I found some green leftovers

note some blades are from strip sets

Hee hee! I found my green leftovers box !

I found a couple scrap bins and brought them to the loft

We are reluctant to un-box possessions as we hoped to find a more permanent home but... things being what they are, our home still not sold in MD, and homes here so expensive, well, we may be here longer than we thought. So... better go ahead and open some boxes

I got this dresden tool in a magazine for Christmas so I thought I'd try using it... a different angle and size than the blades Linda gave me...

So I went through the teeny green scraps box, sorted it while listening to my book on disc, and it was calming. Milo chewed his nylabone, and barked at the window at the workers across the street.

I could be happy in this house layout, storing my supplies in the small room and working in the loft.
I'm happy here at the moment.

While rooting through my green bin, I found these improv units and brought them out to play.
I realized the tones could not all go together, but started cutting curves and sewing in some dark pieces which turned into sort of tree silhouettes.

I might applique a little owl on here or it might be changed. This is a playground.

While I listened to the book, and tried to calm my worried mind, I sorted the pin cushion mess onto the two I found. Ahhh, cuteness, a machine, a window and a book.

linking to
Esther's blog Wednesdays 
Let's be social Wednesdays 
Midweek makers wednesdays
http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/
https://www.sewcanshe.com/
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
Main Crush Monday
 Free motion by the River Tuesdays   
https://stitchallthethings.com/ to do Tuesday 

pumpkin pin cushion

DC Beltway Travelin' Pumpkin

I couldn't take the "where to move" problems any more, so when I saw a pumpkin pin cushion tutorial,  I knew I wanted to try it.  I really like making soft sculptures and pin cushions fall into that.

I like whimsy and scraps. I like orange, I like pumpkins, so I finished the handwork on the way to the craft show yesterday. 

The tutorial is so easy to follow and the link is:
 http://theinboxjaunt.com

I used my circle templates and marked around one that fell within the 4 patch size. I poured in some ground walnut shells first then stuffed with polyfill. I didn't really want a real twig, so I took a 1/4" X3" strip of peltex and a 1/2" fraying edge scrap strip of a multi color (brown/orange/blue) to make one.

I wound the strip around the peltex on the diagonal, round and round til it was used up. It has a wonderful texture and color mix. The leaves were made with peltex and a green scrap. I just quilted in leaf lines, used pinking sheers to cut a wavy leaf shape.

Insert all three into the opening and stitch closed. Then I added a button at the bottom for stability, thick orange thread to shape it and a long sturdy needle. I think I might add some beads around the leaf edge with a buttonhole stitch just because.

I could make a dozen if I had time. So cute!

While reorganizing my stuff/quilts this week I found this little runner made in 1999.

It's a simple applique, and I put the pumpkins onto a border print. It's on the front sofa for a bit to bring some fall color into the chaos.

I love a cute print! 

linking to a few sites:
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
Main Crush Monday
sew can do mondays
http://keepingitrreal.blogspot.com/

gift exchane needlebooks

I came up with the grand idea to do a gift exchange in my bee for Christmas.

Only a couple people wanted to do it but they are excellent sewists so I am excited to see what they made.
Previous years I suggested a notions exchange, a pin cushion exchange, a fabric exchange and others. This year I suggested a needle book. The top left is mine, the top right is Bern's and the bottom is the one I received, from Cindy.

 Here is a shot of them opened up. Look at Bern's with the place for thread, binding clips, little scissor holder. Cindy's is so detailed, and I love the needle threader pocket as well as reinforced felt pin area.
Look at the exquisite workmanship and beading...

