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Pincushions - Pretty Experiments

Every crafter needs a pincushion, or two, or three. Even more than that, crafters need a way to experiment. You can't grow or improve as a quilter without trying new techniques, patterns, and colorways. A small project, like a pincushion, can free you to experiment without the commitment and cost of a larger project. Smaller projects can also be a way to fit creating into our busy lives. Make a pincushion as an easy way to try that technique you've been wondering about, or to work with a new mix of colors. Jump in and play.

Besides feeding your creative self, pincushions make a wonderful gift. Making them for gifts also provides you with a very respectable reason to spend time sewing. "I'm sorry I can't do the laundry, I have to make a gift for the Secret Santa exchange!" Your spouse can't possibly complain about that. 

You can make pincushions from just about anything, including scraps, but we're going to take a look at two books. Pin Pals by Carrie Nelson and Bowl Me Over by Debbie Busby each offer many creative options and fun projects. We enjoyed both books so much, we used them as the project for one of our recent staff meetings. Everyone got a pattern and a set of fabric, and we went to town sewing and chatting. Most weren't quite finished during the staff meeting (too much talking), but all are relatively short projects and each book has as range of project difficulty and techniques to choose from. 

Pin Pals has 40 different patterns. These aren't your grandma's tomatoes, there is a little bit of everything in this book! Experiment with curves, applique, traditional blocks, strip piecing, triangles, precision piecing and hexies. We made the patterns: Solid Checkerboard, Random Strips, DNA, Ohio Star, Spokes, Beach Houses, Fresh-Cut Cube, and Bear Paw.

Bowl Me Over is a book of 37 "little pillows" and even more ideas. Projects are made from cotton and wool with embroidery stitches and wool applique. Fill a bowl with them, stack them on a shelf, or make them pincushions. If you've ever considered trying embroidery or applique this book is a wonderful way to get your feet wet. Debbie gives the reader thorough instructions for each project, but also offers general instructions and ideas to make your own variations. We made patterns: Welcome to Our Neck of the Woods, Be Strong, Nighttime Forest, and Little Cabin in the Woods.

Want more pincushion ideas? Check out our Pincushion Pinterest board. 

Now that you've made a pincushion, or ten, you need to fill it. In theory this is pretty simple, but in practice can be frustrating. 

First pick a filling. You can fill one with any number of things: rice, sand, sawdust or pellets. However, you will get the best results with a combination of poly-fil and crushed walnut shells. Use the poly-fill in corners, points and curves, then add the walnut shells for weight and firmness. 

Add your poly-fil first and using a tool like the Purple Thang push the stuffing firmly into all corners, other shapes, or edges you want to keep crisp. Then use a narrow neck funnel to add the crushed walnut shells until your pincushion is full and firm. Be sure to pause and give your cushion a shake to settle the shells, then continue adding more shells. You can also use the end of your funnel to push the shells into the corners and help them settle so you can fully fill your pincushion. Here's a quick video of us filling a pincushion.

 

You can find all the supplies you need for this project at Stitchin Post. 

Pin Pals Kit - Pin Pals Book - Bowl Me Over Book - Crushed Walnut Shells - Wool - Needles

Be sure to sign up for our newsletters to receive all the information about this project and all the other 12 Projects of Christmas. 

Stitchin' Post's The 12 Projects of Christmas is a newsletter event. Each week starting in October we've selected a fun and fast project, perfect for gifting or holiday decorating. Every project is designed and selected by our experts to make it easy for you to find and craft stylish useful items everyone will love.

Wonky Four Patch - Part 2

In Wonky Four Patch - Part 1 we talked about color mixing and grouping your fabrics. This post will cover block construction, part three will cover completing the quilt top and we will end the series with my attempts to long arm quilt for the first time. 

Let's dive right in...

First, take a look at the completed quilt top. If you look closely you'll see that the top is composed of 35 four patch blocks in a 5 x 7 arrangement. Each block consists of four sections, each from a different fabric, and looks something like the one below.

If you followed along with the first post your 10" squares will already be in nine groups of four. If not, pause here and organize your fabric. Follow all the next steps for each group.

1) Stack one group (all four fabrics), lining up edges as closely as possible.

2) Cut stacked squares once vertically and once horizontally (as shown below). Cuts can be straight or angled in either direction. All cuts should be a minimum of two inches from any corner (to prevent bulk and keep pieces close in size). Vary the position of cuts for each set of four fabrics. 

3) Arrange your fabric so each layer of your stack has one section of each fabric (as shown below). Karla Alexander calls this technique "stack & shuffle". 

Transport your stack to your sewing area. It's finally time to sew!

I like to cut, and then immediately sew, each set of four blocks to limit my chances of confusion. I found chain piecing helped me keep all my sections in order and eliminated a lot of time starting and stopping. 

