Stuff With Scraps #5

I have been obsessing over finding the perfect snap coin purse for a long time.  I had a great one for a while- it was leather, the ideal size- but I lost it somehow.

Years pass.

I start teaching (and shopping!) regularly at the workroom.  One day...

"What's this?  Metal purse frames?!  I could make my own coin purse?!"  This idea cooked in my brain for quite some time.  This week, after realizing that I would not be able to attend Reva's Snap Coin Purse class, which I've been wanting to take for ages (drat!), I decided to take matters into my own hands.

It's not perfect, that's for sure, but look how cute!  I'm sure Reva has some tips that would make it all come out even better.  The hex patchwork is from a chunk of it I made last year.  The fabrics are all Japanese scraps leftover from when a friend was finished cutting out the pieces for her quilt. ("Umm, are you going to throw those out?")

I will now pay for all cash purchases with exact change just so I can show it off.

Just... one... more...

One more English paper pieced pillow.  Here's how it happens...

We plan a road trip that involves several hours in the car, followed by a few days away from the sewing machine, then several more hours in the car driving back.

I'm not driving.  My hands will be free, and not working on something during all those free hours isn't appealing.  So, I cut a whole bunch of papers, quickly pick out a batch of scraps from the scrap bin, iron the papers to the back, pack an abbreviated sewing kit, and I can be happily on my way.

This patchwork was started last month on such a road trip, and since I don't want to be a collector of (more) half-done projects, I made it big enough to be a pillow top.  I finished it up yesterday.  Yay!!  I had another pillow that was looking sort of worn out, so I ripped off the old cover and crammed the form into this new cover.  It was a tight squeeze, but I managed to get the zipper closed.  Yess!!

Busy Hands

Since I just completed (yet another) English paper pieced pillow top, I needed a new project to work on while waiting for kids at lessons.

I love love love Carriage House Samplings.  Their designs all have that early American, folky-but-not-cutesy look that I really go for.  Plus, I find myself very attracted to alphabet samplers, and they have lots.

My most recent major proud accomplishment has been getting my sister into cross stitch!!  She lives in Houston, Texas and given their crazy, tropical storm prone weather, I decided she needed to have a hobby to work on when the power went out.  So, I hooked her up with a pattern I knew she would love, and all the floss and everything, and now she's going like gangbusters.

Problem is, even in a huge city like Houston, she can't find a cross stitch and embroidery dedicated shop...  I KNOW!!  Needlepoint, no problem, but not cross stitch.  Go figure.

I, on the other hand, am spoiled for choice here in Toronto, with not one but TWO lovely stitching shops within 15 minutes of my house- The Sampler on Browns Line in Toronto, and Gitta's on Lakeshore in Port Credit.  I was in Gitta's the other day and called my sister to gloat, because I'm evil.

Anyway, new project, and I'm well on my way!