Amish Quilts-Part 5

Views from the Lancaster Quilt and Textile Museum http://www.quiltandtextilemuseum.com/

This quilt has a woven coverlet hanging beside it.

Vibrant colors and tiny, even stitches!

Amish Quilts-Part 4

Seen at the Lancaster Quilt and Textile Museum. http://www.quiltandtextilemuseum.com/

This neutral quilt is not what I normally picture in my head as an Amish quilt, but it is still beautiful!

Lots of vivid colors!

Shocking pink!

Amish Quilts-Part 3

More from the Lancaster Quilt and Textile Museum in Pennsylvania. www.quiltandtextilemuseum.com

The museum is in a beautiful old bank building. Here is a view of the ceiling. The bank vault was decorated and made into a children's room with activities related to quilts. The Amish girl is a wall mural. I loved being able to look at the quilts while my kids played happily in the vault!

Amish Quilts-Part 2

Here are five more Amish quilts seen recently at the Lancaster Quilt and Textile Museum.

http://www.quiltandtextilemuseum.com/

Amish Quilts-Part 1

We just came back from Pennsylvania where we visited the Lancaster Quilt and Textile Museum. I have lots of pictures to share, so I will do it in several parts. These all date around the early to mid 1900's. These pictures do not do them justice.

The hand quilting stitches are so tiny and even! More quilts to come. www.quiltandtextilemuseum.com

T-Shirt Hem Ideas

I've been noticing a lot of t-shirt edges left unfinished. Here are several examples. The yellow shirt has a double neck band with the edges left raw to curl.

My son's shirt has 2 sleeves, both left unhemmed. The bottom hem is traditional and then has a second strip of red added under it.

This gray shirt was hemmed and then the hem was cut along the fold line. The knit used is unique because it reverses to blue, but it is a single jersey knit.

This dress has several tiers, none of them hemmed. How easy is that?!

How To: Sew a Wrist Pin Cushion

This is an easy project that I use at the start of my 7-week beginner sewing class. It gives students a real sense of accomplishment right away!

Cut two rectangles 4"x5" and one piece of elastic 4 5/8" long. Make a sandwich: fabric is right sides together with the elastic in between. Machine sew with 1/2" seam allowances, leaving a 2 1/2" opening in one side. Clip corners diagonally across without cutting the stitches (this reduces bulk). Turn the cushion right side out. Stuff firmly. Slip stitch the opening shut. Ta Da! My beginning students love this because the very first night they leave with a finished project and in the process they learned about grain lines (my cardboard patterns have this marked on it), cutting out and measuring, sewing on the machine and keeping seam allowances even, stuffing and hand sewing. They can now make a simple pillow!

Gallery of Hand Embroidery on Jean Jackets

Recently I came across some jean jackets I decorated several years ago. I hand embroidered designs on muslin first, then appliqued the muslin to the jacket. I added beads to the trees.

I embroidered on black broadcloth, then sewed it to the jacket.

Hand embroidered on muslin, then sewn to the jacket using a satin stitch.

Gallery of Pin Cushions

Pin cushions can be made out of all sorts of things. Here are 3 antique ceramic cushions. The lovely lady in the middle was made from a face powder container.

This is a pillow with elastic attached so you can wear it on your wrist.

Here is my Colonial Mouse that is a pin cushion and much more! I attached pockets to her skirt so she can carry all kinds of small tools and notions.

I believe this child's shoe is from Turkey. Both my kids wore them when they were about 2 years old. I made a pin cushion by stuffing it and then covering it with fabric.

I organize my machine needles in this one.

I made this from a pill container with steel wool in it. It is supposed to sharpen pins stuck in it. I covered the label with contact paper.

My daughter made me this one when she was 8!

I made this one.

Here is a bird from my grandmother's sweater. Stuffed with pillow stuffing and weighted with polished rocks.






I hope this inspires you! Let me know what fun or unusual pin cushions you might have.