Elephants & Pin Cushions

Yay! I have my elephant baby Quilt top finished and ready for quilting. This was so much fun to make, and I thank Miri for the free pattern.


I have been debating on how to quilt it. It is really tempting to try my new free motion skills out on this quilt.. I am tired of little practice blocks. But I have discovered that I am no good at making shapes.. like hearts. I want to put a heart in the body of each elephant, like Miri did, and then meander around them. But I can't draw a nice heart with even stitches for nothin'!


Anyways.. Happy May Day! It was chilly and raining all morning, but then the sun broke through so I thought I'd seize the moment. I had gathered some of my pin cushions in a box yesterday to take out and photograph, because Janet over at Quiltsalott was showing some of hers the other day and invited us to share ours too. I looked in the box and realized I didn't have as many as I thought I did..

But see that one very pretty new one in the middle with the pink rose? Well it just came to me today!
There was a package in the mail from Bec, my swap partner for the Time for Tea swap. She had sent me the rest of my swap, which included a second matching potholder, some more Cadbury chocolate, some wonderful coffee, and this adorable pincushion. I love the vintage blue ric rac around the edges. You don't find that color very often. And the way the button sinks it in. ☺ I was so glad to add it to my collection. Thank you Bec! I am going to hate to stick it.. but I have a feeling I will!

~~~

Onward. Of course we all know those tomatoes with the strawberries..


And here is one of my favorites.. I am pretty sure it was made in the forties. I found it at the Good Will store a couple years ago.. (guess I do have a pretty good Good Will come to think of it.)

I use this one a lot even though I shouldn't. It is just so friendly and inviting..

And here is a teensie weensie one made from a bottle cap that my friend sent me for my birthday. So very cute.. everyone that I show it to loves it.

And this one is very very old. It was in my grandmother's sewing basket, but I am sure it must have belonged to either her mother or grandmother. The fabric is brocade.. like you would see on old sofas or cushions. It is full of pins and needles, and a unique sort of bar pin on the underside. I have never removed any of these pins.. and never intend to. It stays in her sewing basket.. a treasure.

Here is a crocheted chair pin cushion with a little place to hold scissors. Another friend of mine sent it to me a few years back. It really could be a doll chair.. but I think it was made to be a pin cushion. Wish I knew where I could find the pattern..

This one is old too. It was in this house when we moved in. I have a lot of sewing stuff from the lady who owned this house, even though I never knew her. Her name was Meta, and I met her once when I was dating Mr Attic.. she was sitting on the porch on her rocking chair with her cats. Then she got very sick, and died before we moved into town. On Jan 5th actually. My birthday. I always kind of felt a special connection to her because of that, and I live in her house. Anyways.. I always thought this was a neat pin cushion.. even though the top part isn't much good for holding pins anymore.

And as you can see.. this is a very popular one here. It is full of pins and needles! A Christmas gift from Ulla. I love the sewing machine printed right on it! And for some reason it's the one I always grab.

I have no idea where I got this one below. It is very old, and made like a crazy quilt.. with silks and velvets. It is packed hard. Maybe cotton.. or wool. I don't ever stick it with pins for fear I'll shred the old fabrics.

And here is one that I made it for a friend for Christmas one year. The pattern was in American Patchwork and Quilting.

Well... that's enough for today. Feels good getting a little bit caught up. But I know that's not gonna last.