Charming Girls Pincushion Swap - Received!

Michelle and I were partners for the Charming Girls pin cushion swap and we exchanged and received.  I've showed you what I sent her and this is what she sent me.

Lucky, lucky, lucky me!  3 pin cushions to add to my ever-growing collection.  AND some chocolate.  YUM YUM.  Let me tell you, that chocolate bar has been staring at me for 2 days but I didn't want to eat it until I took its picture.  Yes, I'm a dork like that.  So now I can have some chocolate for dessert today.

I LOVE that mason jar pin cushion!!  I LOVE IT!  Punkie loves the flower on the golf tee.  She asked me if she could have it.  I told her it can be hers but it needs to stay in my sewing room.  :)  And I forgot... Michelle snuck a very pretty pin topper in the mason jar.  I forgot to take it out for the first picture.  So here's another shot.

I have plans to make a couple of these mason jar pin cushions for gifts.  But I'm all out of poly-fill so I need to hit Joann's. Thank you Michelle.  I love it all!

Since finishing Vintage Summertime, I haven't been in my sewing room at all.  I needed a break to figure out what I want to work on next.  I've decided to make myself a tote using a charm pack of Darla that I have been hoarding holding on to.  After that, I want to get my jelly roll blocks sashed and pieced into a top.  And I have fabric that I started cutting for a top last year and I quit cutting because you know, cutting is B-O-R-I-N-G.  I have to look at the patten again and figure out where I left off.

I'll have plenty of time to work on all kinds of projects.  I haven't said anything but as of this Friday, I'm out of a job; kind-of.  My contract at my client site wasn't renewed (they've implemented a new policy a few years ago and while I did skate by 3 times, a 4th wasn't in the cards) so I'm done there on Friday.  I have been at this client site for 12 years.  I am waiting to find out what my next steps are with my company.  I have mixed feelings about this whole thing.  On one hand, I'm excited to have some time off to work on de-cluttering my house and Amelia's toys and it's Spring!  On the other, this is the first time I will be potentially out of a job in 21 years.  It's weird.

All I know is that I will be sticking to shopping in my stash for a while.  I have plenty there to keep me occupied.

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Double Duty - It can be a door stop too!

I finished my Charming Girls pin cushion for the swap a while ago.  I just sat down and sewed a button onto it.  The pinwheel just needed "something".  I used ME fabrics that I had in my stash.  I hope my partner likes it.  I think she will.

The pin cushion is so HEAVY!  I filled it with crushed walnut shells but I didn't overfill it and she can use it as a door stop if she wanted to.  I made a sweet treat bag and 2 covered button memo magnets.  Everything is going into the mail tomorrow.

pinwheel pin cushion - a.k.a pinwheel door stop

Vintage Summertime is coming along.  I have 2 more rows together.  I have 2 more rows left.  Then the borders.  I'm hoping that by next week, I will have a completed top to show you, ready for quilting.

Enjoy your day!
Jen  :)

Valentine's Day Swap Items and a Charming Pin Cushion

My swap items finally made it across the country to Utah to my swap partner, Suzee, in the Show Some Sewing Love swap hosted by Kris. I think they went by Pony Express! But according to my delivery confirmation, they were delivered on Valentine's Day (very appropriate!). I haven't heard from Suzee yet but I'm going to show what I sent. I hope she liked what I made and included.


I found out after the fact, that Suzee is a big fan of the color green. Wish I had known that earlier because I found some very cute "hearts-y" green fabric that I could have used for her. Also that she's not a big fan of pink but more of a red/white Valentine's fan. Suzee posted all that AFTER I sent her box off. Oh well, I did a mix of everything. One thing I did read on her blog; again AFTER I made everything, was that she collected key chains. Well, luck was with me and I had made her one and didn't know that fact. I bumped into a couple of tutorials on the key fobs and wanted to try to make them. Figured I would include one for Suzee. If you're looking in the picture, it's laying above the M&Ms bag. Couple other things I included were some heart socks, some cupcake cups and sprinkles, a kitchen towel, two love birds (those are great! I made more. One of these days I will have to take their pictures and show them off). PINK hot cocoa mix and mug and some fabric covered thumb tacks and magnets. Other odds and ends too. So, I hope Suzee likes everything. Table topper NOT included of course. ;)

Charming pin cushion... Vickie posted on Moda's Bake Shop how do make one. So cute! So I made one and finished it last night. I made mine reversible and that I put buttons on both sides. I used two charm squares from "Flutterby". Cute. I did have a couple of issues... don't I always?! In making the "petals", I didn't use enough floss the first time. Tried again. Second time, I only needed another 6 inches or so to finish it! Tried AGAIN. Third time did it. But I took so much floss off the skein that I had to be careful not to get knots in the middle of everything. But it worked. Since I tried three times to make the petals, I forgot to pull my threads taught so that the petals are more defined. Half look good, half are okay. But I'm fine with it. It's a very cute pin cushion and it's just for me. I'm going to make more. I will perfect the amount of floss and petal definition.

That's all I got. Oh, one more thing. Blogger is showing that I'm very close to my 100th post! Maybe I'll do a giveaway?! Oh, I think I might! ;) Stay tuned!

Have a great day!

Jen