April Showers blog hop - My Day

 This months challenge was to pose about what showers, such as baby or wedding showers, late snow showers, or "just because" gift showers for friends.  What do you like to shower everyone with?

"Just Because" Showers - 

I enjoy 'showering' friends with gifts throughout the year.   One of the gifts I make and share are pincushions.

I love to use interesting bits of glassware and pottery found while thrifting to make pin cushions for quilting friends.   One of these days I may make some for sale.

This pincushion was just finished last week.   It will be a birthday gift for one of my best friends.  I used a single candleholder that I found at a local Goodwill store and a scrap of red material.  There's room in it to hold thread and mini scissors while stitching.

One of my fav things to "shower" my friends with are quilted postcards.   I love sending notes to encourage them, wish them happy birthday, or just let them know I'm thinking of them.   And what better way than with a card that I've made.

Scraps from other projects, or things that often would be thrown out find homes in them.   Like the flowers on these that are made from drawstrings cut off of a pair of capri's and silk leaves that would have been tossed in the trash.  And yes, these flowers were a "What if I do this?" kind of experiment.  =)

My little cross-stitch pieces  or even ones that I've found in thrifting (like the ones shown in these pics), often find homes in my cards.  Scrapbooking supplies frequently get put to use in the cards as well.

More thrifted cross-stitch and scrap-booking goodies used in this one.

Silk flowers, hand-dyed motifs, ribbons, scrap-booking supplies and bids of old cutter quilts have all been used at one time or another.

Baby Showers - 
I love it when my friends have babies because that means I can make something cute as a gift for them.  Over the years I've made quilts for close friends and lately stuffed animals for babies and older siblings.   But I always keep a stack of baby bibs that I've made as a gift, and will usually wrap up 6 or 7 of them for a gift.

I'll add ribbons, lace, or like these take and add quilt blocks or partial blocks to wash cloths to decorate them.  The opening is just a half circle that I bind with double fold bias tape.   I use Wright's for this because I have a ton of it to use from all my years of sewing clothes.   

Be sure to check out what everyone else has posted today.

Wednesday April 24

Quilted Snail

Ms P Designs USA

 Days Filled With Joy

Quilting Between the Rails (Facebook)

Bumbleberry Stitches

Gratitude's:

1. Estimate has been received for the needed work on the house, so I'm almost to the point of being able to get the remediation and restoration started at the house, putting me one step closer to being able to move in there and sell the mobile home where I'm at now.

2. For the blessings that come with long-time quilt friends, even when that comes with watching someone struggle with worsening health issues and knowing there is nothing that you can do to make it better. 

ScrapHappy - April 2024

Welcome to ScrapHappy day where everyone posts what they've done with scraps over the previous month.    Be sure to check out what everyone has posted about this month.

My first project is this toddler quilt top.  The center fabric was a remnant that I got as part of a bag of scraps that I bought somewhere about 18 months ago.   Fabric is from the Search and See line from In The Beginning Fabrics back in 2016.   After trimming the sides even, I was left with a 26 by 42 inch center piece.    

After letting it marinate for a while until it spoke to me, I finally decided that it would be a good one to leave in one piece and then just add borders until it got to a good size.  I added a 1/2" border from a WOW remnant that I had leftover from another project.   2nd border is made from the medium & light blues and turquoise string strips I made a couple of months ago.  Outer border is made from the remaining bit of the WOW used for the first border.   

After pulling out a 6" tall stack of novelty print squares earlier this week to send an online friend, I decided to use up the last strips of the novelty fabrics instead of putting them back into the tote they'd been in for years.   Cut all the scraps down to 4 1/2" by 9 1/2" and cut 1.5" sashing from an end of the bolt piece in my stash, there are teeny-tiny, multicolor stars on the black to add to the fun..  Just the sashing on the sides to go before adding a final border.   Will dig out something in the stash for a border, but don't know what yet.

Don't forget to check out what everyone else has done this month!

Kate, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynda, Birthe, Turid,  

Tracy, Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen, Sunny, Kjerstin, 

Sue L, Vera, Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, 

Preeti, Viv, Karrin, Amo, Alissa, 
Lynn, Tierney and Hannah

Gratitudes: 

1. Getting closer to being able to get the needed work on the house done.

2. For meds to help me breathe better..........even if I'm still struggling to breathe like I should consistently