QT Pincushion Tutorial

 Today we are making a fun pincushion.....

 and sewing box.....

 For the pincushion we start off with 2 pieces of fabric any size and any color.  My large one here is 5 inches square and the smaller one is 3 inches square, but any size will do.  Some times with the larger one I will layer it with 2 pieces of muslin just for a tighter construction.

Layer the  fabrics, right sides together with the extra muslin if you are using it, on the top and bottom.  Stitch all around the outside edge at 1/4 inch seam, leaving an opening on one side for turning.  Cut away the 4 corners as shown.

With a pin,line up the seam on both sides of a corner turning the seam allowance towards the opposite way and stitch across like you would for a bag bottom.  How big of a seam here is up to you as to how thick or thin you want your pincushion and what size square you started with. With the larger size I like to draw a pencil line to follow and with the smaller one I just use my sewing machine foot.  I do back tack and sew the seam twice just so it won't come out.

When that is done, cut away the extra fabric and turn it inside out.

I like to fill my pincushions with Crushed Walnut Shells.  You can find them at your pet shops.  Making a paper funnel with the help of type paper and a couple of staples, fill the bag.  You can move the funnel around as you get to the top and help the shells go where you want them.  I fill as many as I can get in and then use a straight pin to pin shut.  A simple running stitch will close it nicely and when you sew your topper on it, it should pull tight.  I use multiple stitches going from the top to bottom and back, tying off with a square knot.

You can find some really cute toppers at the scrap-book stores.  Flowers, lace, crochet, buttons or some applique flowers you have laying around.  You can even add 2 or 3 squares on top of each others.

 

Now for the Sewing Kit.....  This is just an eyeglass case holder I bought at Wat-mart. I think I paid about $4.00 for it.  The little 3 inch square pincushion fits in here really nice with plenty of room for thread, scissors and etc.

 

Just one more look.... make yourself one or more and enjoy......

A Little Magnolia

This is a card that I colored awhile ago.  Love the In the Beginning Magnolia stamps.....So cute with no hair and their long skinny legs and arms.  I don't know if these have names of their own.  The only information I could find was that they are 'In the Beginning' by Magnolia so if anyone can help me out it would be nice.
I had just bought them last year and had lots of fun coloring them.  I wish I had more......

These are colored on Cryogen White by Cut Card Stock with Copic Sketch Markers.  Can't remember who's fence cut-out but the other embellishments are from Make it Crafty.  Flower and paper from my stash.

My crafty room has been torn apart for the last few months, but it's time to get it all together again and then I can play again.
Enjoy.....

Quilts

 This is a quilt alert, just an alert.....Yes, I am alive and well....Wanted to share some of my antique quilts with you today.

My Double Wedding Ring I bought at First Monday in Canton, Texas:

Here is my Cheddar Lone Star Quilt that a friend gave me, Her Aunt pieced and quilted it.  It is not everyday that someone will just give one of their family quilts to you.  I will always love and take care of this quilt.  Thanks for the friendship.  You can also see the case with my family quilts in it, plus a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt I bought at an Antique Shop.  The dolls are from my childhood.

Enjoy....

Little Miss Muffet and the GREAT TEA PARTY

It's Day 3 and the final day of the combined Tea Party release!  Welcome back!  Simply B Stamps (SBS) and Little Miss Muffet Stamps (LMMS) have joined together to bring you a "Tea Party Release!"  You can see all the new images in each store at SBS New Items and LMMS What's New sections of the stores!

This is Day 3 of the Tea Party and we have some fun games to play!  We love games so we actually have two games to play - Guess Who will be hosted on the Simply B Stamps blog and a Scavenger Hunt will be hosted here on the Little Miss Muffet Stamps blog.  Plus there are prizes on both blogs for playing in the games!  How cool is that?!  Today we're going to have FIVE lucky winners - simply play in the game to be eligible to win!

Little Miss Muffet and the GREAT TEA PARTY

Welcome back to day 2 of the combined release!! Simply B Stamps (SBS) and Little Miss Muffet Stamps (LMMS) have joined together to bring you a "Tea Party Release!"  Check them all out at the SBS New Items and LMMS What's New sections of the stores!

For our second day of the release we wanted to share with you fabulous inspiration and tutorials from the DT members!  We'll have projects and prizes on both store blogs!!  Then tomorrow we'll have two games to play, Guess Who and a Scavenger Hunt, for even more inspiration and chances to win prizes - so stick with us and enjoy these fantastic projects form the DT!

I even did a card for today.  I love tea parties and getting together with all my girls...dressing up, putting on the gloves and hats and letting the little girls bring their teddy bears.  We party all afternoon and have lots of fun laughing together.

