Monday, December 10, 2012

Mini Monday: Zippers and Pincushions

First of all, let me say thank you to all who entered my giveaway!  I was out of town last week without access to a computer, so it was especially nice to receive email notifications (439 of them) on my phone when someone left a comment on my blog post.  I enjoyed reading what all of you are busy making.  The winner of the giveaway is Jane S. who said "That llama is so cute! This is a great giveaway, all that goodness. :) I'm working on Christmas ornaments right now.  They're those "quilted" ornaments that are fabric squares folded and pinned to styrofoam balls.  They look harder than they really are (my favorite kind of projects)."  I'll put your package in the mail to you today Jane.  I also noticed that the number of Followers Bloggy Friends grew while I was away.  What a wonderful homecoming gift!   

circular zip earbud pouch
I have two little projects to share today.  Stephanie had a pattern review of earbud pouches on her blog recently which reminded me that I had already pinned the tutorial by Erin on Pinterest.  This seemed to be a sign that it was time to actually make one.

Peek inside
The hardest part was finding a zipper in my unorganized sewing lab.  After that, the rest was easy.  The tutorial is well written with clear instructions.  I was able to cut the pieces from 5" scraps in my scrap basket.  I have to say I was feeling pretty pleased with my zipper skills ;-)  So much so, that I was wishing I had more zippers on hand.  I will definitely make more of these earbud pouches.  

Stuffing in progress
Next up is a pair of pin cushions.  I used strips of Millie's Closet for the top and scraps of Tula Pink Plume for the back.  Red ribbon was added to the top of one - blue ribbon to the other.

Pinless
I experimented with the stuffing.  For one I used aquarium sand to provide some weight; I used craft stuffing for the other.  I had planned to use crushed walnut shells but couldn't find where I put the bag.  I seem to recall I may have disposed of them when I read an article about pins being used in making quilts and risk of peanut allergies....

Pinsies
Doesn't the pincushion look sophisticated with these fancy pins?  I ordered them from Karen Griska.  She also has a pattern so you can make your own pinsies.  

Pair of pincushions
After a week away from my sewing machine, it feels great to have a few finishes....even if they are minis!

Thanks for stopping by,

8 comments:

  1. Isn't it so satisfying to make those little things! I love your earbud pouches - I used that pattern to make of those for my daughter last year and she is still using it. Now I need to make one for myself - those headphones are always such a tangled mess.

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  2. Very, very cute! and handy! I've wanted to make an earbud pouch and yours turned out perfectly!

    Your pins and pincushions made me smile! Very happy and cheerful!

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  3. You are now officially a "sewer." Anyone who can sew a zipper in a mimi project qualifies as a sewer. I love your projects.

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  4. Good for you for making something with zippers! These little earbud pouches are so cute. Love those fancy schmancy pins too.

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  5. Those pincushions are SO cute! Are you happy with the aquarium sand? I'm still on the fence with the crushed walnut shells, which I've used quite a bit. I think eventually the tips of the pins get kind of sticky and I'm not happy with that at all!

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  6. Thanks for sharing about your earbud pouch. It's just adorable, and so practical. I'm glad you offered the link, as it seems like the perfect gift for a couple of Iphone users I know. Ahem... one of them might be me.

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  7. Thanks for the shout out! I need to make more of those this week...and one for myself! :-) Yours is gorgeous. And HELLO! You are totally working 3D if you are working with zippers! LOL. I'm going to put in a new order for zippers from zipit. I loved having a stash of all kinds of colors of zippers to pick from for my projects.

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  8. I think you already know this, but I love, love love that earbud pouch!

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