Perfectly Pleasing Pincushion Parade

It has been several years since the last PPPP and I have really missed it! So was very happy to hear that Ida was planning another this year.

You can go to Ida's blog here to link up and to view everyones contributions. I am really looking forward to seeing some new ideas and inspiration, everyone has such great imagination when it comes to pincushions.

I got all my pincushions out for a photoshoot!

After I had put them away I realised that I had forgotten two so they got their own photoshoot!

While I was wondering what to make for this years parade I was browsing through this little Anni Downs book.

One of her sweet little stitches really resonated with me - 'My Home is my Haven'. Well my home has been my haven during lockdown and so came the idea for a commemorative pincushion.

I am off to link up with Ida and see what interesting ideas are turning up. I shall be back later in the week with a few 'new to PPPP' pincushions. See you then.

The Perfectly Pleasing Pincushion Parade 2017

This was such fun last year that I have been looking forward to joining up again this year. Many thanks to Ida at My Sister Made Me do it for all your hard work in setting this up and arranging for all the lovely prizes!

I went to a car boot sale - vide de grenier as they are known here - last year and spotted this owl pincushion.

He is pewter and had belonged to a friend of mine who had died earlier in the year. Her family were selling some of her things. I could not resist! However, he is a little sad I thought and so I removed the ugly blue lump that was the 'pincushion' and replaced it with a big fluffy velvet pin cushion. Here he is now in all his splendour!

He sits on a little cabinet watching over all the sewing that I do.

A couple of years ago I fell in love with this design from Natalie Bird.

I bought the pattern and then it sat in a drawer for a year. But then last Christmas I decided that it would be my Christmas present to me and so I made up my version.

I based it on my favourite Tilda fabric - the grey with roses which went beautifully with the dusky pink spot - I wish I could get hold of some more of that pink spot!

I replaced the wool applique of the original with embroidery.

And beacause I filled the pincushion with crushed walnut shells it is quite hefty so I replaced the bobble on the top/nose with a loop to make it easy to move around.

For some reasdon this pincushion did not make it to last years post and yet it sits on the table next to me every evening!

Made for me by a dear friend, the extra large thread catcher is useful for storing my handcream, glasses, tapemeasure etc

A tile used as the base makes it nice and stable and the magnetic strip holds my scissors safely in place. The pincushion is large enough to hold masses of pins.

Next up is this Christmas pincushion which again missed out last year - because it is stored away with my Christmas things!

It's a Gail Pan design and I love getting it out to use during December.

I am looking forward to seeing lots of beautiful pincushions in the link up - hope to see you there!

Piece Yourself Together time again

It's time to share all things EPP again. If you have been working on some EPP then do go to Anthea's blog and link up your work - and spread the word. Many thanks Anthea for hosting.

I have only one Hexathon block to show you this week. #22 Hyde Park.

This weeks block is underway but taking a while as there are more curves involved! Not my favourite.

I have sent off my swap hexies for the month and have also received a few more for my collection. This beautiful fussy cut flower.

And these have arrived recently too.

Work continues slowly on putting them all together - in between other projects or when I want something portable.

Do you remember this little owl that I picked up at a vide grenier?

Well I have replaced the horrid blue rubbery lump that pretended to be a pincushion and this is what he looks like now.

Much more handsome - and he has a couple of little friends.

I'm also linking up with Needlework Tuesday  at Books and Quilts. 

Happy stitching!

The Perfectly Pleasing Pincushion Parade

I am linking up with Ida at My Sister Made Me do it for her second Parade of Pincushions and I have already seen some real beauties around blogland. Do pop over to her blog to see some gorgeous pincushions.

I am starting off with this one which lives near my sewing machine and which sits quite handily by it while I am machining.

When not in use it sits in this little matching basket which was a Jenny of Elefantz design and holds a few other tools and essentials!.

This florentine/bargello pincushion is not in use but sits on my shelf of needlework tools. I made it as part of my C&G course back in the 80's.

The box was intended to hold a thimble and now holds a  few from my collection.

Finally my newest pincushion - I love that Tilda fabric and the little glass dish cost just 50pence from a charity shop. I stuffed it with walnut shells so it is nice and heavy.

Many thanks to Ida for organising this link up.

Another UFO off the list!

Several years ago a friend came back from Le Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork with this beautiful bag.

All made with beautiful silks and velvets. My friend very generously allowed me to borrow it (thanks Mad) to make a pattern and you may remember seeing my almost finished bag here when I was unhappy with colour of the handles. They have now been re-dyed and the bag is complete.

I have made it using my own dyed cotton velvets plus some silk furnishing fabric samples which I have had for years and knew would come in handy one day!
The interior is lined with hand dyed silk and has one large pocket.

I have used a sparkly brooch to decorate.

Unfortunately my friend does not remember who she bought the bag from and there is no label inside so I am unable to credit the designer of the bag. If anyone recognises the bag then please do let me know so that I can rectify this.

Another UFO surfaced this afternoon and I got this Mystery Quilt from The Quilters Guild layered up.

It's from a few years back now and we worked on it a row at a time. Hoping to get the machine out over the weekend and make a start on the quilting. Meanwhile my Four Seasons Crazy just needs its binding hemming down and a hanging sleeve - handwork for the evenings while the football is on! - so hopefully that will soon be finished.

I have been playing with a couple of small projects. First of all I saw this gorgeous little dish in a charity shop in UK and at 50p it had to come away with me.

I found some gorgeous Tilda fabric that I had been saving and made myself a new pincushion.

I have see quite a few boxed zippy pouches around and had a go at making one using this tutorial.

Not a bad effort although the corners could have been more symetrical! I shall definitely be making more of these though.

Well I think you must have had enough of my pictures now! Hope you all have a great weekend.

Do you need a new pincushion?

Of course you do, we all do. One can never have too many!!

For the chance to win a lovely pin cushion pattern pop over and visit Karen as she has one to give away.

The Perfectly Pleasing Pincushion Parade!

This linky for us to show off our pincushions is being run by Ida and you can see all the lovely and interesting examples that have been entered HERE. Many thanks to Ida for hosting this parade and having such a good idea.

Here are the pincushions that I use regularly.

But I am just going to talk about the two that I really enjoyed making.

First of all this Anni Downs pincushion.

I can't remember now if I made the bag first or the pincushion but I love them both and they are perfect for taking with me when I take sewing out for the day.

This set I made some years ago.

The design is my own using perle cotton on canvas. They live in my sewing basket and are used nearly every day.

There are some stunning pincushions in the parade - I do hope that you will go and have a look.