If you are wondering about the blue tape on my sewing table... I use a ruler, with the needle lightly touching the 1/4 inch mark, to position the tape. Having a long line to position my fabric edge against helps me keep my seams consistent, accurate, and straight. 

Using a quarter inch seam, piece the top two sections of the top block together, then the bottom two sections. Continue sewing the remaining blocks in the same manner. 

You will end up with a string of eight sections (see above). Notice the colored pins in the photo, I add matching pins to both sections of a block as I sew. The pins ensure that I can pair my sections easily after I've clipped my chain apart. 

Press your sections in their block pairs, pressing seams in opposite directions. Most of your sections will not have a clean straight center edge to sew (see below). 

No worries, just trim the center edges of all sections straight. In other words, trim the edge where you will sew the two parts of your block together (see below).

Next, place top and bottom block sections, right sides together, with seams aligned. Your center edge will not line up yet. Measure a quarter inch from the edge to be sewn (center edge) and place a pin straight through both seams (see below).

Gently rotate the top section until center edge is lined up, being careful not to shift seam placement. I like to work on my ironing board so I can push the pin through the fabric and into the board to ensure my seams stay exactly where I want them while I line up the center edges. 

Sew the block sections together. Press (seams can go in either direction). Trim your finished block to 9" square. Repeat until all blocks are completed. 

If you'd like to quilt-a-long with me, or try this project on your own, we have a number of fun 10" square bundles in stock. 

 

From top left - Pirate's Life, Grunge Basics, Woodland Secrets, Marmalade Dreams, Betty's Luncheonette, and Kaffe Fassett Collective Fall 2018 in Night. 

As always, please send me your photos or post them on social media with #stitchinpost if you try this project. 

Cheers,

Samantha 

 

 

Putting it all Together - Marmalade Dreams Quilt-a-Long

Hello! Happy New Year!  I hope everyone has recovered from the holidays and is back to sewing.

We are on the final stretch of the Marmalade Dreams quilt.  You have made all your parts and it is time to sew together the top.

Follow the diagram in the picture below or your pattern.

Now this beautiful top is ready to quilt. I thought I would share my quilting to get you going on ideas.  There is such high contrast from the background greys and neutrals, to the colorful blocks so I picked a neutral thread that would look good on both. When I am choosing thread I like to pull the end of the thread from the spool and lay it across the quilt top. It gives me a better idea of how it will look when quilted. Just laying the spool on top of the quilt top doesn’t give me the same perspective of a single strand.

For the large log cabin blocks I decided to quilt lines in the small colored areas and my style of meandering in the neutral logs, continuing the design throughout all of the light backgrounds.

Even for the little log cabins I did lines in the colored logs.

The diamonds I wanted to keep simple and not take away from the prints or the piecing. I quilted a curvy diamond shape in all of the diamond sections. I am not one who likes using rules, or my walking foot, so these are free form. If you want them perfect I would use a ruler or a walking food depending on what type of machine you are using.

My meandering quilting is a flowing designs that intertwines with itself, lots of swirls, flower and leaf like shapes.

I hopefully this will give you some ideas for quilting your own Marmalade Dreams Quilt.

Lastly I have included the final recipe…. I had to laugh because it is snowing outside and the recipe is for Summer Berries. You can make this with frozen berries. Enjoy!

 

Thank you for being a part of Marmalade Dreams Block of the Month. I would love to see any finished quilts! Have a great day!

 

XO,

Valori

April Alchemy of Fabrics, Part 2 - April 2018 Suggested Project

April Alchemy Project:

Michelle from Busy Bee Quilt Designs created this simple, very fun quilt for us using the Enchanted Forest fabrics. Michelle’s patterns are so popular because of the simple designs and how well they work with a variety of prints. I have also seen them created in solids, which created a dramatic effect.

She has the Hip To Be Square size of 68” x 80” and Hip Baby which is 36” x 60”.
(The quilt above is made with the "Hip Baby" pattern, and a kit is available.)

I like the idea of taking three vertical rows of blocks from Hip Baby and creating a table runner.

 

Hip To Be Square

Hip Baby

Row by Row is Back

Many people who are following us, whether online or in the shop, know that this is the time of year when we are really gearing up for the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, but we are also working hard to make up Row by Row kits! Row by Row begins on June 21^st, 2017 and kits will be available through September 5^th.

Last year, we made 1,832 kits for Row by Row throughout the course of the summer. This year, Edie has folded and packaged 954 Row by Row kits already and she assured me that by the end of the day today, she will have over 1,000! Isn’t she adorable surrounded by all this fabric for the kits?

June and Cheryle designed our row this year, June designed last year's row as well.  If you are interested in last year’s pattern, we do have those available on our website and in the store. We also have the Fabric Plates again this year.

