The Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild sponsored a pincushion swap as our holiday gift exchange this year.   I have been on a pincushion making mission ever since.  Apples, pears, tomatoes, squares and other shapes have graced my worktable as I tried my hand at various shapes.  (Co-workers bought all of my samples – which came as a huge surprise!!) My hands-down favorite is the tetrahedron shape shown here.  I spied few shabby chic versions on Pinterest that I had to make for myself.

A tetrahedron pincushion pattern is available on Etsy, but being the resourceful type that I am, I knew I could figure it out and make one from materials I had on hand in my studio.  For equally resourceful types, here’s how I went about constructing my tetrahedron pincushion:

1)  Find a chicken pincushion tutorial of your choice where the chicken’s body is wedge shaped.

2)  Select two 5-6″ squares of fabric.  Or piece enough scraps together and cut your fabric squares from that.  Add flat trims, ribbons, and other embellishments to your squares now. (Save beads and buttons for later).  Interface the squares with a mid-weight fusible interfacing.

3)  Sew and stuff the pincushion (minus the chicken parts) as indicated in your tutorial.

4)  Add buttons, beads and decorative stitching if desired.

5)  Admire your handiwork and put your new pincushion to work in your studio.

Helpful hints:

1) A doll needle, a curved needle and embroidery floss are worth their weight in gold for this project.

2) Crushed walnut shells (found in reptile section at pet supply store) are a popular stuffing material.  It adds a nice weight to the pincushion.  However, if you or the intended recipient is allergic to nuts, you’ll want to avoid this filler material.

3) The tetrahedron shape needs to be weighted.  Instead of crushed walnut shells, I weight the pincushion with a small muslin pouch of aquarium gravel (brand new, rinsed off and allowed to dry first) and add polyester stuffing to finish it off.  Some folks also like to add dried lavender and other items from the garden to add a nice scent their pincushions.

We  signed a buyer’s agreement with the real estate agency this week and came very, very, VERY close to making an offer on a new house in Smyrna.  We really liked the house so much that we asked if a different floor plan that suited out needs a little better could be built on one of two other available lots in the neighborhood.

My biggest objections to the house we looked at are the number of steps leading from the garage into the house (7 of them) and the steep driveway.  We can navigate the stairs fine, but our parents and other certain guests can’t.  We need a stepless or one step only entry into the main level SOMEWHERE.  His hesitation was the inability to utilize the behemoth entertainment unit his father built on the main level.  So when the realtors called to say another offer was in the works, I could tell the other half was disappointed, but I wasn’t about to make an offer on a house where we couldn’t make key pieces of cherished furniture work.   Hopefully, we’ll hear back from the realtor one way or the other soon on our desire to build a new house on another lot.

One thing I will say is that driving to various parts of Atlanta from Smyrna will be a heck of a lot easier than from the Cobb/Paulding line in Acworth.  I also look forward to being in a position to consider employment and business opportunities in-town that I now ignore due to the Atlanta traffic.

This is a funny story.  🙂

Two weeks ago, I headed north to the Georgia Baptist Conference Center in Toccoa with 14 other members of the Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild for our first overnight quilt retreat.  Sure, we’ve had day long quilt retreats at a member’s subdivision clubhouse, but never away from job and family responsibilities to be able to concentrate on sewing for 48 hours straight.  It was heaven (and I wasn’t even there the entire time!).

A large group of sewers from the American Sewing Guild were also at the same facility that weekend.  They were in the conference rooms adjacent to our room.  Andi, our president, runs an online sewing supply shop and she’d brought her mobile store with her.  Once those ladies from the ASG realized they had “shopportunity” next door, several came to visit and shop.  I would be willing to bet the bulk Andi’s sales that weekend were to the ASG ladies, not members of the AMQG.

Of course, both groups of stitchers held impromptu “show and tell” events throughout the weekend.  It was during one of the show and tells that we were brandished as those “wild” quilters.  And no, it wasn’t because of our behavior!  Amy was showing off the bright geometric quilt she’d made for her 10 year old son.  One of the ladies who was laying out a design in very traditional fabrics (think Thimbleberries) took one look at the quilt and remarked, “Oh, you’re one of those WILD quilters!” – meaning we liked the bright fabrics and abstract designs – NOT because we were misbehaving.  And this lady was totally serious.!

I couldn’t help but laugh because while the AMQG is affiliated with the modern quilt movement, we’ve had some folks not join because the guild wasn’t modern enough.  I like the bright colors, fabrics and clean, simple lines of modern quilts…but I also like my traditional fabrics.  I joined this guild because (a) most of the members were about my age instead of 20 years older and (b) they appreciate ALL forms of quilting – vintage to traditional to modern.

And a few notes to myself for future overnight retreats:

(1) Cut ALL projects in advance;
(2) Take Jewel  (my Janome 6600) – even if I have to buy a wheeled travel case;
(3) Take the Ott table lamp; and
(4) Bring dollar bills for the drink machine.