Pin-wrist

Does Pinterest overwhelm you?  It does me.  Anyway, I've been walking around aimlessly in my craft room with lots of ideas but no motivation to make anything because I know I will have to clean it all up.  That is what happens when I clean my craft room.  I don't want to mess it up. So, this next project is something I like to do because it makes me feel like I am making something but cleaning up at the same time.  Pincushions.

These slip over your finger or your wrist.  Cute, eh?  My grandma used to make these all the time only I didn't appreciate them until I actually started sewing.  And I didn't appreciate the scrap busting aspect either.  Or the upcycling aspect.  My grandma always says that the best crafters use what they have.  So when I make these, I like to pretend I am the most awesome crafter around.  Feel free to do the same.      

All you need is:

1. A glue gun.
2. Plastic caps.  For the finger pincushion, use a soda or water bottle cap.  For wrist pincushions, I use caps from the Simply Orange Juice bottles, but any larger caps will work. Am I the only one in love with the Simply Orange Juice packaging?  Yes?  Oh.    
3. Elastic.  I used a 3/8" width, but use what you have. You will need enough to wrap around your finger or wrist plus a couple of inches.  
4. Fabric scraps.  Start with a piece about 2" larger in diameter than your cap. You can trim it down if you feel like that is too much fabric.
5. Trim scraps.  Enough to wrap around your cap.  
6. Fiber fill.  I actually got mine from an item I ordered on the internet.  The seller used this as packing material.  Trust me when I say I am a pack rat.  I will bite my tongue here and not say how ridiculous using fiber fill for packing material is because it has proved very handy in my pursuits to be the most awesome crafter around.  I think my grandma would use cotton balls for hers when she didn't have fiber fill.  That grandma sure is a smart one, isn't she? 
7. A needle and thread.  I forgot to put this in the picture, so just humor me and pretend it's there.  I thought my picture was too cute not to share. 

For this post, I am making a wrist pincushion.  A pin-wrist, if I can be witty.  To make these, glue the edge of your elastic to the inside of your cap forming a loop.   I add some glue to the outside of the cap as well, just to make the elastic more secure.  The top of the cap is what will rest on your finger or wrist. And make sure you make a curry just before starting this project.  It will make your nails look awesome for pictures. 

Start with a small chunk of fiber fill and begin basting your fabric along the edge. As you baste, pull on your thread to make the edges start to gather.  This is will start the shape of the cushion.  As you form the cushion, keep adding fiber fill. You want it to look full, so add plenty of it. If you have too much fabric, you can trim here. It will basically look like a mushroom top.  When you are satisfied with it, knot and trim your thread.

When you complete your mushroom top, apply glue to the inside rim of your cap and place your cushion inside.  You may have to manipulate it a bit to squeeze it all in there.  This is a make-it-work moment. 

Once your cushion is secure, then glue your trim all the way around your cap, making sure conceal your cap.  I fold in the end slightly so I don't see a raw edge, but it is not necessary.

Slip it on your wrist - or finger - and marvel at how crafty you are. And then feel good about yourself that you got rid of some scraps and upcycled something cute - I really do love the Simply Orange packaging - into something cuter.

July Obsessions

So, does anyone know where the year went??  How is it already July??

It is pretty much one week since Sharmee's wedding and I think I'm almost recovered.  I am looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow.  Once I do that, I think I will be fully recovered.  Mr. Bean has been studying for an exam he has to take for the last three weeks, so between my wedding crafting duties and his studying we've pretty much been roomies the last few weeks instead of Mr. and Mrs. Bean.  But, Mr. Bean's exam is today and I know he'll do well.  And I am making some pulled spicy pork for tonight because Billy Bean is in town!!  Woot!  If there is one thing I have learned about being a Bean it's that you must have pork on hand at all times.  So, I am looking forward cooking tonight for two of the most important men in my life.

Now, on it my obsessions....

The Beatles.  I am a Beatles fanatic.  My freshman year in college, my friend and I kept her 6 CD disc changer filled with Beatles.  Six CD disc changers were pimp back then and my friend brought hers to college which made me pretty pimp by default.  She owned pretty much every Beatles album ever made, so we basically jammed to the Beatles our entire freshman year.  She had an awesome Bose system, so we'd have to turn it down really low so that we wouldn't bother our neighbors, but by second semester that didn't keep our neighbors from yelling from the other side of the wall "CAN YOU LISTEN TO ANYTHING ELSE BESIDES THE BEATLES?"   We'd add in some Jagged Little Pill for posterity's sake, but we kept The Beatles in for the most part. For Christmas last year, Mr. Bean bought me a wifi internet radio.  Probably the best gift anyone could give me.  It connects to my Pandora account and I can stream music from all over the world.  There is one station I found that is entirely Beatles music.  And I dig.  "Come Together" is one of my favorites.  It makes me wanna move.  It makes me wanna clean.  It makes me wanna craft.

{image via Amazon}

Rhinestones.  Is this a surprise?  I am crazy for rhinestones lately.  In the last few weeks, I've developed quite a repertoire of rhinestones in my craft room.  And me likey. 

{image via Chick-fil-a}

Chick-fil-A's Deluxe Spicy Chicken Sandwich.  I've kept this secret for a while.  But now my spicy chicken sandwich pride must not be contained.  This sandwich pretty  much fulfills all of my chicken sandwich desires.  And it is actually spicy. 

{image via Paper Source}

Smash Books.  OK, so apparently I am not the only one obsessed with these Smash Books.  Every where I looked they were sold out.  These.Are.So.Cute.  The concept is not new, but just goes to show what great marketing can do. Check out the awesome video they put together.  Marketing at it's best, I tell you.  Ever since I saw the video, I've been on a hunt to own one.  I am not a scrapbooker per se.  I call myself a well intentioned scrapper.  I am notorious for keeping little pieces of papers and magazine clippings and notes with the intention to use them on a scrap page but when it comes down to sitting down and scrapping, I don't know where to begin.  But these books make me feel less intimidated and make me want to smash some stuff in them while singing the cute Minnutes song. 

That's all I've got!  I hope everyone has a happy and safe fourth of July!