Hey hey, quilting friend! Raise your hand if you have a few WIPs & UFOs (works in progress and unfinished objects) in your sewing room!
(Obviously, MOST of us do!)
Are you seeking motivation to vanquish your WIPs & UFOs from your space?
Maybe you are wishing for a secret phrase to leap off this page and give you the determination that you need to finish them!
Perhaps all it really takes is someone to come over and glue your buns to your chair so you don’t have any other choice but to work on them? – (I’m not signing up for that, by the way)
I have been sorting through my sewing room and I’m noticing that the WIP & UFO pile is much larger than I would like it to be. oops.
In short, the sewing room challenge was a great success. So, I’m doing it again (yes, again) with a little more organization and I’m totally asking you to join me!
The plan is to complete one WIP project a month until I no longer have any more projects to work on…. (haha. just kidding, I will always have unfinished projects laying around because when I buy something new, I can’t wait to get started on it!)
I created several pages so you can choose which layout works best for you! I really think we work better in numbers. And I would love for you to do this challenge with me!
So… what do you say?
You can follow my progress by clicking the menu at the top of the page BLOG > MY QUILTS or searching for “SEWING ROOM CHALLENGE.”
I’ll be posting monthly updates as I finish each project.
I didn’t really NEED a new Pin Cushion. What I really wanted was a fun creative DIY project and the satisfaction of turning one cheap thing into a completely different and useful other thing… the result was this DIY Pineapple Pin Cushion from the dollar store!
And know what? I LOVE it turned out! A win-win! I’m sharing a step by step tutorial today so you can make one too!
I’ve seen this saying floating around Pinterest…
…And I really love it, but it feels too cliche to just print it out and frame it for myself. I’ve been looking for a way to add it into my decor somehow as a reminder without being quite so blunt about it.
I created this pincushion that will be a visual reminder of the sweet (pun intended) message whenever I use it!
First off… I have a confession. Above is a picture of the finished product. What it started out as, does not look at all like a pincushion or a pineapple.
It takes a bit of imagination to see the whole project though.
In our family, we shop the dollar store a lot. It seems like there is always something we need from there. When you’re on a budget and looking for something to transform, it is a total crafter’s playground!
I looked in the plates and dishes isle but couldn’t find anything worth transforming there. I went over to the arts/crafts/candle aisle and I came across this item:
It is a wax melter? I don’t know the official name for it… but you put a little tea light in the open part and a few scented wax cubes at the top. It slowly warms to wax and voila… beautiful smells!
The more I looked at it, the more the patterns on the sides drew me in and I could slowly see my symbolic pineapple piece emerging!
The pineapple was going to happen!
DIY Pineapple Pin Cushion Instructions
After you have your dollar store treasure, you’ll need just a few more things…
I really wanted a magnetic spot to drop pins. The easiest way to DIY that is to glue your own magnets on the underside of whatever you want to drop your pins in!
They come in packs of like 50+ so you could easily make a bunch of these for friends or split a pack with a friend.
Gluing the Magnets What didn’t work & what did:
On every single other occasion (except today!) I recommend this glue. It is amazing! It is my favorite. If you don’t have a go-to craft glue, I highly suggest this one.
BUT again… NOT today… Perhaps I was just impatient and wanting instantly dry glue instead of waiting the 4 minutes for it to set up?
I went to add a second magnet to the inside of my piece and the magnets popped off and stuck to one another quickly.
That is why today, I suggest going with the trusty craft glue gun. Instant hold. Instant gratification and no waiting for your glue to dry or making a mess (see above…)
I put a nice big glob of glue on the magnet and it held really nicely on the underside of the “wax melting plate”
Once you glue your magnets on, flip your soon to be pineapple back over and test out the magnets with a few pins. You should have a pretty good hold.
Painting your DIY Pineapple Pin Cushion
If you aren’t the best at painting… don’t worry! I did a really sloppy job at this pineapple and it still came out looking like a pineapple. I’m just going with “abstract pineapple”… and it’s art! Therefore, it is beautiful.
You also could get out a can of gold spray paint or glitter paint or whatever makes your heart happy and make it completely your own. š
I do enjoy painting. See my 2 favorite mugs? Yes, these must BOTH be used when I paint and one of them usually has water or wine, depending on the time of day.
I started painting the greens in the pineapple first. Most of it will be covered up by yellows and eventually browns so you don’t have to be too neat with your painting.
Then I added 2 different colors of yellow, white, brown and a slightly darker green strokes for a little more demention.
Let all your paint dry well before proceeding to the next step.
