Aurifil Artisan Challenge :: Leather Pincushions

A new year as an Aurifil Artisan means a new calendar of thread-use challenges; and besides sharing an unboxing of our welcome pack, we were asked to use any of those new threads in a project to share. As it ended up, I used four new threads, chosen primarily for their colors. But considering they were in varying weights, it was a good opportunity to mix and match with them.

photo by Lindsey Jeske

The threads I used were:

• 50wt 2225 [Salmon]
• 40wt 6722 [Sea Biscuit], 1135 [Pale Yellow]
• 12wt acrylic-wool blend 8530 [Puce Magenta Pink]

photo by Lindsey Jeske

It all started when I was given several partial rolls of leather a few weeks ago. I mean a lot of leather. It felt lightweight enough to machine-stitch on, but I'd yet to give it a try. And of course, I'd been mulling over what in the world to make with it. Then I remembered the leather pincushion I'd been gifted by Hillary Goodwin @entropyalwayswins a few years ago (similar to this one), and it dawned on me that I should try something similar. [Hillary and Kitty Wilkin @nightquilter also wrote a tutorial for an Easter Egg version if you'd like to see theirs.]

Happily, all the thread weights I used worked beautifully. I used 50wt in the bobbin when stitching with the 50wt thread; 40wt when stitching with the 40wt and 12wt. The focus fabrics were a variety of substrates - woven, quilting cotton, and linen - and all were either double-layered, or backed with a layer of linen. 

A size 90 needle was already in my machine, and stitched just fine on this weight of leather, though I did stitch a little slower than normal. I began and ended with a 1.5 stitch length, stitching about 3.0 for the majority of the stitching. 

I was really happy to see that all the threads performed so well. If color wasn't a consideration, I think I'd select a 40wt for piecing with this leather in future projects, it being slightly thicker/heavier than the 50wt. I'm still mulling over what else to make with my leather stash, so if you have ideas, let me know!

Stitch Club :: Embellishing Printed Fabric

Though I started out with larger ambitions for Stitch Club this month, I ended up doing a pretty small project. With a theme of embellishing printed fabric, I ordered up some Menagerie in Mermaid from Alison Glass' Sun Print, with the intention of cross-stitching its Xs and embellishing some pillowcases. 

But friends, those Xs are small, too small to stitch for long with my eyesight. But I did like the fabric, especially the bee. So I chose another project where I could highlight that one section. I revisited Happy Sew Lucky's Round Pincushion, a sweet puck-shaped pincushion pattern that offers a nice variety of shapes. I chose to make mine 2" tall by 4" across, perfect for my stitched bee.

Speaking of said bee, I stitched with size #8 perle cotton, backing the piece with a layer of batting before I started. The out-line stitches were added to define the design a bit more. 

So that's it. Small maybe, but still let me participate along with the club. Just for the record, I did complete a much larger project using a similar stitching on printed fabric technique a while back - so overall I'm feeling ok about things and anxious to see what's next.

Round Pincushion + Pop Open Pouches (Again)

In addition to playing with scraps and stripes lately, I've tried another new pattern and made a few gifts. The pattern was Happy Sew Lucky's new Round Pincushion, which offers several sizes and designs of cute little puck-shaped pincushions. The one I made has a Plus on top and measures 4" across by 2 1/2" tall. Can't say I really needed a new pincushion, but I love the shape, so had to try one.

Then, after my planned quilting retreat in California got canceled due to you know what, I decided to go ahead and finish the Pop Open Pouches I had cut out to make for my retreat buddies. I've enjoyed making this pattern by Aneela Hoey several times already, so I was more than happy to revisit it.

I made three, each (hopefully) suited to the recipient. I love using a cotton/linen blend for the exterior of this particular pattern, and considering they contain a layer of fusible fleece, the combo makes for a soft but sturdy pouch.

Dare say, I think picking out linings are half the fun.

Each was finished with a leather zipper tab, which I enjoy so much. I think it's a nice touch and seem to have much more consistent results than with fabric.

And of course, leather zipper pulls were also in order. They seem to be my go-to now.

Soooo, those got mailed off to my retreat friends, just a small reminder of how much I missed being able to be with them.

{pause}

You guys. It was three months after submitting my article to Curated Quilts that I held Issue 2 in my hands and saw my Creative Reset project in its pages. It was immensely satisfying.

When I was asked to create a tutorial for one of my pincushions from last summer's pinnie parade and list some tips on reviving creativity, it felt a very natural request.... something I was totally comfortable creating and writing about, which isn't always the case these days. And truly, an improv log cabin block has been one to call to me over and over again.

