Bottlecap Pincushion Fun

I seem to be trying all kinds of new things this year.

I do a lot of hand appliqué and have a little container to have all my supplies for a project contained and portable.

The small pincushion I was using was just a teeny bit too tall. When I close the lid, all the pins and needles get pushed down and I tend to lose needles never to be seen again.

I've wanted to make something a little smaller for a long time. When I saw a bottle cap pincushion on Pinterest (where else?), I knew this would work!

This took me about 45 minutes to whip up. It's a little wonky but not too bad for a first attempt.

I used wool from my wool appliqué stash. Wool felt will yield a more "perfect" result, but this is what I have.  If this becomes and addiction, which it could because it was SO much fun, I may invest in some.

I used the cap from a half gallon milk container, which yielded a pincushion about 1.5" in diameter.

See how perfectly it fits?

A New Adventure

In 2022, we built a new home. We love it, but old "stuff" doesn't always fit into a new place and we now have an empty space above our fireplace and nothing to fill it with.

Even though I do not consider myself an artist AT ALL, I thought I'd try to make a little something to fill the area while we search for the perfect piece of art.

Something neutral and unobtrusive...

 Apparently, I don't do "neutral and unobtrusive" very well.

This may be a forerunner to the final product, but I am loving the process. It may just take me the rest of the year to complete though.

And we may find the perfect piece of art in the meantime.

It's 2024 already?!?

 The older I get, the quicker time seems to fly by.

I took stock of all my UFOs like I usually do at the beginning of the year. I have 5 more projects than I had at the start of 2023! Not good!

The plan for 2024 is to work on the projects that are closest to completion in order to shorten this list, but there are SO many distractions!

This was my biggest accomplishment for 2023. It was Sarah Fielke's 2023 BOM. I may actually quilt this!

New projects for 2024:

• The Quilt Show's 2024 BOM designed by Jen Kingwell
• Sue Spargo's "Chirp"
• An art quilt - This is totally out of my comfort zone. Stay tuned for updates.
• By Annie's Travel Essentials
• A couple of "Clam Up" pouches.
• And who knows what else...

What are your quilty resolutions for 2024?

It's October!

This morning it hit me that there are less than 3 months left in the year! Perhaps because the temperature dipped below 40 degrees for the first time, making Fall really sink in.

I decided to have a look at my WIPs and check how much I accomplished this year. The answer is "very little".

Still, it is nice to have a record of what I have in bins and totes. 😆

I use a spreadsheet to keep me abreast of things.

I found this idea somewhere a couple of years ago and customized it for my needs.

After a glance at the spreadsheet and because it's Fall and I don't have a single Fall quilt, I decided to get going on quilting the Bella Solids Leaves in the Forest quilt.

It's basted and ready to quilt!

I've assembled a couple of kits. They're available in the store right now.

If you'd like to make a list of your own, I have uploaded a blank Excel template to the "Twiddletails Quilt Alongs" Facebook group. Unfortunately I cannot upload Excel files directly to the website or the Facebook page itself.

New Projects for 2023

 I signed up for a couple of BOMs this year, actually in 2022. I also may have started a couple of other new projects...

This is how I circumvented my self-imposed rule of not starting any new projects in 2023. Clever right?

The first one is "The Secret Garden" by Sarah Fielke.

The colors and fabrics I chose are completely out of my comfort zone, but I love it!

I also actually purchased some fabric for this project, which I haven't done in YEARS!

Next up is The Quilt Show's 2023 BOM, called Homeward Bound. This was also designed by Sarah Fielke.

Thirdly there is this, a wool applique quilt called "Autumn" from Midway Wool. I will only be working on this one about once a month, so it will take more than one year, for sure.

I only have one completed block as of right now but isn't it cute?

Last, but not least, is "Martha Washington's Finest" By Lori Smith.

I'm not sure when I'll actually get to my other UFOs but quilting is all about having fun and I'm REALLY enjoying what I'm doing right now.

What are you up to this year?

New Tutorial - Quick Flying Geese (4-at-a-time)

This was long overdue!

I updated the Quick Flying Geese tutorial to make it easier to download and print.

You can still watch the video on the YouTube Channel over here.

Quick Flying Geese Tutorial (4-at-a-time)

This is a tutorial for making 4 identical flying geese units at a time, with absolutely no fabric wasted.

Determine the size of your cut pieces

1. Decide which size you’d like your flying geese units to finish at. (The height has to be half the width.)
2. Add ⅞” to the shorter measurement. (a)
3. Add  1¼” to the longer measurement. (b)
4. Out of the fabric you wish to use for the sides of your flying geese, cut 4 squares measuring a x a.
5. Out of the fabric you wish to use for the center of your flying geese, cut 1 square measuring b x b.

For example,

To make 3” x 6” flying geese, you would cut:
4 squares measuring 3⅞”out of "side" fabric
1 square measuring 7¼” out of center fabric

Construct flying geese units

1. Draw a diagonal line corner to corner on the WRONG side of each of the smaller squares.

2. Lay two of the smaller squares on top of the larger square RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER. Make sure your diagonal lines line up. Pin.

3. Stitch ¼” from the drawn line on both sides.

 

4. Cut along the drawn line.

 

5. Press the seams toward the smaller triangles.

 

6. Place the remaining squares on top of the units you just made, RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER. Pin.

 7. Stitch ¼” from the drawn lines on both sides.

             

8. Cut along the marked lines.

 

9. Press toward the smaller triangles.

There you go! Four identical flying geese units!

Download the PDF File

Watch the YouTube video

My Favorite Color is Moda Sew Along - Blocks 18, 19, & 20

 I know, I know. The sew along ended quite a while ago.