New this year is the Row by Row Junior which we are participating in! This is designed for kids between the ages of 6 and 14 and the time frame is the same as regular Row by Row, however the child must be present when picking up the pattern (but a kit can be purchased by anyone). We chose the “High Tops” pattern for our Junior Row.

The first five kids who bring in a project using our Junior Row will get a ribbon. But the adult who brings in a completed quilt (quilted, bound, labeled) with 8 rows from 8 different shops will win a fabric prize! But the rules say you must go into the store to pick up the pattern and/or to purchase the kit. Luckily for those who cannot make it to the store, we can take orders that can be shipped out after November 1^st, 2017.

We want to see your row!  Share it with us using #SewMuchInspiration when you share on social media.

If you are interested in purchasing our older rows, please call the store.  Here they are in reverse chronological order:

Alchemy of Fabric

The Alchemy of Fabric Club- May 2017 Edition:

Friends to All

“Friends to All” really is a good description for neutral themed fabrics. We are so fortunate these days to have the variety that we do in the scale and content of the prints. We have chosen a wide variety for you to sample and play with in your creative endeavors.

The change in scale with the dots is interesting. Notice how the white dot on the grey has less contrast than the two black and white/cream dots. Jen Kingwell is a true master when it comes to mixing not only prints but in blending colors. Two of our offerings have more of a creamy background where the others are black or white. In the old days of owning the store, quilters would never have mixed cream and white backgrounds in the same quilt. But quilters are more adventuresome these days.

Being open to new possibilities will give you more design opportunities. “Matchy-matchy” is fine, but I am drawn to work that has a more edgy feeling as it engages my curiosity to want to take another look. The three prints with text-like writing add a whole new feeling to blocks once they are cut up. They have more of a random textural feeling.

 

10 Recommended Fabrics:

The featured quilt in the May Alchemy of Fabric is from a pattern called “The Avenue” by Jen Kingwell. Both Jen’s patterns and color palette is our focus for the month of May. We are lucky at the Stitchin’ Post to be hosting two classes mid month called “Quilting with Jen” where the students will be using a variety of her patterns in classes. “The Avenue” was Jean's favorite pattern she saw at Quilt Market in Houston last fall. The inspiration for “The Avenue” pattern is the trees lining the avenue in Paris. Our featured quilt in May is made by Jill Beaman.

The neutral light colored fabrics in the fabric pack is for the background and the black fabrics in the fabric pack are for the tree trunks. The neutrals set the stage for the trees, and the vibrant colored fabrics in the 10 recommended fabrics are for the tree bodies, which are composed of 4 fabrics.

The 10 recommended fabrics are meant to give a high contrast with the background fabrics. The intention is that the neutral background fabrics allow the trees to take center stage. With the exception of one of the fabrics they are mainly medium value fabrics, which easily harmonize, in the unit of 4 pieces in the tree body. The advantage of using high contrast fabrics for tree bodies in comparison with the background fabrics is that it gives a distinct shape to the trees. This is just one effect. Mixing in a few pieces of lower contrast fabrics will give a very different effect.

We chose fabrics for the tree bodies that have vibrant colors, along with small, medium and large prints to add texture to the overall effect of the trees. Little dots in the “Over the Top” dots fabric are a small print in comparison to the large swirls in the “Heart to Heart” fabrics that are both designed by Jane Sassaman. The “Cat Eyes” fabric of Tula Pink with an oval shaped focus and “Aria Cotton” with a square dotted surface design. We also chose some fabrics that read as a solid along with the other prints.

A variety of surface design elements along with a variety of color is the key in the tree bodies and they add up to a quilt that has interest and movement.

Happy Creating!

Our intention for creating the "Alchemy of Fabric" club is to provide the spark... the catalyst... the inspiration... for a project that your color palette is built upon. We have a monthly tutorial of insights on each fabric chosen. We have also included 10 other recommended fabrics to expand from the core fabrics and further guide your choices.

We are excited to share this educational opportunity as a study in color and fabric as well as build your artist palette of fabrics. As you practice designing your project from many different designers and collections our hope is to facilitate greater confidence and empowerment in your creative pursuits..

At the Stitchin' Post were are committed to creativity and inspiration and we are now embarking on a journey opening to new options together as the "Alchemy of Fabric" unfolds each month. Please share with us what the spark has ignited in you using the hashtag "#AlchemyofFabric" on your preferred social media platform, so others can be inspired by your work! You can also search #AlchemyofFabric to see what others have done, and to gain your own inspiration.

Greetings from Jean.....

 

 Greetings from Jean....

        The husband of our Cut Goods Coordinator, Tamra Dumolt, has accepted a promotion in his company and Tamra will be moving to Bellevue, WA in November. We are really going to miss her! She is going to come back for quilt show to help us out and teach at Quilter's Affair. Tamra is currently training her replacement, Cheryl Crawford. Cheryl has some big shoes to fill!

