Outdoor Cushions

Pin It My Mom has a cute little bistro set that sits upon her patio.  We have been enjoying the sunshine out there in the morning while we drink our coffee and tea but the seats are a little hard on the old tushie.


The bistro set is made from wrought iron and I decided to whip up a set of seat cushions that will make our morning ritual a little more comfy.


Digging through the stash that I have here, I found the perfect fabric.  It is a heavy cotton that will withstand being sat upon and it matches her garden shed!!!! 

Now that was something I didn't think I could do ..... here is a picture of the garden shed .... 

colorful isn't it?  She wanted something that would stand out and not be 'ordinary' and well it certainly does that .... but on the other hand ... it grows on you after a while.

The seats are 12 inches in diameter so I used an old flower pot that was the same measurement, traced it onto the fabric and cut it out.

First though I made an extra 'cushion' that will slide into the outer cushion fabric.  I don't know why I decided to do that but I thought it might 'hold' the cushion together a bit better.  So I just used scrap fabric to make the inside 'cushion'.  

I lightly stuffed it with cotton batting...I didn't want the cushion to be too 'hard' so I didn't need that much....I wanted more of just a thin layer.

Once the inside cushion was made, I sewed the outer cushion, stuffed them and finished them off with a seam around the outside.  

Placing them on the chairs, I was a little disappointed that I hadn't made them a tad bigger.  Once sitting on them however, they seem to be just find and very comfortable......BUT then my Mom got another idea.....

"How about a tablecloth?" she asked, "Do you have enough leftover fabric?"  

Well, I had enough.....for the center. I quickly added a coordinating border and hemmed it.  Just as I was finishing up, the clouds cleared from the early afternoon showers and we were able to sit out and enjoy a glass of wine.  Cheers!

Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Some Downtime Needlework

Pin It

The new job has been going well but taking up more of my time than I first thought it would.  It is a high-paced job that requires a major amount of energy and attention to detail.  When I walk through the door at the end of the day, the only thought that runs through my mind is a cup of tea and the sofa.  

While recuperating on the sofa, I wanted something mindless to work on to help ease the stress from my mind and body.  Having many needlework kits that have been sitting in my craft stash, I chose one that I have been eyeing for a while .... a cute rooster table runner.  After the embroidery is finished, I will add a backing and binding.  Just something simple that gives me pleasure at the end of the day.

Although my sewing machine has been calling my name and the five fat quarter scarf has been sitting in the basket waiting to be finished, it will have to wait until I have a day off.  I will return my friend, I will return.


Please remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Working on Projects

Pin It It has been snowing once again, so for the guys, it means time to have some outdoor fun! Luke and Bob have been taking advantage of our friend's snow machine. Dave (our friend) left it here for them to use whenever they like. He lives in town and doesn't have much opportunity to just jump on it and take a ride when he would like to. He decided to leave it here and will come up to visit when he wishes to go riding...in the meantime he told the guys to use it....so they have!

While they are out cheating death....they go waaaay too fast in my opinion...I have been busy sewing in the warmth of the house.

Here is a table runner top that I just finished yesterday. It will be given to my Auntie for Christmas.

Just the backing and the binding needs to be added.

I will be making her two nine-patch square runners to match for her end tables.

This table runner top will be a gift for my Mom's neighbor.

My Mom asked me to make some for her close friends and she will be giving them as gifts for Christmas.

So my days have been busy sewing and baking. I want to try and make butter soon. I have the ingredients and now just need to find the time to whip it up. I wish to do it on a day when hot homemade bread will be coming out of the oven. Sooo yummy. :)

The weatherman is calling for more snow today and the clouds are so heavy and black that I am sure they will open up and dump a load on top of us.

Have a great day everyone, keep warm or cool where ever you may be. Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Still Busy Crafting

Pin It My days have been lazy but not long! Seems like when I am kept busy with crafting, I never have enough time. I am trying to get all my Christmas gifts made early so I can enjoy the summer gardening and spending time outside in the sunshine.

Here are a few projects I have finished. The first is a quilted table runner made with snowmen with a flannel backing. So cozy!




Back side.



The next project was a set of coasters. I saw these on another blog....I am sorry I don't remember which one as I read so many. So if the original author is reading this please take it as a compliment. I love making these...so simple and practical!




I made a set of four with three different types of material. She used five different fabrics.

Do you notice how the coaster wraps around the base of the wineglass? I think this is so cool!

Here is the next table runner. This one is for me. I love this material!

Machine quilted.

Here is the backing.

Now I need to make some curtains for my Mother's closet. I will be using a lovely flowered blue pattern. Her room is painted a soft shade of blue so I think they will suit the room perfectly.

I hope everyone is enjoying their day and remember to give your loved ones a hug! :)