Tuesday 23 August 2011

K.I.S.S.

After yesterday's fiasco, I thought I would stick to the Keep It Simple Rule today. Going for the better safe than sorry option. That doesn't sound very brave of me, I know, but things didn't improve on the crafting front after I wrote yesterday's post.

First of all, I really truly did not see the mistake in the second Farmer's Wife block until I had the post all written. How I missed it is beyond me. So I went away and started unpicking the bits that were wrong. Only I didn't unpick the incorrect parts. No, I unpicked the bits that were right! A few words crossed my lips at that point.

Surprisingly, I managed to produce an edible dinner. And after the girls were tucked up in bed I decided to gather my wits about me and do some more of the hand quilting on Helen's quilt. Yup, you guessed it, I proceeded to sew myself to the quilt. Not my clothes or anything simple like that. I sewed myself to the quilt! Don't ask how or why but I managed to pierce the outer layers of skin on my index finger - without noticing! - and when I pulled that stitch through, lo and behold, I was attached.

At which point I stopped sewing and poured myself a large glass of red wine. Thought it was best to stop before there was blood spilled!

So today I am sticking to the simple stuff. I made three pin cushions. All of them have recipients to send them to.  None of them involved a disaster in the making. This is good!


They are five inches square - except for the orange one because I can't do maths this morning. The return from the land of the brain dead is a slow transition apparently.  They are stuffed full of soft toy filler. I hear people talk about using crushed walnut shells to fill pin cushions. Is there actually somewhere you can source these or do they just collect the shells from the walnuts they have eaten? (Is that a really stupid question?)

I have never made a pin cushion before. Easy, aren't they? I don't have to make one for myself because I have been given two now. I fail to see how I lived without them before. Linda sent me a lovely one made as a bird recently, and I forgot to thank her for it because I was gushing too much about the owl fabric she sent. I haven't used the bird pin cushion because I feel too cruel at the thought of pushing pins into its sweet body. I am thinking of using some perle to make a loop and hanging it up and letting it just look pretty.


I am off to town with the girls to buy them their new school shoes now. Dreading it. The shoe shop will be busy - always is - take a number and wait your turn. Then the uniform items that require replacing. There is a lot to be said for school uniforms - other than shopping for it. It was easier when the girls wore what I gave them and there was no discussion. That doesn't happen any more. Sigh! Helen said she wants blouses. (Huh?!) Time to teach her to iron her own clothes if that happens.

Thanks to everyone who left messages on yesterday's post. You made me laugh and you kept my spirits up when everything else was going wrong. You all cheer me up to no end!

Susan

I am linking this with Quiltstory for their Fabric Tuesday linky party. I've not been doing links in so often in these summer holidays. Need to get back in the groove.

Fresh Poppy Design

19 comments:

  1. Love your KISS rule, and I totally see your sewing mishaps! That's why I decided to stay with small projects now. Your pin cushions are lovely, and good luck with shoe shopping!

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  2. Ah! Been there many times...atached to my sewing!
    Persevere it does improve with practice!
    Your pincushions are nice and bright and look lovely!
    Don't envy shoe shopping....

    Sandie xx

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  3. Now this is where I get excited.... as a newbie to quilting it is usually me asking where I can get things from, but I can tell you where to get crushed walnut shells from. I am told you can get them in pet shops but here (in France) they don't have them, so maybe look there first they may be cheaper. If not here is where I got mine from

    http://www.teepeequilts.co.uk/Pin-Cushion-Stuffing.html

    Hugs from Linda in a VERY HOT France xx
    xx

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  4. I have done the sewing to my skin and clothes thing - mad aren't we?

    The wonder is that we don't do it more often as we sew while doing ten other things phsically and mentally!

    Good luck with the shopping and wishing you more successful sewing with all my heart! Pincushions are very cute! Lucky recipients!

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  5. Should that not be KISR or is that just me being thick? And you're not the only one to sew yourself into fabric - been there! Gorgeous pin cushions. My beginners want to do some of these on Saturday. Jxo

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  6. Sorry I've been MIA and not commenting, the pinnie's look super cute! Must get started on on my goodies for the swap!

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  7. Oh, you make me laugh! I've stitched my shirt to a quilt before, but never myself :) A lovely glass of wine would do wonders for you.

    The pin cushions are lovely! I need to try to make one ASAP :)

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  8. Lovely wee pincushions, and yep, you're not the only one who's sewn themselves to a quilt (when I said blood sweat and tears went into single girl, I meant it...) I think you need to take an afternoon off - just sit down and spread your stash around you and ponder ;-)

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  9. Oh Susan, great move to swap the sewing for a glass of red. Calm those nerves!
    I don't have a pincushion either, maybe I should, it would save them ending up under my feet.

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  10. Oh Susan you sound like you need a break! The wine sounds like a good start - perhaps you should run yourself a bath or do whatever it is that you do to have a break. Assuming that is not sewing obviously ;)
    Cute pin cushions though!! So happy!

    xx

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  11. Love your gorgeous pin cushions - and glad I'm not the only one to wonder about walnuts and crushing thereof!

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  12. Cute pincushions! Sometimes we all need the simpler things for a bit.

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  13. Love the pincushions! My daughter is on a pincushion craze and has been having such a good time. Hers are stuffed with fiberfil only. The buttons seem to give them enough weight. Sometimes she also double-buttons each side.

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  14. Just when you thought yesterday couldn't contain any errors you decide to defy the sewing goddess and try again!! I've also sewn myself to some hand piecing (fortunately it was really fine thread, unlike your perle!) and as I had been approaching a seam intersection I didn't want to cut the thread and start again so I pulled it back out of my finger...all I can say is I noticed it a lot more when it was going in reverse!! Hope the shoe/uniform shopping went smoothly?!

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  15. I can't cope with school uniforn shopping either. It's torture! I measure my kids with a tape measure and then order online form M&S (adjustable waist means anything fits!)

    I've sewed myself to stuff a few times - once with perle - think my problem was enjoying a few glasses of wine before starting to sew!

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  16. I think people talk about crushed walnut shells because they give the pincushion some extra weight. I've also heard of people putting wheat pods and sand in them for the same purpose. I've never seen crushed walnut shells on sale anywhere.

    Your pin cushions are darling. Probably just as well you kept it simple. We dont want any more nasty accidents with your finger and a project!

    I'm so glad I'm past the shopping for back to school stuff. My least favourite task used to be covering books...I used to hand that chore over to Mr. P!

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  17. You can get crushed walnut shells at the pet store, they're sold as lizard litter! They make a lovely weighty pin cushion.
    Hope the back to school shopping was fairly painless!
    Melanie

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  18. Oh you make me lol!! I empathise with the sewing mishaps I have managed to skewer myself with the blunt end of a needle on more than one occasion. Hope the wine was lovely and calming. Your pincushions are so pretty! In a pincushion swap I was in people bought crushed shells in the pet store. There is a whole discussion on fillers in the scrappy pincushion swap group on Flickr. And I will be taking up Ds school uniform tonight. Perish the thought that I might have to buy a second pair mid year, I went for a size up!!

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  19. Your posts are so funny, especially the comment about the kids. And yes, the house is totally yucky all summer, bits of grass, wet footprints, sand etc all over, but in 13 days the kiddies are in school and then I'll miss going to the beach with them.

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