My friend Tomi made this pincushion based on the Henrietta Hen wool pincushion by Whimsy Street Patterns (you can find it here). Isn't it beautiful? So beautiful that there is no way I am ever going to use it... Pincushions have gone from the functional to the collectible very quickly! Wool pincushions are particularly hot right now, although I feel like they should be enclosed in a glass case to keep them from getting dusty. Do you collect pincushions? Do you like a particular pattern … [Read more...] about Wool Pincushion

My mom liked a kitty I made for my boys so much that I made one for her. When placed behind the neck, you can be more comfortable when traveling or even when watching TV. I used flannel, filled it well, painted the face... So the flannel heart would not fray, I sewed it onto fusible web first, turned it inside out, and hand appliqued it onto the body. It is fun to make stuffed animals! I cut an extra one to put on my Etsy shop, and will try to finish it tomorrow, as today I was busy seeing my … [Read more...] about For a more comfortable trip

Google Reader will be going away in a few days... For all of you who follow me through Google Reader, please consider clicking the button on the right of this page that allows you to follow me through Bloglovin so you can receive my posts as soon as I write them! Thanks! … [Read more...] about Google Reader followers – heads up!

It has been a long time since I last posted on this blog, the first long hiatus for me! Between hand surgery and working on a quilt (detail on right - that is all I can show you as it is a commissioned memory quilt - will work on blurring the images), there was no way I could write... As you can see, the quilt features machine applique, hand embroidery, seed beads, crystals, quilting with monofilament (when will I ever learn???)...  At every step of the way I thought of Sally Collins and … [Read more...] about Where in the world was Denise?

Have you seen this book? Simple Silk Ribbon Embroidery by Machine by Susan Schrempf  is another example of thinking outside the box. Susan Schrempf's instructions are straight forward, and the pictures detail her simple method for embellishing projects using silk ribbon, including clothes, pillows, wall hangings, etc.  She uses monofilament and a hoop, although I skipped the latter. With a few practice runs you will have amazing results! The first time I used her ideas was to adorn … [Read more...] about Ribbon Embroidery by Machine

I don't know about your children, but my boys discovered Minecraft a year or so ago, and life at home has not been the same! Although we limit their computer usage to about 1 hour during weekdays and double on weekends, it is getting more and more difficult to get them to log off when time is up. The worse part of it: since we have two boys, one uses the desktop and the other... my laptop. What was I thinking??? Invariably, when I get an idea for a post my youngest son is in the middle of … [Read more...] about Gotta hide my laptop!!!