Monday, September 25, 2006

PIN CUSHIONS AND BINDINGS



I have seen some pretty cute pin cushions on blogs this week. It makes me want to make myself some cute ones! The first picture is kind of a joke, but I bet you all do it. That is my shirt stuck with pins! I also use a Gingerbread Man plate. He is kind of a catch all. The wooden chicken is a Cub Scout project that my brother made when he was a kid. He is now 57. My Mom used it for years. She glued a Dr. Scholl’s foot pad on his rump to stick the pins in. I keep it by my TV because it holds the thread and scissors as well. The stuffed apple is from when we lived in Washington, known for their apples! My aunt made the adorable chicken. It is filled with kitty litter. The last one, in the back, was a gift from my in-laws. They picked it up while on vacation. I was always touched that they would bring it back for me. It is hand made by a potter. The bottom is round pottery with a puffy top for the pins. It has a bent reed handle, so I can carry it around. I have had it for almost 30 years. Kind of fun, huh?


I am still working on cleaning my sewing room. As you know, we have a tendency to “discover” things as we clean. This week I happened upon a few 9-patch blocks that a teenage girl made when she stayed here a few years ago. I made a few more, set them with alternating blocks and finished up a baby quilt for donation. I had two other baby tops to donate that needed backs and binding, so I got that done also. Now I have four little tops, with backs and bindings ready to go. I like to prepare my bindings soon after finishing a quilt top, while the fabric is available. In the photo you can see one wall in my sewing room with a quilt rack on the wall. I have padded the rod and pinned a quilt in progress on it. (No dates allowed) On the right side I have bindings strung onto a safety pin and pinned to the rod. This is very helpful to me when the quilt comes back from the quilter. I don’t have to stop and make a binding—it is ready and waiting. I suppose there are those that could have 50-60 or even 94 bindings waiting for quilts to be quilted! I am not that prolific! (See Quilting Daze blog)

14 comments:

quiltpixie said...

good system for having bindings ready to go as soon as the quilt is ready for them.

Sweet P said...

Beautiful pin cushions and items for holding sewing tools. I like the binding system you have. I've started to accumulate extra binding and hadn't figured what to do with it. Now I have an idea. Thanks.

Libby said...

I like to prepare my binding ahead of time, too. I fear a quilt taking some time to get quilted only to find I have used the binding fabric for another project. I like your pin system for keeping track of them.
I do use my shirt to hold pins and needles. Also I will drape floss around the back of my neck - I learned this as a child from my grandma. Grandma often had a 'floss' necklace when she didn't really mean to *s*

Mary Johnson said...

I don't make many of my bindings ahead of time but I always cut them when I'm finishing up the top. I store mine in baggies in a basket so all I have to do is sew the strips together and I'm ready to bind.

I've quilted a few tops I've bought on eBay and that gave me good experience in finding bindings for tops I hadn't made where I didn't have any of the fabric in the quilt. Now I'm not afraid of not being able to find the *right* binding.

Jenni said...

That was a 'cruel' dig at the end there - made me laugh!! Wait for Darlene to read it!

Linda C said...

I am constantly using my shirt for pins and on quilt pinning days, the ones I find on the floor after the box is put away end up on my shirt tails.

Of course, I often forget that the stuff is there and head out the door looking like that. Oh well, if the thread didn't give it away the pins will--she sews, she quilts!

Judy said...

My shirt is usually where I park the needle and thread until I move to the next applique piece to sew!! But I pin them to my right front shoulder!

Do you save the left over bindings that are too long? I have tons of all sorts of lengths of left overs!

Evelyn aka Starfishy said...

The wooden chicken pincushion is too funny (very cute). Hard to believe that some "kids" craft projects have such staying power and at the end of the day, when all is said and done, you are kind-ov attached to it! We have a few of those in my family! Totally irreplaceable.

Cheers!

Evelyn

Granny said...

I used to stick pins in my shirt too but they kept going through the washer and ending up in things like underwear so I stopped! :)

Judy L.

Nancy said...

LOL! I've actually gone out in public with pins/needles still stuck in my shirt. :-)

Quilts And Pieces said...

Oh I love your pincushions but really, really love the one your in-laws got for you! Now that one is so fun! I lvoe your quilt in progress, I've made that sun before! Not for that quilt, but used the sun block!

Darlene said...

Love your pin cushions - they are really great.

When I finish a quilt top I will usually make my binding too. This way I don't have to search for the fabric later and it's ready to go. I have not touched my piles since I posted a picture last week. I really need to get busy! :-)

Estrella said...

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Cynthia said...

i like your collection of pincushions. I also like the quilt top in your second photo.