A Wool Penny Pincushion
The wool penny pincushion is done:
I am more than pleased with it. My only complaint is that I finished it too quickly. I need something more challenging. I’d make a few more, but truly—I don’t need that many pincushions. I think I do need to start a wool penny sampler where I can challenge myself with many different embroidery threads and stitches.
Some additional notes that I would put into the pattern if I were writing it:
Sew top and bottoms together with a short stitch length. Wool is porous (even with the fusible fleece), as fabrics go, and the filling is crushed walnut shells. You don’t want them leaking out.
Place the opening for turning (approximately 2”) between two of the pennies. That way, any irregularities from sewing it shut will be hidden under the long strands of thread.
Put a thin layer of fiberfill inside the pincushion before filling with the walnut shells, and then a plug of fiberfill over the shells before sewing the opening shut. (I have no idea where I ran across that tip, but I’ve used it a couple of times and it does help.)
I used the button that came with the kit; I probably should have raided my button stash for something more interesting and less plastic, but this works. I’m going to take this with me to the quilt store on Friday when I take the Accuquilt class.
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The Lutherans get me as accompianist for the next five Wednesday evenings and possibly Maundy Thursday and/or Good Friday. Holy Week is a ways out so those last two dates are not settled yet. I missed all of Lent last year because of my illness and recovery. (Thank goodness the husband is on top of my schedule; he had the presence of mind to contact their minister and let him know what was going on.)
My friend Elaine has been serving as song leader at church lately. She likes to push us out of our comfort zones, and as a former pastor and accomplished singer, she is familiar with many of the songs in our hymnal that we’ve never sung. Our congregation tends to get a bit anxious if too many of the songs are unfamiliar, but they will try one or two new ones with enthusiasm. Mennonite Church USA is currently working on a new hymnal. I find that a bit ironic considering we haven’t learned everything in the old one yet, but it seems that people get antsy for a new hymnal about every 20 years or so and this one is right on schedule. The new hymnal reportedly will contain 800 songs. That makes me groan. I suspect a fair number of them will be what DD#1’s band director in high school used to call “7-11 songs”—seven chords and 11 words. (You can tell I grew up singing German chorales in a Lutheran church, can’t you?) Also, that means I will probably be playing out of multiple accompaniment books. I have Sundays now where I might play out of six different books depending on the hymns chosen. It keeps me on my toes, but I don’t relish the idea of having to keep track of even more music.
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I feel like I have talked about the weather ad nauseum for the past month, but we’re seeing a light at the end of this tunnel. It was -15 again yesterday morning and -10 this morning; the husband noted that 35 on Wednesday will be a 50-degree temperature increase. Time to get out the flip-flops. I shudder to think what our propane bill would look like if I hadn’t put insulated curtains on the windows, but even so, the whole house feels colder than usual. Both my piano and the piano at the church are complaining, and I may have to get them tuned mid-season instead of waiting until next fall. Part of the reason I want to sit and stitch in the evenings is because my recliner is right next to the fireplace. I’d rather sit there than go upstairs to sew.
One of my jobs is to keep the woodbox filled. The dogs get very excited when I tell them we are going out to fill the woodbox, or when they see me take the key off the hanger. After about two minutes, though, one of them is usually campaigning to go in. If they don’t go in, they make nuisances of themselves by standing in front of the wheelbarrow.
Trusses for the shop are slated to arrive on Thursday. That will be exciting. I definitely will get pictures.