IT'S TIME....FOR ANOTHER FELT CUPCAKE....or should I say BUCKET!?

My shoe beside it to show the size... The size of ice cream container I used....my favorite though is the small one...just right for a cupcake! Working and sweating in this Texas heat will drive you indoors under the cool fan....and so to rest my feet this last week I just had to get my hands on something sweet....yes, coffee and a few dipping oatmeal cookies or sherbert ice cream would do ... but I was really referring to the felt cupcake pincushions I made in the past. And I decided to try a larger version, with it being developed as I went....so very relaxing for me and doing this you seem to think a lot and maybe pray a lot. So being still working with my hands is valuable time for me.....and here are the results of the larger version of the felt cupcake (bucket/basket?) pin cushion. Here are a few pictures of different size ice cream containers that can be used for the base...I have only used the two smaller sizes.....but here is my process....I first roll up a rock from my driveway in a lot of paper towels or any paper and hot glue it into the bottom of the container (I don't use the lid at all...but something might come up....hmmmm like a flat pin cushion!) That needs to be done (the rock) to weight it down...... then I glue two or three layers of cardboard into the bottom void so it sits flat....which will be covered with felt....next I begin to cut and pin on the felt, around the outsides and trimming it as I go....a circle for the bottom. And I cut a large circle of either old feed sack print or another cotton print to co-ordinate with the colors....it needs to be a circle larger than the circumference of the top of the container....I sew a gathering stitch around the outer edge of the fabric circle and pull the thread, gathering it to make a ball of sorts (stuffed) to set on top of the felt bowl or bucket....filling in MORE poly filling as I go to get it really full and well stuffed.....I basically baste on or stitch with thread the parts together and then in the end I stitch/decorate on top with blanket stitch or decorative stitches (with embroidery thread) and appliques or rick rack to decorate it....and I do that decorating in the end after it is all together....you could do it in a different order if you like....anyway this one was so big I decided to add a basket handle with brown felt and then added a twisted lime color lining, leaving the fuzzy selvage which I think made it more twiggy looking....like I said it is developed as I go....which is fun for me.....SO here it is....now you make one and send me a picture thru my contact info on my website listed to the left....I would love to see it....or tell me in the comments so I can go to your blog and check it out.....I love these silly pin cushions...all sizes and shapes....very gratifying!! ENJOY and BIG BLESSINGS to you!!!

MORE FELT CUPCAKE PIN CUSHIONS....WHILE FOOT HEALS!

More rolling the foot on a bottle of FROZEN WATER (wonderful).... and stretching excersizes ..... seems to be working for plantar faciatis ... if that is in fact what I have!? This sitting to rest the foot has been boring accept for the hand sewing of the pin cushions and some good reading. So here are a few more pin cushions I created. The angular one is a copy of an antique one I have and it consists of five squares of each fabric design. My squares were almost three inches and that makes a really big pin cushion.... so you may want to make them two inches or one and a half! The red heart with old buttons is one I had started at least fifteen years ago, so I finished it. And that is what we made in Girl's Club last week. We had to sit in the sanctuary of the church because the A/C is broken in our bigger fellowship room, so the heart pin cushion was the easiest thing to make sitting on pews. Next week hopefully the A/C will be fixed because we have all those mermaid outfits to make for our Groovy Girl Dolls ... and believe me ... they are all excited about that one!! The "Oh Solo Mio" pin cushion was inspired by a friend who loves music and is an artist, the girl that has done some barrel racing in Texas and has a famous brother in California....TEEHEE! These cup cake pin cushions have been a hit in the shop! Two are gone in one week .... so at least sitting I have produced SOMETHING ..... a teenage girl had to have one for her room!! She loves cupcakes.... it was the orange topped one on the previous post and the one with the leaves is gone as well. I may not have to put them on Etsy after all! There just isn't enough time in the day to do all I have lined up to create and paint ... boohoo! I have been going through stuff to sell at the Barn/Estate SALE that we are going to have in Round Top, Tx the weekend of Aug 28th, Fri and Sat...all day. I have gleaned things that don't mean much to me, like my Roseville collection, a chair or two, windows, doors,dishes, Raggedy Ann Dolls, antique stuff, old Needlework Magazines from 1923, etc. So come to the sale if you want some treasures from the past..... we'll have a small tent in the yard and maybe some lemonade!! Heal foot, heal foot..... thank you, Jesus!!