I would have been happy with either case made by my sew sisters, but Cindy I just love this and all the time and design that went into it.
To me, it's  interesting how three people will approach a challenge differently and showcase their individual styles so strongly. Cindy plans a project, carefully does her very best work always, and does careful perfect stitches often by hand with special threads. Her bead work is perfectly aligned, the design is sweet and colorful and so well made.
Bern is a very accomplished quilt maker with a long arm quilting business. She is so friendly and open to trying new things as well as always there as a friend to contribute. She made a thoughtful case any sewer would love to own and keep with their travel supplies. She also chose happy fabric, quilted it with tiny  eyelet stitches, has an organized place for everything. She said the pattern was free online, but she made changes of course!

I jumped right in cutting fabric, then deciding what to put where! So typical of me. I love ArtFabric's hand dyed perle cotton thread so I started in with hand embroidery wherever it seems right. I folded and refolded, to place things. I found words on ribbons to attach the felt squares inside so a person sees "create, believe, imagine" while they stitch. I put a scrapbooking cardboard word on the back next to a wild bird to remind you to sing. I liked it so much I made one for me!

This one has an old shoelace handle because it's the perfect color! Mine has words I needed to see on it.

I make my art because I am driven to express myself that way. I share it with you as I believe the connections made between creative people spark all of us.
I am writing a pattern for it. Is anyone interested? I am considering paying it forward by making it a freebie....
I have appreciated all the free patterns online over the years, and this would be a way to pay back...

Perfect Pink Scotty Pin Cushion!

While at the beach, all the shops had a sidewalk sale going on. I found new sandals, purple capris, and this...

A cute little antique Scotty dog flower holder in PINK that would be perfect for a pin cushion.
At $5 it's a bargain, and reminds me of my childhood.
What better thing to buy on a big birthday weekend??








I added a pin cushion made from a bright turqoise and pink fabric stuffed with wool batting scraps, tied with ribbon floss!

So cute, right? Just the right size.

My other ceramic pin cushions of poodles and a donkey which cost more than 5 buckaroos, will happily welcome Scotty into the collection! (Slightly obsessed with pin cushions especially these four)

I'm in love...

linking to a pin cushion party HERE

Sweetie Pie!

 Hello Sweetie Pie!

I haven't been blogging but I've been sewing. One of the things I did was the little hand sewn felt
Pie Pin Cushions above. Hee hee!

Right up my alley, pin cushion/whimsy/colorful

The one on the left is red sparkles with hand dyed thread embroidery. It's sort of an outline stitch with french knots and lazy daisies.

 This one is my favorite, can't find it anymore, bright pink speckled felt. I used the pattern from (sewmamasew) and it's easy to make.

 Check out the crust fabric. Again, embossed and fabulous and can't buy it any more. Is it any wonder why I hoard fabric??? Buy it when you see it as it'll disappear without warning.

 The only thing I did differently ( since I used the templates and didn't look at the instructions, take that with a grain of salt) was to cut a pie wedge out of plastic (yogurt lid) to give the bottom structure and make sure it sits flat. I filled with those evil little plastic beads and stuffing.

I'm in love with the whipped cream!

Okay, to my followers and regular readers... Out of love and appreciation at this time of giving, if you want a slice of pie, leave a comment telling me your favorite pie filling or your favorite color, make sure I can locate you if you win, and I'll send you a piece for Christmas!! Love you!
LeeAnna
Drawing for the winner will be this weekend, which gives my followers time to find out!
**UPDATE** A winner was chosen at random and it's Sylvia! Congrats Sylvia, I am making your chocolate pie now! Send your address. For the rest of you, there will be another drawing on a new present this week. Y'all come back again!LeeAnna

Another Quilt Show and a few purchases

a few vendors

My husband, the "Quilt Widower" went with me to another quilt show. He is so good and it's really fun to share time with him something other than clearing out house problems.
He has a man's perspective. He has a non-quilting perspective. He has a different perspective that makes events like this fun to discuss with him.

The top picture is the sum total of all I bought at the show.

My husband's  advice to me when I leave for a show is "Show great restraint"


This time he shopped along side, and helped me choose this:

 I know!! Another pin cushion!! I first asked for poodles, then flamingos, then cows, none.
But the little burro that started life as a candy dish:? Chocolate karma? I'm in. Plus it reminds me of the poodle pulling a cart from my, er, collection. Anyone know anything about it's history?

