on the wall.

I've had to put my rainbow cards top on hold while I finish up my August bee blocks.  A few aqua units made a break for it while I was distracted (I think the cat might have helped with their escape), but I'm hoping they can be rounded up without too much trouble.

My bee mate requested Arkansas Traveler blocks in yellow/grey.  This block combines traditional piecing  for the central diamonds with paper-piecing for the grey border.  There's a great tutorial and downloadable template at Freshly Pieced.

Making progress. 

Based on the Play a Card pattern by Zen Chic, but a tad smaller.  There are 112 different fabrics, all from stash (scraps mostly), save six of the pale violets and a few Botanics prints.

Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

I relocated operations to the deck temporarily so I could join in with Rachel over at Stitched in Color with my own Purge of sorts.  Only I'm not limiting myself to just those "meh" prints.   Most everything in my scrap bins was fair game, including my beloved scottie dogs, some original FMF, favorite Mingle prints and more.  I think the only fabric spared the blade was some prize Tula Pink scraps that have their own fate in store.

I cut rough charms from all of my scraps, joined them to white strips, and cut them in half.  The plan is to pair them up with a second half from the leftover pile and assemble into two baby quilts.

But in the meantime, I've been enjoying my rainbow piles.

Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced!

It's been too hot lately to do much of anything except lounge around pathetically and complain - let alone hang out next to an even hotter iron - so I thought I'd share a small summer sewing project from cooler days - a little bling for the machine.  Well maybe not bling exactly, but add a few glass-head pins and things could get sparkly.

You see, Finn the Cat, bless his heart, seems to think that every small stuffed object is a cat toy.   Including the pin cushion.  And I'm sure it's not hard to imagine that cat + pins = a very bad thing.

Doesn't he look guilty?

This took very little time to make:
Make a piece of patchwork, measuring the width of the machine neck + 1/2" x roughly 4 1/2".  Cut a second piece of solid cotton or muslin the same size for a lining to keep the filling from sneaking out the seams.
Cut a piece of 1/2" - 3/4" wide elastic a few inches shorter than the two sides and back of the machine body combined.

Layer the fabrics with the solid to the wrong side of the patchwork and fold in half RST the long way.  Finger crease the fold.  Place the elastic in the middle (on right side of patchwork) and align the ends with the short ends of the fabric sandwich.   Pin in place at each end.  (The elastic will be longer than the patchwok and bunch up in the center. Just take care to keep it away from the long edge.)

Starting at the folded edge, stitch across the end, making a few passes to secure the elastic Turn the corner and stitch about 1/3 of the way across, leave a 2" gap for turning, and then stitch to the opposite corner, turn and stitch the other short end with elastic, again reversing over the elastic a few times.

Turn right side out and stuff with your favorite pin-cushion filling.
I used crushed walnut shells, adding a little bit of fiber-fill at the end to pack it in well.
Stitch the opening closed by hand.

That's it!  The elastic should stretch enough to get the cusion up and around the machine arm, but hold it snug in place.

I'm not a big pinner, but I have to say, it sure is handy always having a few close by without having to fear them being absconded by the cat!

If you happen to make a little machine pin cushion, please share a photo on the lark cottons flickr group!