Sew I See!

I completed the three knitted rectangles for this pincushion back in October but put off assembling it because I didn’t know how to sew it together perfectly. Well, fast-forward however-many months and I still didn’t know, but I decided to just do it anyway-- any- which -way. For some reason, I had a hard time visualizing how I was supposed to put this thing together. Now that I finally have done it, I’m not sure why I was so confused… (g)  Anyway, it’s done, and I think it looks alright, despite my imperfect construction.  I didn’t sew the bottom, so the separate loops are still not connected to one another. If it turns out that they’re coming apart too much, I’ll go back and stitch the whole thing together. I think I'm going to use mine as a knitting/crocheting doo-dads cushion.  

I'm going on a finishing spree (applies only to projects I can finish relatively quickly and easily-- not to projects that have substantial amounts of work yet to be done).  It's about time; some of these UFOs have been hanging around for months. - - - - - - - First up was the Celtic Cables Neckwarmer, which technically may not be completely finished, yet, since I'm seriously considering adding a very small, unobtrusive crochet border.  Maybe.  (Oh, and I've yet to weave in the two yarn ends.  I hate weaving ends into knitting even more than into crochet, because I'm not confident about how to do it properly.) I decided from the beginning to omit the buttons (and thus the buttonholes and ribbing) in favor of a shawl pin or stick of some kind, so that made it easier to finish. (g) On the other hand, I ended up knitting seven pattern repeats-- more than usual. Since my neckwarmer will be adjustable (no fixed-in-place buttons and buttonholes), and becau...

This project combines my new(ish) interest in crochet with my already existing interest in pincushions! Crochet Tomato and Strawberry Pincushion from Karabouts : Isn't it charming?  The yarn used for the pincushion in the photo (Berroco Suede) gives it a glamorous, velvety appearance, but I'm sure you could get attractive results from a variety of other yarns. 

Though I've posted a couple of videos featuring these felt mice pincushions, I don't think I've ever put up a still photo of the group. Here are a couple: (I've written before about making this type of pincushion. The mice in the tutorial from which I got the idea look a little different from mine. You can read more about the changes I made on this blog entry .) Meanwhile... I've done the cutting for a new cover for a throw pillow. Yes, I'm finally getting around to making those rag quilt-style pillows for our sofas. I'll be sure to post photos once there's something to photograph. ;o)

Well, it's the same ones from last time, actually, so maybe I should've titled this post "More of the Felt Mice". . . In any case, here they are again. I still haven't gotten completely honed in on how many photos it takes to make a video that doesn't zip by in five seconds flat, but I'm working on it. (g) More Adventures of the Three-- Er, Four Felt Mice from Michael Johansson on Vimeo .

Here's a little stop-action video I made, with my felt mice and doughnut pincushions in starring roles. ;o) My video-making skills need a little polishing, but it was still fun to put together!

More pincushions from right here on the homestead! Yee-haw! It's a pincushion round-up! (Wait. That didn't really make much sense, did it? You'll have to excuse me. I may tend to go a bit wild on this blog, from time to time, since I don't think many people are actually reading it. As opposed to the ten or twenty souls who read my personal blog. (g)) So. As I was saying. . . I don't believe I ever got around to posting a photo of this "girly-girl pincushion" before. It's "girly-girl" because it's so pink and purple, of course. It's inspired by those penny rugs that had such a resurgence in popularity a while ago. I topped it off with one of my handmade polymer clay buttons. (I do so love to work those into my little sewing projects!) While I had the camera warmed up, I snapped a couple photos of one of my first, simplest pincushions, which is now serving in the capacity of a needle-cushion. (I suppose I ought to make mysel...

