Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

mary

Liberty and Linen = Love

Have you noticed my new header?

  I love this Pinched Pincushion that I designed for my own little Valentine's Day Celebration....

I love pincushions!  They are quick to make and so appreciated when gifted to a stitchy friend!

Today I put together a little tutorial so you can make your own Pinched Pincushion or make one for a friend!

First you need a heart.  My heart template is about 3.5 inches wide and 3.5 inches tall.  I traced my heart onto Freezer Paper.

gather the supplies

1. Freezer paper or card stock for heart template

2. Linen or fabric for the base...a FQ or a quarter yard is plenty

3. little piece of Liberty for the heart

4. Perle cotton or embroidery floss for the decorative stitching {I love Valdani}

5. Cotton stuffing or Fiberfill for stuffing the pincushion and a small piece of batting

6. Needle for hand stitching with Perle Cotton...my favorite is Fons and Porter Utility Needles

6. General sewing supplies

Make heart template and cut out....press the waxy side of the Freezer Paper to the right side of the Liberty fabric.

carefully cut out around the template and peel the template from the Liberty...now you have a Liberty heart.

Cut out the parts for the pincushion {Linen}.  You will need {2} 5 inch squares....and {4} 3" X 5" rectangles
I also cut a 5 inch square of low loft cotton batting

    
Use a dab of basting glue or just a pin to secure the heart to the center of one 5 inch square and a few more dabs to secure your 5" square batting to the wrong side of your heart square.

Stitch around the inside of the heart with perle cotton to keep your heart in place...

 
and stitch around the outside if you like!

Once the top is stitched you are ready to work on the sides...
take the 4 sides pieces {3" X 5"}.  Begin with two sides, right sides together, and stitch the short ends leaving a 1/4 inch open at the top and the bottom of the short end.  This process will be familiar if you have made a fabric cube.

  

 Remember to leave a 1/4 inch open at the top and the bottom of the short side...and backstitch to reinforce the stitching at both ends.
Add all four sides together in the same manner and, finally, stitch the first side to the fourth side to link all the sides together.

   
Press each seam open.

With right sides together match up the top of the pincushion {with the heart} with one of the sides.  Do not begin stitching at the corner....rather begin 1/4" in from the corner and end 1/4" from the other corner...back stitch both the beginning and the end of this line of stitching

    
Keep stitching along each side of the top square, matching the sides to the top and leaving a 1/4 inch open at both corners.  You do need to stitch each side separately...you can't just travel around the square and pivot at the corner.  The stitching needs to begin a 1/4 inch from each corner and end a 1/4 inch short of the next corner.  You will not have a hole at the corners because your stitching will meet as long as you keep accurate seam allowances.
Once you have finished the top, place the bottom 5 inch square on the bottom of the sides and continue in the same manner...the only difference being that you must leave a 2 inch opening in the middle of one side!                  

This is very important for stuffing the pincushion!
You should now have something that looks like a deflated linen cube!

  

Stuff the cube full of stuffing. Hand sew the opening closed. 
Now the fun part!
Pinch the top edges of the cube {a little less than a 1/2 inch} and using a running stitch...stitch up a little pinched edge!  I didn't even bother to bury the knot...just leave it on the outside and trim the tail close.

     
Go all the way around the top - pinching and stitching.  Then do the sides and lastly the bottom....pinch and stitch, pinch and stitch!

   
How cute is this?  I love it!
If you make one, I would love to see your pincushion!

happy pinching!
mary :)

Tiny Cottage Pincushion Tutorial.....

Here is an easy little pincushion for you or for a friend....

I have made several little cottage cushions....some with embroidered flowers and some using felt as flowers....any way you decorate your cottage - it always looks sweet :)

First print out this pattern...I have given measurements so you can check and adjust your printer appropriately....

I cut a strip of fabric for the roof about 4" X 11" and a strip of fabric for the body of the house 4.5" X 11" 

Sew the two strips together using a 1/4 inch seam allowance....

Then fold this sewn piece in half width-wise {roof on top and body on bottom}.  Place your pattern on the fabric so the drawn seam line hits the sewn seam line on your fabric piece.....trace around the pattern with a pencil....

