Re-purposed Applique

I’ve read how a few ladies like to applique or stitch with a cushion on their lap for a bit of support or to raise their work so they don’t end up with neck strain. Well I use a Stable Table – a little lap table with a bean bag base. It’s really handy, especially as it has a trough around the outside so things don’t roll off. It’s also slightly non-slip on the surface, so that helps keep things in place too.

Now while I find this table very useful, I wasn’t really all that in love with the coffee beans image that was on the top. So I decided to do something about it.

I had made a start on some of the blocks in the Homespun Magazine “Breast Of Friends” quilt, but I lost motivation after about 3 1/2 of them (there are 12 in all, I think). The first one I had made was this one – it’s a Leanne Beasley design and I really love the filled in backstitch swirls on this block.

So, rather than have the block sit in a bag and go to waste I thought I would re-purpose it. (If you’re interested in more ideas on “re-purposing”, check out NotJustNat – she’s a wizz at taking something old and making it new again!) I covered the original coffee bean picture with my block, slipped it back under the surface . . .

and voilà . . .

One updated stable table that should see me through many more stitching hours to come!

How have you re-purposed your orphan blocks?

“Our Home” – finished and framed

Well, I haven’t had too many finishes this year – LOTS of new things started, though . . . hmmm, does this mean I have finishing issues? Or just busy multi-tasking? The answer depends on who you ask!!!

Anyway, I have finished this . . .

It’s the “Our Home” applique (by Lynette Anderson), which I wrote about here and here. It’s been finished for a little while, but now it’s framed and hanging on the wall. I put the year “2009″ on it, even though I made it this year, in honour of 2009 being the year we moved into our current home.

I’m really pleased with the way it turned out – a little piece of cheeriness celebrating our home.

A Weekend of Stitching

Well, over the long weekend, amongst all the relaxing, spending time with family and a bit of pottering in the garden I managed to get some stitching done.

This is from the ‘Our Home’ pattern which I won from Lynette Anderson. It is a really lovely pattern.

The original pattern has ‘Welcome to Our Home’ stitched across the “grass”, but I’m not sure that that’s what I want on mine . . . I don’t think it will be hanging near the front door, so the words, for now, will remain absent. So, this is a completed (almost) project for the weekend. It feels good to start and finish something in a reasonable time frame. It’s a different head space from the more longer term projects I have on the go at the moment.

Did you get any stitching done over the weekend in your world?

Look What I Won . . .

I entered a competition on Lynette Anderson’s Blog and I won!

This little parcel of goodies arrived in the mail . . .

It’s one of  Lynette’s new patterns called ‘Our Home’. It a little applique and stitchery and is just gorgeous!

And what about these buttons? They are soooo cute!

Thank you so much, Lynette. Guess you know what I’ll be stitching over the weekend . . .

P.S. You should go to Lynette’s blog and have a look at her new quilt called ‘Scandanavian Christmas’. This one I am definitely doing!