10 Sewing Notions You Need to Know About: Patchwork Pins (Fine)

It's time for 10 Sewing Notions You Need to Know About! Previously, I introduced you to the Iron Shine Cleaning Pen and the Hot Ruler. Today's notion is a must-have basic, Clover Patchwork Pins (Fine). When I started quilting, I fell prey to the deception of generic "quilting pins". I assumed these pins, given their name, would be the most suitable for my new hobby. I didn't realize the thick shafts were shifting my fabric as I pinned, the plastic yellow heads would melt if they came into contact with my iron, and their bulky size created a greater likelihood of being hit by my needle and cause my machine to need servicing. 

Clover Patchwork Pins (Fine) can be ironed over without damage, due to a melt-proof glass head. The extra fine shaft (.04 mm) passes through fabric without leaving holes or distorting the alignment of the fabric layers. They are the perfect length (36 mm) and come in a closable plastic case. They can be used for piecing or appliqué.

If you were very perceptive when reading my post about making an 18" doll pillowcase dress, you might have noticed a sneak peek.

More recently, I've been working on some Disappearing 9 Patch holiday blocks in batiks fabrics. I wouldn't call my fabric selections modern, even though batiks are emerging within the aesthetic (Alison Glass Handcrafted and Hoffman Indah Batiks), but I love the festive patterns and saturated hues all the same.

If you want to make your own blocks, here's a brief run-down. Cut two 7" width-of-fabric strips. Sew together the long sides, right-sides-together with a 1/4" seam. Press toward the dark. Crosscut into 7" sections.

Use two sections to make a four-patch. Press. Cut 1 3/4" on from each side of both vertical and horizontal seams. 

Flip each outer-middle piece 180 degrees so that the same colors do not touch. Sew together in this formation.

Square blocks up to be 12 1/2" unfinished.

If you're really on a disappearing block kick, here are a few resources I've gathered:

Disappearing Quilt Blocks
Disappearing 4 Patch
Disappearing 9 Patch
Disappearing Hourglass
Disappearing Hourglass 2
Disappearing Pinwheel
Disappearing Pinwheel 2
Disappearing Pinwheel 3 & 4
Disappearing Pinwheel 5
Thanks for joining me. Have you tried Clover Patchwork Pins? What about disappearing blocks?

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Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Though to be fair, Jessica Inman took this beautiful family photo. When I take pictures of the kids, it looks more like this.

And then this happened. Silence is not golden; it's a golden opportunity to give yourself an edgy David Bowie hair-do.

Except it was a little too edgy for Mom, so we went to Shear Madness where the hairdresser said, "Wow!"and evened things out a bit.

My little lady has an independent streak a mile wide and certainly knows her own mind. She loves her new do and said to me following her new crop, as she pinched a tuft of hair between two fingers, "I could cut more!" "Um, no, honey. I think we've cut enough for now." I'd better part ways, as I prepare for a day of making memories, excessive cookie eating, and an abundance of toys that are almost as exciting as their packaging.

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#2017PlanningParty

Yvonne of Quilting Jetgirl hosts and annual Planning Party. She excels at organization, and is a good motivator, encouraging me to pull myself together and be more mindful about about my intentions for the coming year.

I expect to have more success in accomplishing my goals if I take a minimalist approach.
1. Pick up where I've left off. I have a great many projects in various stages of completion. I'd free up some sewing room and mental space by getting them out of the way.
2. Pick a few commitments so that they stay fun and manageable. I'll be participating in the Gridsters bee organized by Elizabeth of OPQuilt, continuing my 10 Sewing Notions You Need to Know About series, and joining any blog hops FQS may ask me to join in the coming year (because I've enjoyed working with them immensely). I'm paring down my in-person guild attendance to ABQMQG. While I have enjoyed larger daytime groups in the past, it's become too difficult to tote the kids along and still participate, and far too large of an investment to hire a decent sitter on a regular basis.

3. Take care of myself. This isn't really as posh as it sounds. There won't be any cucumbers on my eyes or anything like that (unfortunately). Rather, I'm making a promise to myself to go take a nap or grab a bite to eat instead of being in denial that I actually need to pause what I'm doing every once in a while. I suspect this will results in less mental lapses and a decreased chance of my body staging a full-fledged revolt against my neglect.

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