If you like to make puzzles your will like quilting...I think

We quilters don't usually shy away from a challenge.  It seems our little grey cells are in constant need of stimulation.  Which for us is manipulating fabric into designs.

This can be a daunting thing to do.  When you go into a quilt store, you are not looking at little pieces of material all cut up and sewn together in a "test block".  Nope, you have to see in your oh so powerful minds eye the mostly 2X3 inch pieces, in this case, that will become a Tennessee Waltz quilt block.  Then you have to imagine the snowball block to go along side it.

Here is my attempt at joining those colors in fabric to make quilt blocks to be sewn together, soon.  Who needs a Birangle.

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.  

Home again...smile

Welp, we made it through round 4 of the 14 chemo treatments my daughter must have. We find out about surgery this Friday. The decision needs to be made, radiation or surgery. A 23 year old should not have to make these choices, but, Jennifer is charging on and learning Spanish in her "down time" at the hospital.

Now, so far so good with the Clover Heart Needle Threader, if you are looking for a gift for a quilter, this is my suggestion. I'm not a shop owner, or get anything from Clover for my recommendations, but, that's it, so far, my favorite needle threader. The only thing it's lacking is a cap to protect the wire. During my "down time" at the hospital, I'm working on a floral boarder for this pink and brown hourglass quilt that's been in my UFO pile for quite a long time, and, other than embroidery, applique can be a very satisfying project to work on in your lap. This is a king size pieced nine patch and hour glass block quilt. I really like visual texture in a quilt and combing applique and piecing is a great mix, in my opinion.

If you'd like to see pictures of my pink and brown scrap hourglass quilt, click on the labels below for that and the UFO and you'll see lots of pictures I've taken of it.

Frist Needle Threader Tested...hmmm...

My first tested needle threader was a great success, so much so that I am tempted to stop at this one, but, I'll keep to my bloggy word and carry on with the experiment. So test number one has me trying this Clover needle threader, priced $6.95 from Austins. I'm still going to get the 2 other quilt stores in my earlier entry, but, I think I'd have found this one there as well. Suffice it that convience was the key factor in stopping at Austins sewing center.

Now, I've made this a truly hard test, because the needle I've chosen is the Piecemakers Hand Applique SIZE 12. You needle aficianados know that there ain't much smaller eye/needle than a 12 in the quilt world, that I know of, at least. I figured this is about as tough a needle to thread in a low light situation as you can get.

On a scale of 1 to5, this Clover HeartNeedle Threader gets a 4. The only thing that is not in it's favor is the diamond shaped wire is so fine that it is hard to see! Go figure. But, once I got the hang of lining up the needle using the metal back of the wire, it worked fine.

The World's Greatest Needle Threader

Why in the hospital, not for me but for the my DD Jennifer. She has cancer and is coping with it very well. Medicine has advanced so much lately that the "Big C" is not a death sentence as much any more. But, believe me, it's a misery sentence. We are all coping and this too shall pass.

But, quilting goes on as usual, when I can and where I can get light, even if its by flashlight in the hospital so she can sleep. I feel and like to pretend to make it seem better, that I'm camping, like we did a lot when we were younger and we had a tent trailer. I'm on a mission now though, this lack of light has driven me to find the world's best needle threader, cause you know there's nothing more difficult than threading a needle with little light. When you have chiseled your thread so sharp to enhance needle insertion into the eye that you don't realize you've cut it down to 2 inches long with no success. Or if you run out of saliva wetting the thread and the needle so much and it's still only a 10% success rate, frustration is the motivating forece.

So when I get a break, I'm driving to the 2 nearest quilt shops to Kosair Children's Hospital, Happy Heart Quilt shop and Forget Me Knot Quilt Shop. These are two of the one stop large quilt shops that should have ample choices for me.

I'll let you know