Fun with Patchwork: Sachet & Pincushion

Remember the patchwork pillows I made a few weeks ago? Those are right up there on my list of best projects ever. (For clarification "best" for me means creative, clever, quick and easy.) So why NOT take a fabulous pillow and miniaturize it? Fill it with crushed walnut shells and it's a happy little pincushion. I've been meaning to make a pincushion for a while but I only got this idea yesterday. Lindsey was coming over to make more pillows and poof, the marriage of my need for a pincushion and my desire to make a pillow netted this little gem. I love it. It's hard not to feel happy and creative when I look at it. I used a bright mix of Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane and Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet fabrics to make it bright and summery. I'm planning to make a bunch so that I can switch them out for different seasons.


After I made mine, I thought they would make great gifts. So I made one for a fellow crafty sewer, my friend and neighbor. I wanted hers to look soft and romantic and that gave me the idea to make it into a sachet by filling it with lavendar. I am so happy with the results! Of course, the kids got hold of it and it is currently doubling as a hacky sack. At least it smells nice while they kick it around.

I hope you too are enjoying a gorgeous day. Happy Crafting!

Strawberry Granita

I forgot - I did make something! The kids and I made this refreshing and tasty strawberry granita that we saw on Elizabeth's blog, The Waspy Redhead. It was delicious and the kids were enthralled with the idea of making our own "slush". Elizabeth's recipe uses less sugar than most recipes call for, so I felt like I was earning extra mom points both for making something with the kids and for making something that was entirely made of fruit. Okay, "entirely" is an exaggeration, but I'm counting it as a win either way.

Have you read The Waspy Redhead? You should. She's cool. She's BFF with my sister-in-law so I feel vicariously cool when I read her posts. And go make some granita! It's good stuff!

Long Time No Craft

You may have noticed this by now, but I really love to make things. I mean really. But the thing about making things is that you have to keep doing it to stay in the groove. If you take too long of a break you risk losing your mojo. That's essentially what happened the last two weeks. After my pillow-making bonanza, I slowed down, took a little break, and lost my groove. Have no fear, it will be back. I've read that artists have ups and downs and that it's best to just ride those waves. And I've read that you need to work at making art part of your every day, squeezing it into the tiny spaces of time that you can claim for it when you're a busy working mom. Maybe I read too much and haven't been crafting enough. Maybe I should stop reading articles about finding time to craft and just DO IT already. So that's what I plan to do. But not tonight. And realistically, probably not tomorrow either. We just have a lot going on right now. It's good stuff though, the stuff of life - playdates and softball practice. I will keep making my lists of projects and sooner or later I will get cracking again.
Until then, here is a recap of the last two weeks in pictures.