ANOTHER FELT CUPCAKE PIN CUSHION....

Here is number five .... these are addicting to do ..... on this one I tried to duplicate a zinnia type flower..... I never knew how much fun and pretty felt can be. I always thought of it as more of a children's craft material. So now I'm hunting more colors etc ..... and a place to purchase embroidery floss .... not much around here accept in Brenham, Texas at Stitch Haven ..... a wonderful fabric and quilt shop! I hate to keep mentioning my feet, but I am having so much pain and problems with one foot that I am forced to sit a lot ...... not good!!! BUT I can sew my pincushions ..... I MUST create!! The A/C is broken at church where the Girl's Club meets, so we sat in the cool Sanctuary and sewed a blanket stitched heart pincushion...... for each girl to have of their own. They have been soooo much fun! The Mom's are learning things too and continue to come .... as they are requesting "one for me too"! So I have a lot of girls, big and small. What a wonderful world we have for a few hours with all the girls!! I'll post pictures towards the end..... we start the mermaid doll outfit next week ...... BLESSINGS!!!!

CUPCAKES and GROOVY GIRLS...

Little pin cushion from Deb that I bought at the Antique Show in June..... I bought three and gave two to my little grand daughters..... A practice dress..... A dress with a Tutu for special occasions..... A practice mermaid out fit... each girl will make one at the girl's club on sewing nite for their Groovy Girl Doll....I bought shimmery much more sparkly material for them..... Next week!! A happy girl with her dolls..... The Dress the girls will make on the third class ..... What do you do when you can't paint or go out and have to sit with painful feet propped up!? Well, you have some cupcakes with the Groovy Girls!!! OK, I'll explain.... it all started when we bought the first "Groovy Girl" Doll for Pilar and one for my Grand-daughters, Olivia, Peyton and Elena .... and a little precious pin cushion (the little tiny one) from the Antique Show in June ....... and some little girls at church bored with hot summer life with not much to do ....... SOOOO.... after not being able to sleep one nite, I was "GIVEN" this idea to have a Girl's Club at Church once a week learning the basics of sewing. They (18 to 20 girls) have pinned and cut fabric to sew on a bag and sewn buttons on a felt bracelet for practice, using felt for simplicity..... then they will start to cut and hand stitch their first little doll dress this week..... like the pink one with dots around it. The other dresses came about just for fun at home. NOW.... where did the pin cushions come in?!.......well, I've had to prop my feet up for some days and that is how the pin cushions got made..... sitting and doing nothing.... I HAD to do something!! Well, they got bigger and wider, so I decided they would be cupcakes!!! The colors were fun and the stitching which came back to me from childhood sewing...... inspired by the little pin cushion I bought from Deb. I decided I would make as many as I can while I have to rest my foot and then sell them Antique week for purchasing more felt and goodies for the God's Girls Club. Five to seven Mom's have come to the Girls Club to help and we have had such a fun time for two hours with a snack at the end. I am thankful for such enthusiastic little girls!! They are preparing to be God's Women "....she makes coverings for herself and her clothing is fine linen and purple...."......like in Proverbs 31....where it describes the woman, buying land, sewing, "making" her home. Now the boys want to do something..... I'm tempting Dick to do the Paper Airplanes with the boys. He is hoping to start that next week for around six weeks. A good time to sit and converse and just have fun building the airplanes from Fiddlersgreen.net. In the meantime.... right about now I'm wishing one of those pincushion cupcakes was real cake and icing!! ENJOY!!