Life has been crazy. I won't go into details, but I'm trying to wrap this quilt up (no pun intended) by the end of the year.

Disclaimer: Sometimes I will change the pattern instructions a little bit because a different way works better for me. This does not mean that the pattern won't work exactly as written. If you follow the pattern, your blocks will still turn out fine.

Tips/Instructions:

Blocks 18 & 19 are basically the same block, just with different fabrics and different sizes.

The only tip I have is seam direction. Press the seams on two sections toward the outside triangles and the other two toward the center sections. This will allow for nesting of the seams.

Sew everything together.

Block 20

1. Pressing the HSTs:

Fabric 2 & 7 - press toward fabric 7

Fabric 2 & 5 - press toward fabric 2

6 1/2" HSTs - press toward fabric 2

2. Pay attention to the 4 patches. They are not all identical.

3. Lay out everything as you go.  This will definitely save time and effort since this this is a pretty intricate block.

All the blocks are now done!!! Next up, assembly.

NOTE: I still have patterns for sale individually if you'd like to make your own version. I also have a couple of Grunge Trading post kits left. They are 40% OFF and shipping is FREE.

I'd love it if you join the Facebook Group and/or post pictures on Instagram and mention the blog (and tag @twiddletails) if you find this post helpful.

My Favorite Color is Moda Sew Along - Blocks 16 & 17

Two identical blocks using different fabrics.

Disclaimer: Sometimes I will change the pattern instructions a little bit because a different way works better for me. This does not mean that the pattern won't work exactly as written. If you follow the pattern, your blocks will still turn out fine.

Tips/Instructions:

1. Making quarter square triangle blocks:

First make 4 HSTs.

Draw a diagonal line on the back of two identical HSTs as in the photo below. Place pairs right sides together as shown below.

The most important thing is to ensure that all the seams come together where they cross in the center.

I like to pin on either side of the center to ensure there's no slippage. Yes, I need new pins...

Sew 1/4" away from the diagonal line on both sides just like you would when making an HST. Cut on the drawn line and press. Here's the back.

2. Lay out all the pieces before you start sewing and every time you've sewn a seam(s) and take a photo.

 This will save you a lot of headaches and seam ripping. An example:                                                                                                

3. Take your time. It will save you time.

NOTE:  All remaining kits are on 30% OFF in both the Etsy shop and main store. I also have patterns for sale individually if you'd like to make your own version.

I'd love it if you join the Facebook Group and/or post pictures on Instagram and mention the blog (and tag @twiddletails) if you find this post helpful.

My Favorite Color is Moda Sew Along - Block 15

This block looks very scary but really isn't. It's all HSTs and, because it's 27" x 27", it fills up a lot of space.

Disclaimer: Sometimes I will change the pattern instructions a little bit because a different way works better for me. This does not mean that the pattern won't work exactly as written. If you follow the pattern, your blocks will still turn out fine.

Tips/Instructions:

I don't have many tips for this block.

Be sure to double check your fabric combinations because there are 4 different HST combos.

I always lay everything out on the table as I go.

Nesting seams is hard when there are this many pieces in the block.

I did manage to do a little when making the smaller square units.

Make the 16 individual squares and sew them together in groups of 4.

Then sew these together in pairs and, finally, sew the pairs together to complete the block.

NOTE: As of the writing of this post, I still have a couple of kits left in the Trading Post and Pink Lemonade colorways.  I also have patterns for sale individually if you'd like to make your own version.

I'd love it if you join the Facebook Group and/or post pictures on Instagram and mention the blog (and tag @twiddletails) if you find this post helpful.

 

Sampler Spree - Week 10

This is the final week! I really loved making these little orange blocks.  After 105 (I skipped Block 60) blocks, I am glad it's over though.

Now to choose a sashing color. Any suggestions?

The blocks are:

• #9 - Tussy Mussy
• #11 - Lacy Lattice Work
• #26 - Gift Box
• #45 - Courthouse Steps
• #53 - Cheyenne
• #57 - Checkers
• #61 - Maple Star
• #70 - Spinning Tops
• #74 - Nine-Patch Star
• #77 - Thrifty

Tips:

1. If EVER there was a block that requires you to lay out everything ahead of time and be methodical, it's Block 9. As you may notice, I flipped the bottom right corner at one point.

Here are my steps:

2. Block 57: I used strips for this block as follows.

Cut 3 strips 2" x 6" out of orange fabric and 2 strips 1.25" x 6" out of white. Make a strip set as below and sub cut it into three 2" sections.

Cut 3 strips 2" x 1.25" out of white fabric and 2 strips 1.25" x 2.5" out of green. Make a strip set as below and cut into 1.25" sections.

3. Block 77: I never make four patches by cutting squares. Cut strip(s)of background fabric and strip(s) of navy fabric 1.5" wide by a little more than 15". Sew them together along the long side and cut into 1.5" sections. Make four patches using these sections.

I hope my tips have helped.

Here are my orange blocks:

There is another free project this month - a table runner for Halloween. It uses Block 56.

I have uploaded the PDF pattern to the Twiddletails Quilt Alongs Facebook group.

All the other free projects are in the "files" section too.

Moda's blog post is over here.

It's not too late to join in:

1. Join the Twiddletails Quilt Alongs Facebook group (free projects will be uploaded here.)
2. Join the Moda Blockheads Facebook group
3. Follow on Instagram: #samplerspreeqal, @yardgrl60, @modafabrics, @martingaletpp, @twiddletails
4. Share your progress on Instagram using #samplerspreeqal