I’m fascinated by uranium glass, sometimes called vaseline glass due to its yellow color. Officially, it is uranium glass because it has powdered uranium mixed in when the glass is being produced. I just think it’s kind of magical.
A few months ago I made a quick stop after work at the Volunteers of America Thrift Store in Pickerington, Ohio. I found many pieces of glass that day including this one…
It can be challenging to make deep dish pincushions so I left this piece at the store. Fast forward one week later at a different thrift store and I found…
In my years of glass hunting, this is the first time I remember finding this Indiana lace glass and then finding it twice in a short period of time! The red one was half the price so I figured I would take a chance on it and see if I could make a pincushion out of it. Upon closer inspection of the glass, I noticed that the red coloring was peeling off in various places and I remembered the other one I found was amber. I decided to see if I could clean off the red film.
Continue readingWhile on the constant hunt for glass through thrifting and antiquing, I find all kinds of interesting and unique pieces. At times, I do not even know the intended purpose of a piece. I buy unusual pieces with the thought that I may use it eventually. The ceramic glass that inspired the pincushion pal was purchased within the last couple of years and I had it for many months before deciding what to do with it.
Lucy and I thought it might be fun to create a little caddy that could be used for handwork. I mocked one up with the original glass.
After creating the pincushion and many discussions, Lucy and I thought this was a great addition to the pincushions we make so I started hunting for more glass pieces like this. While searching, I finally discovered the origin of the piece. The three holed ceramic dish is the base of a condiment set for a jelly jar and salt & pepper. I searched and found some whole sets on Ebay. I bought one but the base broke during shipping so I only have the jelly jar and salt & pepper.
Continue readingMy family and I went hiking and camping this past weekend. We decided to visit, for the first time, Brandywine Falls, then drive south and camp at Mohican state park. I’ve camped and hiked in Ohio many times. After so many hikes, I sometimes wonder if there really is something new to see here where I live. We were delighted with the beauty of the hike, campground and the surrounding area. It was good to get away and have a new experience.
I was thinking about our camping trip and comparing it to making pincushions. There is joy in the familiar as well as excitement in the new and undiscovered. In hiking, that can be an interesting bridge, a scenic view of a river, or a waterfall.
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Buttons. A necessary sewing and clothing accessory but probably not something most people think about. As a quilter, I rarely made anything with buttons prior to making pincushions. Once Lucy and I started making pincushions, we became very interested in buttons. We have built our button stash buying at big box craft and sewing stores, antiquing, thrifting, garage sales, and eBay.
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Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co. creates beautiful art! The combination of salt cellars, antique glass and other unique vessels combined with Anna’s fabric created a colorful batch of pincushions to enjoy while sewing.
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My latest batch of pincushions was made using Patty Young‘s fabric line, Lucy’s Garden, by Riley Blake Designs. In an Instagram post, Patty talked about her inspiration for this colorful line. I realized after reading about Patty’s inspiration, that there is a definite ‘art deco’ feel to the prints in this fabric. That element is so appealing to me and probably one reason I really like this line. In addition, I have a daughter named Lucy who was named after 2 grandmothers – so I really like that name.
Continue readingDo you remember ever having a misperception about something? An experience or a phrase? My uncle thought “chest of drawers” was “chester drawers”. Or misheard lyrics – some of those are really funny! I enjoy having conversations with family and friends and discussing things we have all misunderstood at times. The Jet Trails quilt is about childhood and a misperception.
Fabric designer and quilt pattern maker Robin Pickens has created several lines of fabric with Moda Fabrics. I used fabric from Painted Meadow, Dandi Annie, and Dear Mum to create this batch of pincushions.
This batch of pincushions was created using beautiful fabric designed by Anna Maria Horner.
Storts Market 