The drawn line will be your sewing line....NOT THE CUTTING LINE....reduce your stitch length and stitch on the drawn line leaving the entire bottom open for now. 

Trim around the stitched line leaving about 1/4 inch beyond the stitched line....

and turn the cottage inside out....

The bottom is open so I had easy access to add a door, windows and flowers - placing them where I wanted....it is your happy house!!!

If you notice on the pattern I have a dotted line just below the door running across the width of the house....be aware of this line while adding your embellishments...this line will be the bottom of the pincushion.

Once you have finished the embroidery and decorating :)  you will need to add gussets to add depth to your pincushion - this will allow it to stand....

Turn the pincushion inside out again so the wrong side is on the outside....with your sewing machine stitches still reduced, stitch from the opening space to the side you previously stitched and then stitch the other side of the opening space to the side of the house where you previously stitched....now you should just have the opening space open....Are You Still With Me?

   

To make the gusset, measure up from the bottom 1 1/2 inches....mark on both sides....meet the side seam and the bottom seam... this will create a triangle at the bottom....extend the 1 1/2 inch line across this triangle....and stitch on this line.  Do the same on the other side of the pincushion....

Once you have stitched across to create the gusset....trim the excess.... and now the bottom should look like this...

  

Then gently turn the cottage right side out and stuff firm....slip stitch the opening closed....and there you have it!  A cute little pincushion cottage!!!

***note*** if you would rather....you may add a quarter inch seam allowance to the pattern and follow your quarter inch foot for your seam.  This way you could add doors and windows before you have stitched.  For me it is easier to get a nice curve when I have a line to stitch on rather than a seam allowance.  Either way should work out fine :)

And here is a happy cottage using felt for the flowers!!!

Have fun....

mary:) 

I **Heart** Wordless Wednesday.....

a little reverse applique

mary

Working Around the House.....

I am not sure if I mentioned that my better half is on vacation...I thought he was to be home for two weeks....but it is actually three weeks....Yikes!

I am used to the goings on when it is just the girls about the house....it is a little different with the hubs home...

So for the last couple of days I have been drafting a project for an up coming class...

A little pincushion.... a house...

Honestly, I think I could have finished a quilt in the time it has taken me to draft this little baby....but it is almost there....I just need to tweak it a little...

Over the weekend I picked up some pretty fabric and trim....maybe a little pouch for my sister...

And I have been clicking along with this grandmothers flower garden {lifetime quilt}....I think I have convinced Molly to help me with the hexies....YAY!

I did purchase a new camera today...now I need to learn how to use it properly....but so far I am liking it :)

I clicked this pic of Molly as she arrived home from swimming lessons {she teaches wee ones to swim}..... 

Hope you are doing well!

mary

Trip Down Memory Lane....

If you have not checked out Lynne's blog at Lily's Quilts...pop over and enjoy all the lovely inspiration.  For the past week Lynne has been inviting bloggers to add photos and links to their favorite quilts, blocks and now "things".....

This got me thinking about the "things" I have made.  "Things" are fun since they take considerably less time than quilts.  "Things" often turn into a "practice" session for an idea.  So "things" can sometimes become a happy accident!!!  

Since I have several "things" I made before (and after) I had a blog....I will share a few here....

Katie's Cathedral Window Pillow...

This sweet block was embroidered using a Jenny Hart design {bird}....I added the extra embroidery embellishments...the block is a traditional quilt block...then this became a pillow that sits on my bed everyday...I am so glad I made this block/pillow...I do love it!

These little cones were stuffed with candies and a pin cushion for Christmas gifts...I love the kitty, bow fabric teamed with the oval dots....so cute!

This little pin cushion was the result of an evening of play...

So pop over to Lily's Quilts and check out all the fantastic links...as well as Lynne's amazing work!!!  Her blog is lovely and her ideas and sewing magnificent!  Have fun!

mary

My English Cottage....

Molly and I collaborated today on a pincushion....a little cottage pincushion to be exact...

These flowers look much healthier than mine at the moment :(

I think it would be fun to take this design and enlarge it to make a door stop.  Something to work on another day. 

   

And....Molly finished the dresser scarf for g-ma!

Very pretty Molly!

Mary