-old Pop has a girlfriend named Verna, so I figured it was more the coincidence!)

At this point in the evening, I’m a little too tired to  finish, but stay tuned…do you think I’ll have a new pincushion tomorrow??

Little Boxes

I have a small obsession with handmade jewelry, specifically the kind you can purchase on Etsy.  In fact, I have been forced into starting a collection of little boxes from all the unique packaging my jewels come shipped in.  It’s so easy to get carried away with the need to buy more earring and necklaces, as I feel tricked into thinking they’re all just little gifts, perfectly boxed up for me.

Eco “Beach” Tote

It’s mid-July, and I hope everyone has made it to the beach, or at  least the pool, once this summer!  I personally can’t wait for my next trip to those sandy shores, and to make my trips to the beach a little more crafty, I put a beach twist on Favorite Thing’s Eco Market Tote!

Every year for my birthday, my mother-in-law and I go on a little shopping trip.  This year, we ended up smitten with the fabric selection and wall of bag/purse/tote patterns at Olde City Quilts in Burlington, New Jersey.  Inspired by an upcoming vacation and a sample of the Eco Market Tote in the shop, my mother-in-law and I picked up the pattern and some bright, beachy fabrics to make it out of.  This large tote seemed perfect for a couple big beach towels, and an optional front pocket was a necessity for lotion and a good book.

One evening last month, we had a “girl’s night in” sewing our hearts out and into these awesome bags!  We didn’t initially intend on making matching bags, but we both agreed that the rainbow stripe fabric was screaming, “I want to be a beach tote!”  (Mine’s the one with the blue handles.)

The pattern was simple to follow, and everything went together smoothly.  We used a fusible interfacing on the main bag to make them more sturdy; however, I wish I had done the same for the front pocket.  The magnetic snap that holds it shut is a little too strong between a single piece of fabric.   Luckily, there’s no worries at the beach, and if that bag’s packed and ready to go, there are more important things than worrying about a snap!

The Robots can Stand on their Own

Hurray for Summer Camp!  Tomorrow, MrBeans starts  two weeks of instructing future engineers at Lego Robotics Camp!  He loves robotics and insisted that I make him a custom embroidered polo for his first day of camp.  It’s a lot of fun when you can customize almost anything!  Today, he picked up a plain black polo shirt at Kohl’s,  ($10 Kohl’s cash=free polo) and I spent about 30 minutes making his new favorite polo!

Funny story: One year, MrBeans got a good friend to help him with camp.  After a long day of young children, Legos, and programming, they indulged in all-you-can-eat wings at a local establishment.  After a couple dozen too many hot wings, the friend’s wife had a difficult time waking him up off the couch and into bed later that evening.  He yelled absurdities (in his sleep) at her: “The robots can stand on their own!”  and “Don’t tell me what to do!”  Moral of the story:  Don’t mix robots and hot wings.

 

I like custom embroidering “serious” things too.  Before Lauren moves away to Chicago next week, she asked me to monogram pillow cases for her.  She picked out the set of sheets, then just dropped the pillow cases off at my house.  An hour later, they’re beautifully personalized!

MrBeans says I’m very creative; I tell him it’s not me, it’s the robots.