The two books were the first purchase and on sale for $5 each, at Dover Books.  Christmas!!

The thread is Presensia, and the sampler pack of small spools was perfect to take in my hand sewing kit with my hexie project. I get to try their thread, and use colors I didn't have. I opened the pack on the way home, sewing my hexies while Drew drove, and we listened to our new book on tape by Rita Mae Brown. Back to the show...

 I started with vendors, but did look at the quilts. I love seeing the World quilts  and this one by Teri Cherne won best of country (USA) this year. I like a circle design, and these exuberant colors and intricate quilting made my heart beat faster.

I also enjoyed the New Zealand quilt where the artist saw a picture of the land and saw a woman's figure in it!
Ideas come from all sources, the muse finds you if you let her!

Wendy Ward

There was a group of small Celebrate the Day challenge quilts.

Each artist chose an obscure holiday, a real on the books holiday like popcorn day! Walk your dog day or Mole day.

This one,  for Cow Appreciation Day and in case like me you want to celebrate a cow each year it's on July 15th.
By Stacey Koeller. I took lots of pictures of this exhibit since it was my favorite one.

Whimsical and just plain silly, right up my alley!
Oh and by the way, they had a Nerd Day quilt and I asked my resident scientist if he wanted it on the blog. He said no, and acted like he had no idea why I would even ask. It had a pocket protector with pens.

A Penchant for Poodle Pin Cushions and Pigs

When my blog friend, Martha Ginn (blog) in MS decided to sell a few things, this was among them...

the tongue is a retractable measuring tape! The tail is a thimble holder!

 and she thought I might want it.  Of course  I wanted it! Made in the 50's, like me. Black poodle, like mine.

This little boy brings my black poodle pin cushion collection up to two :

 I'm on my way. This is how the flamingo collection and the cow collections began and look at them now...

Here is a link to my Collections quilt post that showcases the cow, flamingo, poodle, & Betty Boop collection.   Wanna see?? click   its-not-tacky-its Kitsch!  If you want to see other poodle art of mine, check out the link to the STAT quilts label. Fun stuff!

The post that follows under this one, has a pic of two piggie-pinatas in Lake Placid. I'm not pig-crazy but...

I do enjoy a piglet in real life.Once a little piglet at the county fair nuzzled my hand with it's wee little dirty pink snout. (like a tiny suction cup!)  It caused my heart to beat faster. Another time, I observed a history reenactor at a farm pick up one of two little piglets to get them both back to the house, and the one in her arms screamed squeals louder than a siren causing the other one to trot along in solidarity... well I love a little pig now.

read about Louie here www.dailymail.

My friend Pat sent me this video of a comedian telling the story of the three little pigs in Shakespeare-ese.
Enjoy!

If it doesn't open, try this link  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxoUUbMii7Q

Happy Owl

Remember my shopping spree last weekend (shopping pictures) with the pink felt? This is what came of it!
I fell in love with this (free pattern) for an owl pin cushion and here she is. Obviously a she.

I changed it up a bit, surprised??
Starting with the decision to make it from felt. The color seems blue but it's vivid turquoise, yellow and pink.

I had a feeling I'd want to make more than one, so I made hard plastic templates. I held a template over the felt and cut, no tracing. After all the whole thing was made in less than an hour complete with cutting out.

 I keep my perle cotton embroidery thread in this wee little zipper bag that has elastic loops inside to hold thread cones. The green thing hanging on the zip pull is an embroidery needle threader which works like a charm. The owl is stuffed it with plastic beans and poly stuffing. Instead of the felt heart I put the wings on with heart buttons. I used the pink fabric to cut eyes instead of buttons too. So it's not perfectly made but it's cute as a, well, a button! And happy!