Mason Jar Lid Quilt Decorations-Pin Cushions

Quilters are a thrifty bunch.  In the beginning we were the recyclers of worn clothing, making precious dresses or worn shirts into practical, if not beautiful coverings for beds.  Now, the fabric choices of new material is so tempting we can boast closets full in most every hue and pattern.  Ah well, it never goes bad on the shelf, we'll get around to using it...smile.

Most of us have a few blocks we haven't used and a recipe we'd like to share with our quilting friends this season.  Here is mine for an inexpensive gift for you to make a pin cushion covered Mason Jar Lid.  After you've drank the Chai Tea mix, it can then be used for a sewing notions accessory for your bedside or TV chair, or wherever you do your hand work.  

Chai Tea Mix/Spiced Tea Mix

1/2 Cup Instant Tea

1/2 Cup Nonfat Dry Milk

1/8th teaspoon black pepper

1/4 Cup powdered coffee creamer

1/2 Cup white or brown sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla pudding mix

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon cardomon

Whisk all together in a resealable container. 

 I had some 1 quart Mason Jars around the house, so I'm using what I have.  The recipe has to be doubled to get this size jar as full as the picture shows.  If you are buying new jars, the pint size jars would probably hold this original recipe amount better.  But, for use later as a notions holder, you might want the quart size.  

To prepare:  Combine 3 Tablespoon Chai Tea mix with 1 Cup boiling water

Stir well to dissolve.  

Enjoy!

To make the pin cushion: use your batting bits and cut a circle about 7 inches; put a wad of stuffing in the center and sew around the edges, bringing together into the center.  Use a block of fabric you never put in a quilt and cover the pod of stuffing.  Sew around the edges of the fabric bringing it to the center, covering the pod/cushion for the pins.  Glue to the lid of the Mason Jar and decorate with any leftover lace or trim you might have in your closet.  

It's Tuesday Quilting with Friends at church

This is our last meeting of the year at the church.  Our next Tuesday meeting will be at Sheelah's house in a beautiful Victorian home in Old Louisville.  As a reminder for any quilters in our group: meet at the church parking lot at 9:30 with your pot luck dish; we'll have our lunch and play some games then leave to visit Evelyn at the hospital at 12:30, for a QUICK visit.  

Thanks to many hands, we finished the binding and are planning to visit the hospital after our party.  

Show and Tell included this quilt from Natasha, who was given a large bag of fabric.  It's amazing how those "bags of fabric" happen to work out nicely.  

It's Binding Time Again, then Quilt Label and We're Done!

Evelyn is our 8o something member that started Northeast Quilting Friends with me in June of 2000.  Our church didn't have a quilt guild.  I had recently moved to Louisville, Kentucky from Houston, Texas in 1996.  Having searched the area for a quilt guild and finding few, mostly with meeting times that didn't work or my personality just didn't fit with the established members, I took it upon myself to ask our Women's Ministry Leader, at Northeast Christian Church,  if we could start a quilt group.  "Laura, the church needs a quilt group", I naively said.  "Okay Julie, but, you'll have to lead it" she says seeing SUCKER written all over my forehead.  Off I went with much gusto and enthusiasm for forming a new group, looking forward to the eager school of guppies I just knew would show up for our "new quilt group forming" meeting.  Waiting, anticipating in a nice room off the children's wing, who should round the corner but the lovely Evelyn Howell, a skilled quilter and happy eager participant, of which it was just she and I at that fateful night.  It's funny how, you can almost always throw away a new activity and time and persistence will win quilters over.  Being the conservative group they are, they are rarely the first ones to the party.  Eight years later, thanks to Evelyn's attitude and support, our group has grown to 20 regulars, every Tuesday from 10 to 1:00, with lunch spent together as well.  This year our group has experienced some major health issues, but, God is good and walks us through and shows us our path is never alone.  And if you can find a group of ladies that can help lift you up, it's always a good thing.  Thanks to Joan, we've come up with this quilt, which I finished quilting last night and will do the binding today.  We are having our Christmas party next week and hope to deliver it to Evelyn who was admitted to the hospital with a blood clot on her brain, but, is rehabbing and learning to walk again.  

Evelyn likes butterflies so I quilted them into the border and did some stippling around the blocks and a narrow feather in the inner border.  

A quilt label is next, listing as much information as I can, because there is nothing sadder than a quilt found in a flea market without a label and no one knows it's story and all quilts have beautiful ones to share.