Lazy Girl Quilt block assembly and another Tiny World Make Do Pincushion

I had a pair of little gold demi tasses and I wanted to use them to make Tiny World Make-Do Pincushions. They are inspired by a pattern by Mimi Kirchner. I've already showed the first pincushion and now here is the second one! I made my own pattern for a house that is a slightly different shape - it is a little wider. So here it number two! I don't know if I mentioned this before but the trees are made with pins so I can move them around to do some landscaping if I feel like it!

And here are the two of them together!

Now back to Lazy Girl! I've cut the background squares for my Lazy Girl quilt and they measure 10 1/2"  so they'll finish at 10". Each will have an arc appliqued to it and four arcs made a circle so the circle block will measure 20" square finished.

I drafted my pattern so that the arcs will be 1/2" away from the seam lines. So to the 1/2" I add the 1/4" seam allowance to that I will need to position the arc 3/4" from the edges on each square. I made marks at the 3/4" point on each background fabric. I've place flower head pins so you can see the placement of the marks.

The next step was to trim the excess fabric from the arc. I left the 1/4" seam allowance beyond the line I drew when I trace the template. And one good press before pinning them to the background.

The next step was to place my arc so that the edges lined up and the top of the arc hit the 3/4" mark. I pinned and then did the same at the opposite end of the arc. Notice that I use two pins, one parallel to the edge of the quilt (this one is important because it prevents shifting) and the other is parallel to the outer curve. I pretty much always do this when sewing patches of any sort and I find it is really good to do at the end of seams because shifting of fabric (where the top fabric ends up a little longer than the bottom fabric) is virtually eliminated as a result of the pin that is parallel to the end of the fabric (the pin with the white head in my photo).

 Then I pinned close to the edge outer curve of the arc.

I stitched the top edge with a small zigzag stitch. I used The Bottom Line thread in a neutral colour on top and regular cotton Gutermann cotton sewing thread in my bobbin.

I moved the pins to the inside curve of the arc and stitched it down. The basting stitches are then removed and one final press!

Four of these make a 20" block (finished)! My Lazy Girl quilt top will be three blocks wide and four blocks long. The quilt top will go together like nothing! Can't wait to quilt this one! I've already got some ideas about what I might do!

I'm off to an outdoor quilt show at Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto so I hope to be able to take lots of lovely pictures to share with you tomorrow! If you are in the area it would be a nice place to go. There will be over 160 quilts on display outdoors!

Until I post again, happy sewing!

Tiny World Demi Tasse Pincushion

It was a good news day! Mom (Anne H) broke her right arm (the humerus) and while we were hoping it would heal, at age 93 we weren't sure it would happen.  She saw the specialist today and surprise, surprise! It is healing. She'll have to baby it for the next couple of months but otherwise she is good to go! She has been struggling with her sewing but now that she is cast/brace free she can have fun with her sewing!

I've been sewing bits and pieces for Tiny World Pincushions and I managed to finish yet another. I have two little gold demi tasses and here is the first of the two. The other will be finished another day!

To give you an idea of the size here it is next to the Farmer's Home - Winter Pincushion. I really adding tree trunks! And they are both working pincushions! Can a quilter have too many pincushions? I think not!

I'm still working on the feathers in diamonds in Butterscotch Ripple - there are two or three to go. This quilt is going a little slower than I would like but hopefully I'll pick up steam tomorrow. I've been doodling away like crazy trying to decide how to fill the diamonds after the initial feather border. My doodling isn't perfect or even accurate but that isn't the point. The purpose is to help develop ideas. I might not be able to quilt what I draw but it gets the creative juices flowing! And it did just that!

The outer feather is quilted in the example below and I drew two inner diamonds that are 1/2" apart to create channels. I used my blue water soluble fabric marker.

Close-up of the blue markings.

I stitched two diamonds inside the feather to create the channels and then filled the outer channel with circles. I'll leave the inner channel empty. I've tested this on the first block and I am happy with it. The next step will be to decide what to put inside the centre diamond. I may use a couple of designs to fill the diamonds.

This is a close-up of the channels and the circles.

Now about those two rabbits I've been seeing in the garden. They were back again. They sure like the pond! Isn't he's a snappy dresser - blue plaid pants and a leopard print vest!

I was able to get fairly close - they didn't seem too bothered to have their picture taken but then in the blink of an eye they were gone!

Was it me or was it this??? The dreaded Grey Panther from two doors down!

Until I post again, happy sewing!