The Queen of Gadgets Blog Hop

What is your favorite sewing gadget?

The Queen of Gadgets Blog Hop

The challenge:

Use your favorite sewing tool to create a project. 

Tell us and show us why you love it.

I not only ‘used’ all my gadgets, I chose to ‘sew’ my favorite, or more accurately, my most used gadgets, around the border of a sewing themed panel.

Pins

I created the paper pieced pattern for the pin then die cut the pin heads using a thinlet circle die.  They are raw edge appliqued to the tops of the pin metal.

Pincushion

Although I haven’t used an old fashioned tomato pin cushion for ages, I did have one way back in time.  I’ve added real pins to the finished wall quilt in all the pincushions.

This paper pieced pattern is by Full Bobbin Designs on Etsy

Can’t forget the little strawberry that is usually attached to the tomato pincushion.

This paper pieced pattern is by Center Street Quilts on Etsy.

This panel is of an old needle book design so I added a pair of old black handled scissors instead of a modern rotary cutter.  I do still use scissors.

This paper pieced pattern is by Full Bobbin Designs on Etsy.

A seam ripper might not be considered a favorite sewing gadget, but it’s a necessity when my machine sews something wrong.

This paper pieced pattern is by Full Bobbin Designs on Etsy.

I also added real pins to the printed tomato pincushion on the panel.

The completed wall quilt.

My grandmother actually had one of those cardboard pin blocks.

There were several pins still in it.

This is the fourth and final gifted panel I made into a wall quilt.

This panel was very fun to make a border for.  It wasn’t until I was ready to sew everything together that this panel made known how terribly out of whack it is!!!  The worse I have ever had.  So disappointing as this one was my favorite.  It measures approx. 29” X 49”. The top is 29”, the bottom is 29.5”. There was no way to even fudge squaring it up without cutting into the words or design.  The quilt is okay hanging on a plain wall.  But my wall where I wanted to hang it is bead board.  The stripes in the board make it look even more than 1/2” out of whack.

Such is the life of a fabric panel.

The panel is by J. Wecker Frisch, Joy Studio and Riley Blake Designs

These are the blogs participating in the hop today.  Check them out.

September 19

Creatin' in the Sticks

Annie’s Musings

Days Filled With Joy

Quilting Gail

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
Scrapdash

 

ECV Donkey

This guy was very fun to sew!

I found this paper pieced pattern on Etsy at PatternsByShaley from her Almost FARMous Collection.  I added a couple of inches of fabric on the left side.  I felt that his nose was too close to the edge.

His process looked more intimidating than it really was.  Of course when the pattern is designed well, all the sections go together well.

With paper piecing I have learned that it’s best to let the seams go the directions they choose rather than trying to force them against their will.  I think overall the pieces lie flatter that way.



My son and grandson are members of the organization E-Clampus Vitus (ECV).  They are also known as Clampers.  The colors are red and black and the organization mascot is a donkey.  My grandson has a collection of ECV related items.  I like to think this wall quilt will be a fun addition to his collection.

Measuring 15.75” X 17.25”

August 2022 Calendar Journal

Skeleton Collars & Cuffs

Skeleton Collars & Cuffs is the third of four gifted panels.

I gave him a border of black, orange and brown fabrics.  My original plan was for the wider strips, but for a wall hanging, it was going to get too large and out of proportion.  So I simply cut the original strips in half.

I staggered the strip lengths.



Of course the selvedge had to remain as part of the finished panel.  

There was a lot of blank space in this panel.  Since he’s sewing, I gave him some fabric scraps scattered around him.  Stitched down with raw edge applique.  They also provided more color for the panel.

To finish, I just did some echo quilting and then some straight lines here and there to fill in.

Quite a dapper fellow, wouldn’t you say?

Dragons Wall Quilt

There is a lover of dragons in my family.

I took on this panel to alter.  I didn’t really like the border design.

It took me several months (almost a year) to come up with a plan for framing the dragons.  I didn’t want the overall size to grow any larger.  I began by chopping off the borders around the dragons.  I knew I wanted to use half square triangles (hst) so I made some.  I made them with Kona black.  I had a piece of white dot black with a hint of light black that I really wanted to use.  I needed to cut it sparingly in hopes of stretching it far enough for the plan.

Time to sew them in strips and see how they work and look.

I love how this panel and the hst fabrics just seem to glow.

My daughter commented that the backing looked like dragon scales.  I had to agree.  I hadn’t even thought about that when I purchased the fabric.

Here it is in all it’s glowing glory.

After fretting about this panel for so long I’m really happy with how it turned out.

It finished at 40.5”X35.5”

I was messing around with an idea for my over abundance of decorative threads one day and made this tag and attached it to the back of the quilt.  This idea needs some work.

March 2022 Calendar Journal

Spring weather is getting closer!  That makes me happy.