Happy Monday! Today I have another little pincushion tutorial to share!


Similar to my personal challenge to make a scrap project each month, I want to round out my pincushion stash! So I dug into my scraps and pulled out pieces to make two pincushions. For the first one I used a piece of lightweight Japanese canvas for the center along with blenders by Anna Maria Horner and Joel Dewberry.


For the second pincushion I used one of my favorite Heather Ross prints for the center and blenders by Carolyn Friedlander to match. Want to make your own? Follow along below!


Have questions about making pincushions? Check out my All About Pincushions post.

Sewing Level: Beginner Friendly
Finished Size: 4" square

Materials:
- (1) 2.5" square of focal fabric
- (4) 1.5"x2.5" rectangles of print fabric
- (4) 1.5" squares of print fabric
- (1) 4.5" square of backing fabric
- (1) 4.5" square of lightweight interfacing
- 6"x6" batting scrap
- Pincushion filling (I used crushed walnut shells.)

Looking for supplies? Check out my Pattern Supplies and Resources post.

Instructions:
*Use a 1/4" seam allowance unless otherwise noted.*


1. Arrange print rectangles around the focal square, with the print squares in the corners.


2. Sew pieces together in each row.


Press seams in the top and bottom row towards the center. Press the pieces in the middle row away from the center.


3. Sew rows together, press seams open.

If you need more guidance on finishing up your pincushion, check out my All About Pincushions post.

4. Layer pincushion top with batting, quilt lightly. Trim to 4.5" square.

5. Apply interfacing to backing fabric according to manufacturer's instructions.

6. Place pincushion top and backing right sides together, clipping or pinning around all four edges. Sew around all four edges, leaving about a 1.5" opening in the center of one side. I find this makes turning easier than leaving the opening at one of the ends. Trim the seam allowance to 1/8" at the corners.

7. Press opening seam open, to make closing the opening easier. Turn pincushion right sides out. Use a wooden chopstick or turning tool to help. Fill pincushion with desired filling. Using a hand sewing needle and matching thread, stitch the opening closed.


These are very simple but are so fun for showcasing a cute little print. They stitch up really fast and would make great swap items or as a gift for your sewing friends!

If you make a pincushion, please tag me on Instagram, I'm @jenib320 and my hashtag is #jenibaker.

Happy Sewing!

February Monthly Report

Happy March! It's time for February's monthly report. See past reports here.


February was a bit of a strange month over here! I came down with a cold around Valentine's Day that really wore me out. The tail end of it turned into an ear infection, which was not super fun. So, I didn't do much sewing this month. I did bring my singer featherweight downstairs so I could sew in the sunny library while Michael worked on his computer. I think I may keep it downstairs, it's nice to be able to sew on the main level sometimes.


I started a new workshop tote with linen and canvas scraps! This was going to be my scrap project for February but I only got as far as trimming all the half-square triangles. It's at the top of my to do list for March.


I also pulled out my indigo stash and made four blocks for a new courthouse steps quilt. I like how it's coming together so far!


To keep myself accountable for my stash goals, I track my yardage for fabric and yarn each month. Read more about how I track here. Here is how I did in February:

February Fabric
Used up: 0 yards
Brought in: 11 yards
Net: +11 yards
Year to date: +10 yards

February Yarn
Used up: 0 yards
Brought in: 0 yards
Net: 0 yards
Year to date: 0 yards

Yikes! I did not finish any projects this month. The only other month that I've finished nothing since I started tracking was when we moved to CT two years ago. I also had my first big fabric splurge in a long time. I picked up some old favorites, including a backing. At first I felt guilty, but I honestly feel okay about it. I've been so good about limiting purchases the last six months, I was due a little fabric shopping! Plus it was on leap day, so does it even really count? :)


This past weekend I traveled to Houston to visit with my friends Jacey and Amanda. It was so nice to spend time with them (and Jacey's husband too). We usually only see each other once a year, so this was a treat. Plus the weather was incredible!


We got up to all kinds of fun stuff, including some t-shirt dyeing. I have been trying to achieve purple ice dye for a long time and I finally succeeded!


A non-sewing project I worked on recently was a little phase two update to our little pantry. It's at the top of the basement stairs, so we need to make every nook and cranny work for us. First, I added a set of these shoe storage cabinets (trones from Ikea). They're lightweight and nice for storing snacks, noodles, crackers, etc. I cut and finished a piece of plywood for the top to dress it up a little. We now have a chalkboard hanging above it instead of the mini quilt.

