Pieced Brain

All about quilting, knitting, crochet, embroidery, free tutorials, quilting and crafting book reviews.

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For a more comfortable trip

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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

Where in the world was Denise?

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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?

Ribbon Embroidery by Machine

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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

Gotta hide my laptop!!!

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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!!!

Half-square Triangles – Tutorial

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The other day I found a new way to cut half-squares triangles which I thought was the best! Well, this weekend I tried to remember which way was it and where I had seen it. No clue!!! I am getting disgustingly old... :-( Anyway, I decided to do what the pattern I was using suggested, and it was pretty easy. So, in case you need a new technique, here is how I did it: Say you need 3-1/2" half-square triangles. Cut strips of the two fabrics you are using measuring 1/2" more, i.e., 4" wide by … [Read more...] about Half-square Triangles – Tutorial