So if you happen to get a chance to read the article, know that you are receiving a part of me. The ideas I share are exactly what I do when I find myself in that unsettling place. And though these improvisational pincushions were the result this time, the same processes have led me to equally satisfying places and got me going again at other times. Ie. they work for me.

Gee whiz. I kinda keep forgetting that my Steeped in Tradition also appears in the Gallery section of this issue. Considering this quilt was sold at QuiltCon in 2016, it's always good to see it again!

If you have yet to explore a copy of Curated Quilts for yourself, consider giving an issue a try. I've found it to be a beautifully published and inspiring quilting journal. And I'm pleased to have had a part in it.

Pincushion Parade Fini!

Whew! I really need to make up for lost time on a baby quilt that should have been done by now (oops!) but that aside, the #pinnieparade was great fun, and I'm glad I did it. Did I really need nearly 25 new pincushions? Uh, not really, But it was a really enjoyable diversion, and even though on several days when I literally didn't have a spare moment I shared old favorites, most days I sat down for 30+ minutes to try a new pattern or an improvisational design. Here are links to the previous round-ups [one, two, three], and below you'll see my final batch!

Day 24 - I kinda love pink flamingo and red together. For this one, I used the flying geese paper-piecing template from Amanda Jean/crazy mom quilts' Plenty of Pincushions Vol. 1, but neglected to glance at the instructions again or I would have noticed there should have been another strip of gray to the right of the geese. I still like it so oooh well.



Day 25 - On this day, I challenged myself to just use the scraps piled on my cutting table. Even with it's tiny improv curves, I still really enjoyed making this one.



Day 26 - This one was inspired by the scrappy strings 9-patch by @therootconnection.... and is one of my favorites.



Day 27 - After posting the Improv Quarter Log Cabin tutorial, of course I had to make one pincushion size, totally drawn from the scrap basket in black and white and red.



Day 28 - Oh goodness. This little one featuring Cotton + Steel Strawberry Peach was so fun. As I mentioned on Instagram, I had grandgirl on my mind when I made it, even tho she told me over the weekend that she didn't like quilting.... When I made a sad face, she quickly changed her story... "I'm sure I will when I'm older, Grammy!" Fingers crossed!



Day 29 - Though this little liberated star kinda fades into the background. Um.... plaid.



Day 30 - I'm a little disappointed in this one, inspired by my X Marks the Improv block tutorial, basically because I wish I'd cut the Xs narrower. OH well. This is actually one of the smaller pinnies I made.



Day 31 - And for the last day of the #pinnieparade, I know sewing is not in the cards, but that's OK, because I really needed to include this Circle of Geese. I made it a few years back for my friend Sharon/@redapplestitches after seeing Kelly/Jeliquilts' "A Circle of Geese" pincushion. The pattern is by Piece by Number, printed at 33%. I kinda love it.



Soooo. I made it! Thirty-one days, and I managed to make at least one pincushion on 23 of them. Yikes! But cool.

Still Making Pincushions!

So the third week of the #pinnieparade is behind us, and I've yet to become tired of making a little pincushion nearly every day. In fact, it's been good!

Day 15 - After seeing Andrea/@3rdstoryworkshop's Glossary in Colour, in Pincushions, I of course had to try her Quilt Improv Pincushion tutorial, and it was quick and fun.



Day 16 - I happened upon the Color Wheel Pincushion perusing my Pincushion pin board, and I'm so glad I gave it a go! The pattern is by Erika Mulvenna on we all sew and I was surprised how nicely it went together. I love the shape, the solids, and I confess, even the black-and-white stripe I impulsively used for the back.





Day 17 - A non-sewing day was a good chance to share my two-sided 6" everyday pincushion. When I made it, I wanted crinkle in that patchwork, so I hand-washed both top and bottom 'blocks' before adding the sides and filling. It's still a favorite....





Day 18 - This one was inspired by a #pincushion in @crazymomquilts' #noscrapleftbehind, except I used some #scrappy #crazypiecing bits I had leftover from another project. Can't say it's my favorite, but I'll try again sometime and actually follow the pattern.



Day 19 - I really like how this mini #crosscutblocks pinnie turned out, though its small size and my use of Essex for the background made it a little fiddly to work with. No worries. I still love it, it evoked happy memories, and that dense grid quilting was good fun.