I also made a peg shelf for this tall awkward spot at the top of the stairs. It was totally unused space before and it's great for holding cleaning supplies. I roughly followed this tutorial to make the shelf. I customized the dimensions to fit my space and needs. The grocery bag holder is a tutorial here on my blog, find it here: Quilted Grocery Bag Holder Tutorial


George bunny! He is munching away as I type this, he has been doing well.

Have a Great Month!

DIY Quilt Ladder

Happy Tuesday! I wanted to share a few notes on a quilt ladder that I made last year! This has made a few appearances on the blog already and I've gotten some questions about how I made it.

I followed a tutorial from Apartment Therapy: How to Make a Blanket Ladder


I made some small adjustments to better fit what I wanted. For the two tall supports I used 1 1/2" diameter wood closet rods, 72" long. For the five horizontal bars I used 1" diameter dowels, trimmed to 38" long.

Above you can see the spacing I used for my ladder. The first bar is 13.5" down from the top of the tall supports. There is approximately 9.75" between each bar. The bars hang over the sides by 4".


The process of lashing the bars to the tall supports was pretty straightforward, the video that is linked in the tutorial was really helpful. I used cotton macrame cord, since I already had some on hand. I have primarily used my ladder for photographs, so I don't know how strong the joints are if you have something draped on it all the time. It does feel quite strong!

If I was going to use this for display all the time with heavy quilts I would probably glue the supports in place and add small screws from the back before lashing.


Happy Quilting!

January Monthly Report

Happy February! It's time for January's monthly report. See past reports here.

First and foremost, a big thank you for your twill tape orders! I have a reorder on it's way and the low/sold out styles will be back on Friday, February 7th. You can find the listing in my shop here: Cotton Twill Tape


Sewing wise this was a light month. Michael took the first week of January off, so it did sort of feel like I was playing catch-up most of the month. Totally worth it though! He works long hours, so I really cherish any extra days we have together.

I did carve out some time to sew up a new drawstring bag. When I was cleaning my sewing room after the new year I realized I had enough cork fabric to make two more drawstring bags! I paired the cork with this lovely canvas print from Ruby Star Society*. This is the bottom accent variation from the expansion pattern in the Project size. The cork fabric from Sew Sweetness.
 
Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern + Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern


I finished a small quilt this month! This was an extra quilt top from writing my book, Patchwork Essentials: The Half-Square Triangle. I basted it in May 2018, yikes! I was tired of having it languishing under my sewing table, so I spent some time getting it finished up in January. What a relief to cross this one off, it was weighing on me!


I shared my scrap project that I made in the form of a tutorial last week, you can find it here: Long Scrappy Pincushion Tutorial. I actually made two, since I didn't take photos of the process while I made the first one. They were fun and quick!


To keep myself accountable for my stash goals, I track my yardage for fabric and yarn each month. Read more about how I track here. Here is how I did in January:

January Fabric
Used up: 9 yards
Brought in: 8 yards
Net: -1 yards
Year to date: -1 yards

January Yarn
Used up: 0 yards
Brought in: 0 yards
Net: 0 yards
Year to date: 0 yards

New Year, new stash tally! I actually didn't buy any fabric this month. All the yardage that came in was given to me by friends. I knew I had to finish that little quilt to help offset it! No yarn movement, but I did start a new cowl for Michael.


I didn't really do much of anything towards my crafty goals this month, but that's okay. I spent most of the month working on behind the scenes business stuff, so a lot of time on the computer. I am looking forward to being more intentional about my sewing in February. Which includes picking up my vintage sheet quilt blocks!


I'm missing my garden, so I treated myself to some flowers this month. First I had a bundle of teeny tiny purple and white carnations that lasted three weeks from Trader Joe's. This weekend I replaced those with these ones shown above. They are my absolute favorite color, such a perfect purple. I love to stretch a single bunch across 4 or 5 small bottles.


George the bunny! He is doing well, and he put on some weight this month. He is very happy about that and so are we. Such a good boy, we love him so.

Have a great month!

*Note: Any links marked with an asterisk in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click through and buy something, I make a small commission, at no extra cost to you.