This particular project seemed like a good idea at the time. . . years and YEARS ago . . . when I started it.
I have this stack of 4-patches, some of them scrappy, some of them matchy, some of them just squares-waiting-to-be 4-patches, some of them onesy-twosey leftovers from a bigger four-patch project (you know those last couple cuts when you strip-piece) . . . .
None of the four-patch blocks are any larger than 4 or 5" square. Eventually, they get trimmed to 3-1/2" square if they aren't already that size. Once upon a time, as I created the four-patch stack, I paired each set with four 1-1/2x3-1/2" strips. And they're all in a semi-neat stack in a small storage box on the 'staging' table next to my sewing machine.
Every time I finish a seam on whatever I'm *actually* working on, I grab from the box and sew a seam. Instead of a scrap piece of fabric to catch the thread ends between seams, I make one step of progress on the 'four-patch project'
This has been going on forEVER!
Once I create two 'matching four-patches, I attach a strip to each side of one of the four-patches, like four little ears flopping around.
The paired four-patch and it's fraternal twin with ears are stacked in a soft-sided basket - a different one from the box on the staging table - for the next step.
Each 'twin' set looks something like this.
The next step is to add surface embroidery and maybe some beads to the 'eared' twin, then after that's done, the twins come back to the sewing machine to sew them into a squashed cube.
. . . Like this.
Kinda pathetic looking, right?
It'll get stuffed with scrap batting (there is a 1 to 1-1/2" opening on one of the longer seams) then closed and tufted with a button.
. . To make fun puffy pin cushions.
The trouble is, there are about a million of these things in process between the two stacks - the one by the sewing machine and in the soft-basket.
(Okay, I'm exaggerating a little - maybe not a MILLION, but truly there must be about 50 or so, easily).
The log jam is the embellishment. I just have to be in the right frame of mind to add the stitching and beading creatively. It has to be fun or it just doesn't come out.
On the plus side, it's a great way to practice surface embroidery stitches and play with my fabulous thread collection on a small, fast-finish project. And little by little, scrap batting disappears into these little pillows of cute.
On the down side, aside from having so many (does anyone *really* need 50 pin cushions?), I'm not as excited about finishing all these little guys as I once was when I started collecting them. I mean, I am and I'm not.
Why didn't I just throw away those last bits of strip piecing way back when?
You know the answer to that, and so do I . . . I just couldn't.
So now I'm pacing myself. One at a time, I pull one pin cushion set of the basket for embellishing. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. . . or 50 of them. *wink!*
Happy Stitching!
Joan
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