Day 20 - This log-cabin variation was a joy to piece, just pulling random choices from the solid scrap bin. I did get a little carried away size-wise (4" x 7"), but I again washed the top prior to final construction to get that extra crinkle, and that made it pretty much perfect.





Day 21 - I'm still smitten with improv spikes, and luckily it dawned on me to use them to make a pincushion! A random selection of scraps from the basket, and I made quick work of them, got a little carried away again and ended up with another largish 4" x 7" pinnie. But I'm ok with that!

Day 22 - Yesterday when Heidi/Fabric Mutt posted her Diamond Block tutorial, I had an 'ah-ha!' moment, and immediately thought pincushion. Simple and sweet, I'm so glad I did!

Day 23 - Shared an oldie but goodie yesterday where I started with the 12 1/2" New England Quilt Block tutorial by A Bright Corner, then down-sizing it by 50%. This was the first big 6" pincushion I made and besides its generous size, I love the controlled scrappiness and matchstick quilting.



Whew! I'll close for now and face the final week!

The Pincushion Parade Continues

The #pinnieparade, a daily pincushion party hosted by Cheri/@tinkerellen, marches on and has been such a good chance to try some new designs in miniature - some improvisational, and some with patterns created by others. Week one can be seen in a prior post, and here are the ones I've posted over the last week!

Day 8 - This little (3 1/2") #pincushion started with some tiny squares I found in my scrap basket and I really have no idea where they came from. But they were a perfect find for an improv nine-patch, and I had alot of fun with it.



Day 9 - This one is an oldie but a goodie using the Hexy Bee pattern from badskirt.



Day 10 - I'd been wanting to try Anna/noodlehead's Wagon Wheel Pincushion Tutorial for a while, and I'm glad I did!



Day 11 - From Amanda Jean/crazy mom quilts' Plenty of Pincushions Vol. 1 came 'Sailboats', one of my favorites so far, pieced from the scraps on my cutting table the night I made it. Oh yeah.



Day 12 - Another oldie, but still one I really like alot was miniaturized from Leanne/she can quilt's Canvas pattern, and a perfect foil for Leanne's signature matchstick quilting.



Day 13 - A second one from Amanda Jean/crazy mom quilts' Plenty of Pincushions Vol. 1 is the paper-pieced Pineapple block made from Anna Marie Horner voile. Yummy.

Day 14 - And finally for the end of this second week are Triangle pincushions from Carolyn Friedlander's Crew Pincushion Pattern. I made the larger one, and it was SO quick and fast, I had to try the medium one right away. I never would have guessed these were so simple to whip together!



So, nearly half-way through the month and going strong. Fingers crossed I can keep up the momentum.

Pincushion Parade

The day after the Improv Stripes QAL started, wouldn't you know it, another event started - the #pinnieparade, a daily pincushion party hosted by Cheri/@tinkerellen. I kinda couldn't resist joining in! Luckily, you can post either a brand new pincushion you've made, an oldie but goodie, or even one you received as a gift or whatever. So with those loose rules, I figured I could possibly keep up. And for future reference, I thought I'd share them here, a week or so at a time. So without further ado.....

Day 1 - First up was the Prettified Pincushion, one of my favorite makes from Ayumi Takahashi's Patchwork, Please! This one has obviously been well-used, but I'm still quite fond of it.


Day 2 - With scraps from my improv stripes project sitting on my cutting table, it was an obvious choice to use some to make a little pincushion. Quick and easy.


Day 3 - Ages ago, I crazy-pieced all my green scraps for a couple of different projects. Leftover bits were perfect for this little pinnie.


Day 4 - Here's one that was a gift from the talented Hillary/@entropyalwayswins. I kinda love it! Check out Hillary's #instatute for a tutorial.


Day 5 - Boy it was fun to make a Spool Pin Cushion Block by Faith/Fresh Lemons! Seriously, the piecing took under 15 minutes! Also Faith has tutorials for several more varieties of spool blocks on her blog.


Day 6 - Back in time again, to when grandgirl got her first sewing machine. Obviously she needed a pincushion, and I made her a Deluxe Pincushion from Heidi/@fabricmutt's book, Sew Organized for the Busy Girl.


Day 7 - And for this last one, I took inspiration from a triangle pincushion I saw on Pinterest by Jeni/In Color Order. After I made mine in a more improvisational style, I realized Jeni had written a tutorial for hers, so I've linked to that above.


It's been fun to create a little, as well as look back a little - work totally on the fly, as well as try some new-to-me designs. It's a good thing. Check out the #pinnieparade hashtag on Instagram for oodles more!