Go Giants

The 3-d printed container got a new buddy, so we swapped the lids around and now there are two black and orange arrangements. 

That obviously required some San Francisco Giants stickers. I found some perfectly sized ones for sale on eBay and they worked out pretty well.

One is currently empty and the other one has foam with pins stuck in it. Not exactly the right kind of foam as it's rather stiff and unforgiving. And we also put a big circular magnet in the bottom to help hold the pins down. 

A Pincushion

 I don't know why, but making a pincushion for the BAM swap became a Big Deal. I was really stuck for a while for a million reasons. But I eventually chose a simple pattern to use, Noodlehead's free Wagon Wheel complete with an assembly tutorial. The next sticking point was choosing fabrics.

I was stuck there for a while, but eventually I settled on these fabrics.

Very simple piecing for the top, then a bottom and a side band.

The provided template with the pattern.

I think it's pretty straight on. I like the lopsidedness of the beans (eyes).

I used the disappearing marking pen to mark the circle.

I sewed the center band on very slowly as it's a fairly small circle. It went together very easily.

I used un-dyed wool roving and poly pellets to stuff the pincushion full full full. 

The wool roving compacted down so there were little pockets to fill up.

The bottom highlights a Tula Pink beetle.

All sewn-up, time for a glamour shot or two.

Portrait mode on my phone, I like how it slightly blurs the background. Makes for a good photo. 

I hope it is very happy in its new home!

Mega Pinnie

Check this wonderful thing out, it's a Mega Pinnie that friend Jaye made for me for Christmas. It has a Mini Pinnie attached via that awesome giant purple button. The handle on the top is so great for moving it around your workspace or from room to room. 

It's kind of like having a bucket of your most necessary tools, but you don't have to dig around in the bucket to find certain things. Oh and it's a giant pincushion too. The triangular zipper bag that's clipped on holds a big pair of scissors.

The fabulous purple fabrics that she used are so perfect for me. Thanks, Jaye!

Cornucopia, End of May Edition

Gifts from friends are the best aren't they? Whenever they arrive! I received this super cool double flowered pincushion from Lunaea, it is made out of that wonderful Japanese slightly nubbly silk kimono fabric, with a sparkling vintage button on top. She bought it from an Etsy seller, SillyBoodilly,

And then she had some fat quarters of various quilt fabrics. I wasn't clear on why she had these fat quarters, maybe to make bags for her fabulous beaded Goddess rosaries? Anyways, as she is not a sewist (one who sews), and she's doing such a great job of weeding through all her stuff, she gifted me with them. Hmmmm, what should I make for her out of them, they kinda do go together...
This photo was too funny not to share. I don't have to mow my lawn, I have a grazing herd built in. See, I don't need to rent those goats from the neighbors! Seen here is head cow Zelda the Wonder Dog with her faithful sidekick Spike the meanest cat we've ever owned. Both have to eat their daily requirement of grass, they're really insistent about it. They are quite the dynamic duo indoors and out, patrolling the yard, making sure the other cats are safely up in the redwoods.

Remember the mystery palm that is taking over the front yard that I was showing you a while back in April?

It had all this beautifully strange yellow pollen spongy fruity looking stuff, and now here is what remains. The little branchlets are such an odd shape and color. Don't they look like coral? All the dried out seedy stuff has fallen below and been collected in this spider web conveniently woven between the hairy trunk and evilly serrated fronds. This has turned out to be a really cool plant to have in my garden. I'm really glad I didn't throw out that mostly dead house plant I inherited from my grandma...

The climbing red roses are going crazy this year, so I cut just three stems for this bouquet in my favorite blue vase. They don't have much of a scent unfortunately, but they sure look pretty.