I May Have a Scrap Problem.. A Tutorial and a Winner!

Hi, all!

It occurred to me last Thursday that I had forgotten to choose a winner for the Summer Wedding pattern!  What was I thinking - well, ok, I wasn't thinking, but that's still no excuse.  So now, better late than never, here's the winner...

I'll be contacting you via email today to get your mailing address!

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You may have seen these on my blog last week - a quick and easy scrap project - so I thought I'd share a tutorial so you can make some too!  Grab four 2.5" squares out of your scrap stash and let's get started...

Sew them together in a four-patch block using a fairly short stitch...

...then fold that block in half and stitch up the ends.

Now fold the block to match up the ends of the two seams you just made.  Stick a pin in it!

Now stitch from one seam allowance to the other.  Don't stitch over the seam allowance at the pin!

Next, turn the piece so that you can get to the remaining unsewn edges.  Pull all the other pieces out the way so you don't sew them into the seam.  

Stitch a short way in from either end, leaving a gap for turning and filling.  Trim the corners where you can to make them turn easier.  Be careful not to trim too closely, though!

Turn the piece inside out.  You may find that a chopstick helps you get nicely turned corners.

Now it's time to fill your pincushion!  I like to use crushed walnut shells in my pincushions - it gives them some weight, and helps keep the pins sharp.  You can buy it at your local pet shop by asking for lizard litter!

Once your pincushion is full (just keep forcing it in there, it will take a lot more than you think it will!) ladderstitch the opening closed.  You can stitch a button to the pincushion, running a long needle all the way through the cushion to give it a tufted look, or you can just use several strands of embroidery floss.  Run them through from top to bottom of the cushion and back, then tie them tightly.  I like to use Fray Check on the knot so it doesn't come undone, then trim the threads to about 1/4".

And voila, you have a pincushion!  This is a great size to put on the bed of your sewing machine to corral all those pins.  And you can make lots of them really quickly - great gifts for all your quilt-y friends!

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And I am reminded that this is the first post for October, which means I should share my September achievements...

Lilli's ginormous annual quilt, called "Something Blue" is pieced and ready for quilting!  This was a huge undertaking, but I think it will be a quilt that she can use for the rest of her life.  

And in October, I'll be working on Nathanael's annual quilt, which I have all cut out and ready to take on a quilt retreat next week.  I'll also be working on Emmy's annual quilt, which will use up some tail ends of yardage from my stash.  I'll keep you posted progress as the month goes along!

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So what are you working on?  What have you done to tame your scrap monster?  We haven't had a link party in a while, so let's do one now.  Share some of your posts showing your scrappy sewing - it doesn't matter how old they are, let's get caught up!

Hugs!

Sarah