Some gifts and a quilt back

I used a Moda Bake shop pattern called "Giant Pin Cushion" to inspire this gift for Christine's daughter. She is going into a program at university in fashion design and I suspect this will come in handy! It is filled with plastic beads. I bought this fabric at last week's fabric party.

I also finished off the 5 pillowcases that I started last week.

The second one with the tea cups and tea bags is for me!  I love a hot cup of herbal tea in the cold weather!  The other pillowcases are all gifts for others. I have more people I would like to make pillowcases for so there will be more of these showing up on my blog soon.  They are great stash-busters!

Last night, Christine came over and we both worked on our 9 patch mystery quilts. Christine is still working on putting her blocks together and hopes to have her top together in time for the first London Friendship Quilters' Guild meeting for show and tell. It will be fun to see everyone's mystery quilts. I finally finished off the backing for my quilt so I can take it to Cathy next week for quilting. She promises me it will be done in time for show and tell!

I purchased a wide back for this quilt, thinking that it would be less work since I would not have to piece the back. In the meantime, I decided to add borders to the quilt top and the fabric I had picked for the backing made a great border...resulting in being short on the backing. The lesson from all of this...wait until the quilt top is completely done before purchasing the backing!  The upside--I got to use up the extra fabric and 9 patches leftover from this project... Yet another stash buster!

Here are a few more pictures from our family vacation.  This sewing desk belonged to Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of Abraham Lincoln. We toured their home in Springfield, IL. Of course, I was drawn to this particular piece of furniture!

 

Nice sewing basket!

 

I kept my eyes open for quilts as well. This one was on display at the Old State Capital Building in Springfield. During the civil war, the women made quilts for soldiers and to raffle off to raise money to purchase items for soldiers fighting in the war.

 

I will do another post soon about a display of civil war quilts at the Illinois State Museum.

 

 

Until next time...