12 Contests!

September 5th is the starting date of the next 12 Contests! from Moda Fabrics and it just so happens to be OUR contest month!

The rules are byzantine and confusing. Kidding!!! They are extremely simple. Extremely simple rules for extremely simple fabric designers.  The only rule is that you make a pincushion out of Minick and Simpson fabric (yes, I have jumped on that runaway bandwagon and have joined the pincushion stampede) Any pincushion - any Minick and Simpson fabric - and post the pictures on Instagram with the hashtag #12contestsminickandsimpson

Got it? Pretty simple. Post those pinnie pictures starting now until October 4th.  We'll pick the winners on October 5th.

Winners? Yes, lots of winners will get Ann's Arbor fabric bundles/pre-cuts.  Whee!!!

 These are a few of the pincushions I have made lately.  All were made from my scrap basket.

 This one was made with an extra block from my Martin's Place quilt.  Notice the machine quilting. This was the first time I have ever used a walking foot.  I lived through it. Thank you for your concern.

These were made from leftover triangles from 2 Chippewa Nine Patch quilts.  The triangles became half square triangles. Then they became quarter square triangles. Then they became pincushions.

 I rescued a tin can before it went into the recycling bin. I love these tins - they are graphic and retro and a perfect shape.  This can quickly became a pincushion.

I fill my pincushions with sand. Terrarium sand I bought at the craft store.  Is is good for pins and needles? I don't know.  I just know I love the heft and weight of these pincushions.  If I dull a few pins in the process - I know they died for my enjoyment.  Because I use sand - I sew a liner for the sand out of tightly woven cotton ticking that I also bought at the craft store.  I have mode dozens of pincushions filled with sand and not one grain has ever leaked out.  Use tightly woven ticking and a small stitch on your sewing machine.

 

I made these square pincushions just like a small pillow and I just slipped in the sand bag.  

Thats it!  Pincushion. #12contestsminickandsimpson.  We can't wait to see what you make!

Speaking of Ann's Arbor....... we have posted a couple of kits in Etsy shop and some yardage too!

Polly's Rugs and New Ann's Arbor Quilt Kits!

  

Above are pictures (taken inexpertly from a screenshot on my iphone) of Polly's rugs last week at the Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum and Nantucket Antiques Depot.  I wish I had better pictures, but this is what I have. It was a grand time and Nantucket in August is absolutely lovely.

We also have Ann's Arbor fabric here!  We are delighted to have the  Lady of Lake Superior quilt kit in our Etsy shop HERE.

And Four Flags too!!!

Laters,

Laurie

Ahoy!

Polly and I are back from a delightful trip to one of the loveliest places on earth. Nantucket.  I have some very meager photos, but it was kind of a working vacation and I missed some great pictures.

This is just an average house on an average street (across from our BnB) that had some spectacular window boxes. Whatever happened to window boxes?

We were hosted by Nantucket Antiques Depot and our quilts and rugs were displayed among the stellar antiques.  I took lots of pictures of rugs, but my phone has swallowed them whole I fear. I even posted them on Instagram and now nowhere to be found.  Believe me when I say, there were great hooked rugs on view.

Speaking of views, this was taken from our dinner table one evening. Sigh.  But here we are back and ready to get to work.  Our next fabric collection is now being shown to shop owners everywhere! It's called Farmhouse Reds and here are the quilts we made with it! (These are the pictures on the pattern covers.  The quilts are being shipped right now from the quilter. I will have REAL pictures of REAL quilts here in the next few days)

 This is Bird Hills Lane and the quilt measures 36" x 40" so it is quite a doable project.  The pattern can be found HERE.

This is Good Morning and is a little quilt easily pieced with old fashioned redwork.  You can find the pattern  HERE. 

 And this is Mrs. Rose's Best. We saw a very similar quilt at the Red and White show in New York a couple of years ago and we never could get it out of our heads.  Here it is in red and white - just like it was once. We were granted permission to make our version from it from the Rose family.  You can find the pattern HERE.

We showed you this recently, but here it is made with Farmhouse Reds! You can find the pattern  HERE.

This was me last night - listing all the bolt ends we have leftover from kits.  They are now listed in our Etsy shop under YARD SALE YARDAGE.  Why am I cleaning off the fabric shelves? Ann's Arbor is shipping any minute now and I'll have new kits next week! 

All this fabric is $6.00 per yard now until Friday. On Saturday all the fabric will be $5.00 per yard.  If any is left on Sunday it will be $4.00 per yard. Warning, it's only been listed for a few hours and most has sold out.  Good luck.

Laters,

Laurie