The Pincushion Part
I used a small scrap of yellow fabric that I dug out of my scrap pile. I really like the criss-cross lines that echo the pineapple theme.
For the filling, I used some polyester batting scraps simply because that is what I found first. You can fill your pineapple with other fabric scraps or steel wool or whatever you have on hand.
Test measure your pincushion to find the right amount of filling to put in. Check the firmness when you insert a pin. If it is too soft, add more stuffing/filling. You’ll want to make sure your pin cushion area is tough enough to hold a good number of pins.
Wrap your chosen fabric around the inside stuffing or batting and tuck in all the edges inside your pineapple.
I did like the smooth flat surface that the batting gave when I stuffed it in the pineapple.
Pineapple Belly š
To complete the project, I didn’t find that any glue was really necessary. I just tucked in the raw edges of the fabric and called it done. You’ll have to be the judge on this part for yourself. Glue certainly isn’t going to hurt anything if you like it to be a little more secure. š
Enjoy your DIY Pineapple Pincushion! If you decide to DIY this project, let me know in the comments down below.
OK… on to the contest details… and then on to more pictures and detail images of my contest entry!
If you follow me on Instagram, I already shared some pictures over there š
Bob Ross was a wonderful painter and an even more wonderful person. I could honestly write a whole blog post just on him! I won’t because I know that is not what you’re here for… but I could!
We love Bob Ross in our house š
So when I saw that the theme for this year’s Cherrywood challenge was Bob Ross… well, it was a given that I would be working on something to enter.
This is the selection of fabrics that were provided for the contest. The mission: Create a 20″x 20″ quilt piece that incorporates these colors with the inspiration of Bob Ross.
Image from Cherrywoodfabrics website (because I cut into my fabric before I took any pictures… I didn’t think that one through!)
Bob Ross painted all of his paintings using only 8 colors of paint (plus white and black). So it was only fitting that our quilted masterpieces be limited to only 8 colors of fabric, right?
We were allowed to incorporate other colors in the piece via another form of medium – paint, beading etc….. i.e. as long as it isn’t any other fabric.
The last day to enter for the 2019 show was today (July 1, 2019) so I really hope I will get to see the other entrant’s quilt pieces soon.
Here is my Cherrywood Quilt Contest piece!
“Dear Bobby…” My 20″ x 20″ Quilt in it’s entirety!
There is so much detail on this quilt and so many little areas that I really want to highlight… so I’m sharing lots more photos so you can see it all š
First, the details of Bob, himself… and that HAIR!
I couldn’t neglect the chest hair and signature denim colored button down shirt…
Bob Ross’ love of nature and the planet earth is something we should all aspire to have. He saw beauty in everything. “Happy trees”, “Happy little cottage”. He saw the planet for what it could be if everyone loved it.
Here is some more details of the piece and the quilting.
There was a lot of experimenting with this quilt – Not something I totally recommend doing when you’re entering a contest piece… but these are when the experimental ideas come, ok?
I added an extra layer of batting to the quilt in hopes that it would puff up and show more dimension in the quilting… and it did! Just look at the mountain!
As fro the sky… I have to tell you that yes, yes I did totally watch Several episodes of Bob Ross’ show while I was making this quilt. I also watched a YouTube compilation of all the times Bob Ross instructed people on how to paint clouds while I was painting these sky decorations š
I didn’t realize just how much fun this project was going to be until I began… I think I will forever be entering in the Cherrywood Quilt Contest each year!
My quilt was accepted into the show and will remain on tour with the cherrywood exhibition until 2022! If you happen to see a bunch of Bob Ross inspired quilts, keep an eye out for me š My quilt did not win a ribbon or a placement award this year. While I would have loved to have won, it is truly an honor to be chosen for the show. There were so many beautiful quilts that were created!
Have you ever wondered “What do your quilt colors mean?” What is the psychology of quilt colors behind each quilt?
Colors and the feelings that they inspire are so ingrained into our brains that often times we don’t even think about it anymore!
Think about just a few colors for example…
Sunny Yellow – feelings of warmth, happiness, sunshine and fun!
Blues – feelings of calm, serene and, comfort
By changing up the colors in your quilt, you could potentially send invisible messages that translate into all kinds of different feelings for the end user of the quilt!
With this theory, a healing quilt will likely have a different vibe of colors from a picnic quilt, right?
What is the message that your quilt is trying to tell? What do your quilt colors mean?
Let us dive right in and look at some more Psychology of Quilt Colors.
