Summer Sewing Series #3 - Wild Flower Pincushions

I wanted to make a simple little gift for a friend and I saw the tutorial on how to make these wild flower pincushions by Anna Maria Horner on www.bhg.com. How hard can they be? 

Well, they were a bit more work than I had anticipated, and they turned out quite a bit bigger, but I'm happy with the results in the end. I'm always looking for sewing projects that will use up scraps I already have. These were some of my favourites. 

Have you ever made a pincushion? Which one?

Summer Sewing Series #1 - Summery Sisters

Summer Sewing Series #2 - Sew A Pillowcase: The Roll Up Method

Corderoy Evergreen Cushion Covers

A Better Homes and Gardens magazine came out before Christmas last year with some really neat projects in it. This was one of them. They owl garland was from the same magazine. My friend and I were going to make these but that's when I got sick, so she brought me the fabric in the hospital to cheer me up. It did, but they sure didn't get made then.

I made felt cushions a few years ago and they just didn't stand up. They got pilly and ugly pretty quick. These are machine washable - yay!

I decided not to make the trees on the two cushions exact copies of each other as far as fabric goes. The big flower from this one is from Bente -- who just absconded with my brother to live in Norway!! We miss you! I don't know if the flower will stay here permanently or if I'll find a new home for it but it reminds me of her.

Fabric Owl Garland for Christmas

These cute little owls are from a magazine I picked up after someone showed me the owls. There's a few other cute projects in there too, but these rock!

 For this set I used double fold bias tape to attach them to. I already had this fabric from the aprons and coasters, and ribbon is cheap.

Taking pictures at night is generally a bad idea, I know but I had to wrap them up to give away the next day. Instead of using felt for the middle of the eyes I used rhinestones and they really sparkle in the light.

I made a second set and used a wide red ribbon and narrower white ribbon instead of bias tape. I like this effect as well. And I have no idea why I thought it was a good idea to string them across my couch to take a picture!

Scrappy Coasters - I'm in love!

I made these coasters to match the apron I made my sister for her birthday. I gave her the red bordered ones and the green dot ones went to a family member as a hostess gift. They're quick and fun to make. I loosely (very) followed a tutorial I saw here.

I made another set when I made the apron with the grey dots. I loved how these turned out with the funky stitch in red around the outside. It's a great way to use up scraps, and a practical gift. 

Oopsie the Octopus stuffie - aarh matey!

This is my new nephew, Levi. Isn't he sweet? And that creature with him is oopsie the octopus, one of the free projects by Moda Bake Shop.  I made him into a pirate octopus by adding an eye patch and bandana. I thought the legs would be perfect for little hands to grab onto.

He's my first patchwork project and my first stuffie. I think I'm hooked on both. I have a lot of scraps....

tutorial here