These were colored on Cryogen White by Cut Card Stock using Prismacolor Pencils for the background and Copic Sketch markers for Little Miss Muffet stamp Zoe Annie Hatter.  Make it Crafty embelishments and lace, paper and buttons from my stash.

So come on over and check out the Tea Party and join in with us.

Little Miss Muffet and the GREAT TEA PARTY

Welcome to an "Anything Goes Challenge" here at Little Miss Muffet Stamps and for the start of a huge combined release with Simply B Stamps!!  Whoop, whoop!  Challenge details are toward the bottom of this post but before we get to that ...we have a lot going on and a lot to share too - lots-a images, inspiration, games, and a whole bunch of prizes too!!  This release is so huge we spread it out to three days and two blogs - so sit back, relax and enjoy the show.  :D

It's a Combined Release with...

Simply B Stamps and Little Miss Muffet Stamps

Simply B Stamps (SBS) and Little Miss Muffet Stamps (LMMS) have joined together to bring you a "Tea Party Release!"  And do we have some fun images for you!!  Check them all out at the SBS New Items and LMMS What's New sections of the stores! We're starting off the activities today with a mega blog hop and you'll want to click HERE to start an the SBS Blog.  Here's an overview of the release and what we have planned...

Day 1 (April 4th) - Release Blog Hop (click HERE to start)

Day 2 (April 5th) - Inspiration and Tutorials (SBS and LMMS)

Day 3 (April 6th) - Guess Who at SBS and Scavenger Hunt at LMMS

From Days Gone By

We went back out to First Monday and there I found a Prison Box.  Very interesting story:
The prison boxes were made by prisoner's (prisoner's of war).  They are made out of straw wood and hand carved.  They sell now between ...$125.00 to $800.00.  This box was made by a young man that was in Colorado prison in 1960 and his mother lived in Texas.  It has a drawer with two handles and the top opens up with a small tray in the top and a mirror.

  The story here goes like this:  on December 27th I was headed over to the quilt shop to spent the money I got for Christmas and I asked my girls to go with me.  Cassandra and Lydia were right there asking me for my help to make their dolls a quilt.  This time they wanted to do it all by themselves, from start to finish.  Their little quilts took a whole day, but they had so much fun with it.  Now the baby dolls and girls are happy.

  In-between sewing with the girls and Bonnie's mystery quilt, Easy Street, I did finish this quilt.  The blocks were an exchange with a dear friend.  The pattern is the 'Raise the Roof'.  Like always I had to change it just a little.

  Sorry for the bad photos, it had been nothing but clouds and rain here in Texas for the last few days and my camera doesn't always like that.

   The year ended right on spot and the new year has started off great.....  Hope your year is going to be a GREAT ONE...

Life after the Holidays

 OK, Christmas is over and the deco's are all put away until next year.  Although I don't know why we put them away because the year goes by so fast it's almost time to put them out again.

  If you remember about a month ago I gave a clue that something was coming.  My DH bought me a beautiful Singer Red Eye, with no case.  Now if you need a table, you are better off buying one with a machine in it so you have the brackets to put your machine in with.

    By the time we bought the table for this machine, I now have a 66 Sphinx and a 66 Lotus Flower and two tables .  We now have the Eye Red in it's new home and I love sewing on her.  Unlike most people when I treadle, both of my feet are going the same direction at the same time.  Always stopping in the heal down position.  It just comes natural to me.

 What happened in 1946:

We are still in World War II
Winston Churchill warns of an "iron curtain" falling over the Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe.
Xerographic photocopying process invented.
Mobile telephones and zoom lens were introduced for the first time.
The World Series: St. Louis over Boston, 4-3
Alfred Hitchcock released his thriller 'Notorious'
Songs of the year were 'Come Rain or Come Shine' and 'Zip-a-dee-doo-dah'
Dr. Spock wrote 'Baby and Child Care' which influences millions of new and expectant parents throughout the U.S.
Strapless bras become popular, ushering in a trend toward bare-shouldered women's fashions
'Tide', the first detergent designed for automatic clothes washing machines was introduced.
The First electric clothes dryers made.
Suntan lotions, developed for the troops during World Ward II was marketed to consumers for the first time.


One of the talks my DH and I had was that I thought it would be fun to have a machine as old as I am.  That leads us to the next machine.  This is a Singer 99K.  We have put a motor and light on it, so I can have more fun sewing.
 

All four of these machines  are beautiful and work like clockwork.

So this post does not get to long, come back tomorrow and see what First Monday brings....