This bright color is more than just little girl ribbons and bubble gum! This bold color is often linked with feelings of joyfulness, creativity, and glamour. It is vibrant and refreshing and euphoric. I’m also going to add in here that this one is my favorite to work with š
A rose-colored pink suggests femininity and a softer calmingĀ colorĀ associated with love, kindness, and femininity.
RedĀ is most associated with energy, passion, and action. It is a warm color that attracts attention more than any other color.
OrangeĀ is a combination of yellow andĀ redĀ and is considered an energeticĀ color.Ā OrangeĀ calls to mind feelings of excitement, enthusiasm, and warmth. I love to pair a bright orange with a blue on quilts!
Peach colorsĀ are excellent for a happy or healing quilt. It exudes calmness and warmth.
YellowĀ is theĀ colorĀ most associated with happiness and optimism, as well as creativity. It is also associated with warmth and a sunny blue sky feeling.
Pale or Pastel Yellow has the same psychology as sunny yellow but is a bit more subdued. It is theĀ colorĀ of energy, enthusiasm, hope, fun, and cheerfulness. I love to use yellow on gender neutral baby quilts.
GreenĀ is a color the symbolizes renewal and growth. It is the colorĀ you see the most in the natural environment… It resonates with inner energy, rebalancing.
This shade ofĀ green is heavier on yellow tones and signifies youthful energy as well as harmony and renewal.
Teal, or turquoise, is a very soothing color to add into your quilts. It creates emotional balance and stability. Teal can conjure feelings of clarity, balance, creativity, compassion, and self-sufficiency.
Did you know that blue is the most popular “favorite color” in the world? Blue is often viewed as conservative and traditional. It signifies feelings of calm and serenity. Blue is peaceful, tranquil, secure, and orderly. It does not hold the same feelings of energy that warmer color tones have.
Cool or light blue holds the same psychology and feelings that a navy blue holds. It is often seen as a sign of stability and reliability
TheĀ color lilac symbolizes friendliness and having an open mind. TheĀ colorĀ is said to help reduce antisocial behavior and aggression by encouraging emotional expression. It is a very soothing color for a lot of people.
Purple is often associated with luxury, power, wisdom, creativity, and magic! What a power color, right? Purple is often uplifting and self affirming.
Grey has a mix of meanings that really depends on the end user of your quilt. Grey canĀ represent neutrality and balance. However,Ā greyĀ can carry some negative connotations as the absence ofĀ color can make it feel dull or empty. I love greys, and often pair them with a brighter color in my quilts.
Have you ever added a little sparkle and shine to your quilts? Perhaps with a metallic fabric or a silvery thread? TheĀ color silverĀ is associated with meanings of industrial, sleek, high-tech, and modern, as well as ornate, glamorous, graceful, sophisticated, and elegant.Ā
BrownĀ is a naturalĀ colorĀ that evokes a sense of strength and reliability. It’s often seen as solid, much like the earth. Brown isĀ often associated with resilience, dependability, security, and safety. It also makes for a very masculine quilt.
Whew… so there you have it!
Colors are the secret code behind everything in this world. So next time you arere trying to pull a color pallet together with your fabrics, think back to the psychology of your fabric choices and decide … just What do your quilt colors mean?
…And then ask yourself… what is it you want your quilt to say?
Do you ever give thought to color psychology when creating your quilts? or do you just go with what you feel matches based on gut feelings and personal preference? Let me know in the comments below!
Hey hey! I have more FREE gift tags to share with you today!
It is a good day sewing sisters!
Before you click on over to the download button, allow me to share a little bit about these tags, will you?
A reader emailed me last week with a really sweet request…
“Do you have any tags that are totally sweet, without any sarcasm? I made a quilt for my first granddaughter and need a tag saying how much I love her. “
Isn’t that the sweetest?! How could I say no?
I love creating new projects and printables for my sweet readers!
While I didn’t have any non-sassy tags to send to her right away, I made some the first opportunity I had!
Seriously… I’m so glad there are other people out there with a sense of humor like mine!
If you want to know what a “truly honest” gift tag is… see below!
You can download more like these FREE (Truly Honest) Gift tags here
I figured there might just be a few other sweet people out there in need of a sweet gift tag instead of a sassy one so I’m sharing them with you today as well š
Note: these tags are in the same format/designs as my sassy tags, I just edited them to be a little extra love. I want to create more tag designs in the future, though so make sure and keep in touch through my email newsletter to get all the details on new freebies!
Enjoy your Free Gift Tags!
Also… if you’re interested, I’ve also created more gift tags that are a quick download (12 more designs!) available in my shop for just $2!!
(hey, this momma has to support her coffee needs somehow, right?)
