sewtakeahike

Good Neighbors

 

 

Amanda Jean has done it again! Not only does she make the coolest things, but now she has a line of fabric to make all those fabulous things with!

Her line of fabric with Connecting Threads is called Good Neighbors and for those of you who have spent any amount of time with Amanda, know that  is the perfect name for her fabric.

In celebration of her fabric line, the folks at Connecting Threads are throwing a pincushion blog party! Once again, very fitting for Amanda who must have hundreds of pincushions!

 

 

For my Good Neighbors pincushion, I used the Ann block from The Farmer's Wife 1930's Sampler Quilt book, reduced the block to 3" (!!) and paper pieced it.

 

 

I always color in my paper piecing patterns so I don't get the fabrics confused!

 

 

For the back, I crocheted a little 3" single crochet patch to sew onto the block, and stuffed it with wool scraps.

 

 

 

Here are the Good Neighbors pincushion party participants for you all to check out! There are lots of great pincushions featuring Good Neighbors (like this one by Krista! and this one by Faith!, and these by Anna!, so inspiring! 

 

9/1/2015	Amanda Jean	http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/
9/2/2015	Anna	http://www.noodle-head.com/
9/3/2015	Mary	http://maryonlakepulaski.blogspot.com/
9/4/2015	Svetlana	http://sotakhandmade.blogspot.com/
9/5/2015	Debbie	http://www.eschhousequilts.com/
9/6/2015	Holly	http://www.bijoulovelydesigns.com/
9/7/2015	Carla	http://carla-graceandfavour.blogspot.com/
9/8/2015	Faith	www.FreshLemonsQuilts.com
9/9/2015	Vanessa	http://www.vanessachristenson.com/
9/10/2015	Anna	http://www.thimbleanna.com/
9/11/2015	Krista	http://poppyprintcreates.blogspot.com/
9/12/2015	Erin	http://whynotsew.blogspot.com/
9/13/2015	Lee	http://www.maychappell.com/
9/14/2015	Alex	http://teaginnydesigns.blogspot.com/
9/15/2015	Cheryl	http://naptimequilter.blogspot.com/
9/16/2015	Penny	http://sewtakeahike.typepad.com/
9/17/2015	Amy	http://duringquiettime.com/
9/18/2015	Debbie	http://aquilterstable.blogspot.com/
9/19/2015	Anne	http://www.springleafstudios.com/
9/20/2015	Melissa Corry	http://www.happyquiltingmelissa.com/
9/21/2015	Amber	http://www.oneshabbychick.typepad.com/
9/22/2015	Nettie	http://aquiltisnice.blogspot.com/
9/23/2015	Adrianne	http://www.littlebluebell.com/
9/24/2015	Cindy	http://www.liveacolorfullife.net/
9/25/2015	Amy	http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/
9/26/2015	Chase	http://quarterinchmark.blogspot.com/
9/27/2015	Rene	http://www.renecreates.com/
9/28/2015	Erin	http://www.houseonhillroad.com/
9/29/2015	Nicole	http://modernhandcraft.com/
9/30/2015	Teri	http://blog.connectingthreads.com/

 

One last bit of exciting news, Connecting Threads is offering up a charm pack of Good Neighbors to one of you (Canadian or US residents only please!). Leave a comment on this post to enter, and I'll choose a winner in a week. 

 

cargo duffle

 

Last weekend I got together with a couple of friends and we each sewed up one of Anna's Cargo Duffles.

 

 

The fabrics I used are Robert Kaufman essex linen for the handle, RK kona in peridot for the pockets, a happysewlucky text print from spoonflower for the handles, and from Mama Said Sew, the green Kei geo stripe and the gray fabric is Garden by Ellen Baker.  (Also, did you know Mama offers free US shipping on all orders over $50?!!).

 

 

If you're at all interested in making a duffle, you're in luck!  There's a sew-along going on and Anna has recently revised the pattern to give more details. And what? The pattern is a free download? Um yep!

It's rare that I make something that I love soooo much that I'm afraid to use it and soil it, but I'm having that problem with this bag. I just need to get over it already!

 

 

Happy Hump day to you!

xo,

Penny

 

Weekend shenanigans

 

First. I cannot tell you how much I love Ayumi's log cabin slipper pattern (you can get the slipper pattern here). I mean I really really really love it!

I made this set using my Espresso cup pattern (available in the Parisienne Cafe Set).

 

 

Then this mini I'm calling 'all the steeples'. I haven't decided yet if I'll keep it mini sized, or make it the focal point of a larger quilt.

 

 

And lastly, a pincushion using some reverse appliqué. I just wanted to try a new to me technique! It didn't turn out exactly how I imagined, but I'm happy to have tried a new technique anyways.

 

 

I hope your weekend has been fab and happy Sunday to you all!

xo, Penny

 

It's Monday, so here's a free pattern

(photo by Joelle Lamberton)

I'll confess, Monday is not my favorite day of the week. And that's mostly why I decided over a year ago that if I could not work on Mondays, I would be forever thankful.

Last October, that dream of no Mondays away from home unless I choose came true. So to celebrate my last year of Mondays, I'd like to offer you all a cute little fork paper piecing pattern, born out of my good friend Joelle's need to make a pincushion for her fork pins.

I don't have her pincushion pattern, but if you have any experience sewing at all, it should be pretty easy to figure out.

Here's the "Put a fork in it" pattern:  Fork

Have fun with it, and happy, happy Mondays to you!

xo,

Penny

 

Cat house PSA

 

The change in weather recently has affected my cat tremendously with his sleeping habits. He's a typical cat, a heat seeker to the max. And since his cat house is positioned next to one of our gas stoves, that's where he can be found. I think the cat house makes him even more adorable!

If you'd like to make a cat house for your furry pets, you can find my pattern

here at the Interweave store.

The exposed fleece interfacing inside is irresistible to him, he loves to claw at it and the skylight is perfect for dropping toys in on a string to get him riled up.