Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Spring Is Sprung

In case you might be wondering if I totally succumbed to the Zombie Attack, I’m still here! With a voice too – not perfect exactly, but more-or-less functional. Still coughing but I think I’m finally on the upside of this thing. Maybe. I’m trying not to press my luck though. I mean, look what happened last time! I got confined to barracks for 4 more days and unable to talk much for half of them. I don’t want to attract another smackdown.

Meanwhile, I made this:

Wrist Pincushion

WristPincushion

Date: March 20, 2012

For:  me

Pattern:  Offset Square Wrist Pincushion Tutorial by June Gilbank, available here.

Materials:  Scrap of parfait-dyed-by-me cotton quilting fabric, scrap of waistband elastic, Corriedale wool, small purple lampwork bead made by T-Man.

Comments:  I think one step needs to be added to the tutorial. If you snip into the seam allowance at the centre points of the sides, it’s much easier to get the corners neat. Mine were a PITA to sew and looked lumpy and wonky until I clipped the corners. Then they cooperated much better.

I made two other changes: elastic instead of twill tape and velcro for the strap. Unfortunately I forgot my recent lesson on “exercising” my elastic so it came out too loose! Necessitated a tuck to keep it from slipping around on my admittedly scrawny wrist. In other words, I might have been better off adding velcro. But I didn’t. The other change was to stuff the cushion with wool from my spinning stash. I find it a little firmer and nicer to poke pins into. It’s also supposed to be better for the pins than polyester fibrefill. Since I have a lot more wool than poly fibrefill in my stash anyway, that’s a no-brainer.

The bead is one that I found in my bead stash. When T was making lampwork beads he never made very many teeny ones(3/8” or less in diameter). This is one of the smallest of them all.

I think it’s really fun to slowly furnish my sewing space with items that make the work easier and more fun. I get a smile whenever I look at my Thread Catchers One and Too and my Teacup Pincushion. Now I feel like I need to rearrange the tool caddies by my cutting table. There’s a discussion of fabric marking tools coming – I can feel it! I have about 6 different things and always end up reverting to one choice. More anon.

4 comments:

Ev said...

I know I don't comment on your blog very often but today I felt I just had to let you know that I always enjoy reading your posts. It feels like sitting down with an old friend, catching up over a cup of tea. Keep it up, Louisa!

Louisa said...

Thank you, Ev! It's always lovely to have your comments. At least I know somebody is out there and reading my blather.

Dixie said...

Glad to hear you're feeling on the mend, and hope you're totally zombie-free soon!
Your wrist pincushion is lovely. I just might have to make one of these. I'm always chasing after my magnetic pin cushion in my studio. Having a pin always at hand might be a good thing!

Louisa said...

Thanks, Dixie! I am feeling quite a bit better but I'm still trying to take it a little easy. Funny thing - I don't like magnet pin cushions because I hate it when my pins get magnetised and stick together! Drives me bonkers.