I'm still obsessed with pincushions! --Jen Segrest's Flickr tutorial for making a "basic bottlecap pincushion" (which can be adapted and/or decorated however you like). She also has a blog , with lots of pincushiony goodness. --Bella Dia's "Little Houses" on Flickr. They're a charming set of pincushions made in the shapes of houses and mushroom homes (for fairies, I presume). (Actually, I'm not sure these are strictly meant as pincushions, but that's what I see when I look at them.) -- "The Adventures of Henrietta Hedgehog (Pincushion)" (Very cute!) --A Flickr group for pincushion photos . (Have I linked here before? Oh well...) That'll do for now. . . Hope you enjoy those sites as much as I have! :o)

Don't worry; it's not real! ;o) Some time ago, I came across a pattern for a very cute mouse pincushion -- one that I only recently got around to trying. I changed a couple of things, as you'll probably notice if you clicked over to the tutorial. The most obvious difference is that I made my stitches visible. (I used the whip stitch in a color that contrasted with the felt.) I also stitched around the ears and used teensy-tiny buttons (that I made myself from polymer clay) for the eyes. My stitching skills could use some polishing. I imagine this is another instance of "practice makes perfect", and as such, is a great excuse for making a few more of these little felt mice! (I stuck this one in with a gift, so my sewing box is still mouse-less.) Hm. What colors should I make the next one. . .? I love these pincushion projects-- just enough hand stitching to let me play around with thread and needle, but not so much that I get impatient with my lack of skil...

Woo, fell of the face of the Earth for a while there, but I think I'm back, now. ;o) So, maybe you received some cash over the holidays and you're looking for a way to spend it. No? Sorry 'bout that. . . Anyway, I've still found a few fun books while wandering around Amazon, and I thought I'd share. Button It Up , by Susan Beal This one won't be released until March, but that's not so far off. As you may have guessed by the title, it's about buttons. (I'm sort of obsessed with buttons-- have been ever since I started making them out of polymer clay-- and even before that I was semi-smitten with them.) The blurb says this book "details 80 fashionable projects including bold and beautiful pendants, rings, bracelets, necklaces, brooches, earrings, and more. Also included are instructions for an eye-catching assortment of accessories and housewares, from bookmarks and keychains to purses, market totes, and embellished curtains. Readers will fi...

Being an admirer of pincushions, I decided to more permanently "bookmark" the cute pincushion projects currently available on Martha Stewart's website. Maybe there's something in this list that you'll like, too! (Notice that on each page linked below, there is a "print" or an "email" button, making it a snap to add these projects to a notebook or file for later use. I certainly found a few I'll be keeping for later!) ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ Teacup Pincushions : Made from felted (recycled/upcycled) sweaters to look like little teacups or cupcakes. Video demo available. ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ Strawberry Pincushions : Sweet strawberry pincushions. Easy to make from a variety of materials, and oh, so cute! ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ "Homegrown" Tomato Pincushions : Delicious array of possibilities from this simple pincushion shape! One commenter suggests making "pumpkins" in the same way, using a cinnamon stick for the stem. Very interesting ide...

I'm not really a "Martha" devotee. That's not to say that I dislike her, but I didn't really care for the layout of her show once they started filming it in front of a studio audience-- too much like other talk shows, with all the celebrity guests-- and I haven't watched it in quite a while. That said, she certainly has some pretty things to share, from time to time. Here's a link to a list of just the sewing projects on her website. (I'm going to have to go through these, and a few other categories, sometime!) Today, I found these adorable strawberry pincushions on her website: There's a handy tutorial for this project, as well, so that you can make one (or two or three or. . . Well, you get the idea!) for your own sewing table. Aren't they beautiful? Of course, I have developed something of an obsession with pincushions-- particularly food-themed cushions (of which you'll see more evidence, shortly), so I may be biased.

Note: This was originally posted earlier this year in my personal blog as part of a longer entry. I've snipped off the irrelevant portions. I finally got around to uploading a few photos I took of a pin cushion I made to put along with Mom's birthday gift this year. (She has it now, so no worries about spoiling the surprise.) I made it using felt, a few glass beads, and a little "fiberfill"/stuffing. (There are a few other photos of this on my "Felt Food" set at Flickr .) I used a variety of websites for inspiration, but I ended up just making up my own pattern. It's pretty simple. (And I have very limited experience with needle and thread, so that's saying something!) All you really need to know is how to do a simple stitch-- the blanket stitch is a common choice. To make it the way I did, you'll need the following: felt in the desired colors I just used the cheap sheets of felt you find in the craft store, but if you want to get fancy you c...