        We went to a retailers’ show last month, and found some wonderful new lines of fabric, scouted out
several quilt shops, and had a very fun two days.  At the moment we are starting to plan kits and bundles. 

Here is a sneak peek of some of the new fabrics we are anticipating, with an after the first of the year delivery.

  
  

  

 

        For those of you who can't resist beautiful hand dyed yarn, we just received a huge shipment of Malabrigo
in the following weights:  two lace weights, sock, DK, worsted, and Bulky. I was blown away by the colors.

     Tamra and I will be heading to quilt market this week, which is so very fun and exciting. It is the 41st time I have traveled to Houston for a market–-hard to believe! You never know what you will see, and there is always something exciting. We do lots of our planning for future samples and classes, as well as shopping, and this year I have some exciting news: My quilt "Ephesus" is winning a cash prize! I was notified last week, and they wanted to know if I would be there. Sadly I will not, I will be on my way home to teach a week-long class at the store. 

Ephesus by Jean Wells

 

Stay tuned--we'll share some of our new finds after we get back from Quilt Market!

 

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Piece and Play with Jean Wells: Project #2

Welcome to Piece and Play with Jean and Barbara at The Stitchin’ Post in Sisters, OR.   www.stitchinpost.com

Envelopes are one of my favorite projects to make as gifts……I have made them in letter size as well as tablet size for men as well as the girls. When I make them for a gift I think about the person and their taste level and try to personalize the fabrics for them.

Notice how I was able to come up with a very different color combination this issue using the palette pac chosen in the very beginning. I love using this idea with my students and having them create several small studies out of the same pile of fabric. I would love to see what you are doing. Send me pictures---jean@stitchinpostcom!

On this 9” x 12” size envelope, my very first one I overlapped raw edges of some scraps ¼”,  Pressed the pieces to the Fast to Fuse. Then I free motion quilted the surface, You do see some frayed edges here and there but I have used it for two years and it still looks good.

 

Look what Barbara created this month! The wonky log cabin blocks just sing on the soft taupe background. When you are looking at fabric and making choices it is so easy to pick all bright or all warm tones, etc. but when you can consider a dull or cool fabric with the others it will make them look more important.

I love watching how Barb works her palette box for each assignment. Giving yourself lots of possibilities in the beginning is always helpful.

At The Stitchin’ Post we carry the 20” wide Fast to Fuse. The product is like a stiff interfacing with fusible web on both sides. So It is very helpful to use an Applique Pressing Sheet under it when you are fusing the fabric to it.

 

 

We're Busy Making New Kits

 Check Them Out.....

Peaks & Valleys Quilt Kit

Finished Quilt Size: 68" x 84 1/2"

Using a variation of the delectable Mountain block, the design of this quilt forms a jagged chevron effect. The quilt was designed by Tula Pink, and we've used her new Fox Field line for this kit.

Kit includes the pattern and all the fabric needed to make the quilt top and binding,
you'll need to provide batting and backing.

 

Spring Quilt Kit

Finished Quilt Size: 60" x 78"

Blueprint Basics Fabric

Valori Wells created this quilt to showcase her "Spring" collection of the Blueprint Basics line, which she designed for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. The vibrant colors in the pieced strips really stand out against the crisp white background fabric. This is a fairly easy quilt - no corners to match! And the large background areas give you a place to show off your machine (or hand) quilting.

Kit includes the pattern and all the fabric needed to make the quilt top and binding,
you'll need to provide batting and backing.

 

Lion Around - Fox Playground Baby Quilt Kit

 

Finished Quilt Size: 40" x 48"

We have made this adorable baby quilt from a pattern by Valori Wells, with the adorable Fox Playground quilting cottons by Dena Designs for Free Spirit Fabric. (Please note that this is flat cotton fabric, not flannel.)

Kit includes the pattern and all the fabric needed to make the quilt top and binding,
you'll need to provide batting and backing.

 

Vintage Log Cabin Quilt Roll

 

Finished Size 84" x 84"

From a pattern by Jackie Erickson.

We collected a variety of reproduction prints, and put them together in this lovely old-fashioned quilt. The finished size of the log cabin strips is 1", which creates a lot of movement, and the wide variety of prints gives it a homey, scrappy look.
The quilt roll has 37 - 1/3 yard cuts of reproduction fabrics.

Kit includes all the fabric needed to make the quilt top,
you'll need to provide binding, batting, and backing.

Vintage Hexagon Quilt*

*This kit can also be used to make the Vintage Hexagon Quilt,
(87" x 90") (see image below) but you will need to add two more 1/3 yard pieces.

 

 Sunday, May11, 2014

 Mother's Day (Sunday, May11, 2014) is right around the corner.

Any or all of these would make a

Wonderful Gift for your

Quilting MaMa!