Before I tell you about my new favorite quilting projects, all solid cotton fabric in my little shop, westwoodacresfabric.com, is on sale for 20% off with the coupon SOLID20. The sale ends May 3rd.
These patchwork pincushions have been such a great distraction. A friend on instagram pointed out there are two kinds of crafters and readers during these times. Some turn to crafting or reading for comfort and some who are struggling to focus on stitching while their mind ponders this unexpected pause. Which camp do you find yourself in? Personally, I rediscovered my love of creating and it has been nonstop.
There have been a lot of masks (not my favorite) a couple of pretty low volume quilt tops (my absolute favorite!) and then these pretty, scrappy, patchwork pincushions popped into existence!
I used the patterns in the book Pin Pals by Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie fame. The book is FANTASTIC & I plan to make each and every patchwork pincushion she’s included in the book.
These three make a pretty good start. I literally used scraps I picked up off the floor for some! Some of the scrap pieces were so tiny, I’d normally throw them away! (just kidding – I have a jar of scraps labeled ‘too small to save’ ;))
I’d been making a pretty yellow quilt & had a pile of tiny scraps left over. Then I picked up behind my ironing board and found these other cute prints. Isn’t this patchwork bear paw pincushion adorable! It measures 4-1/2 across finished and I’m already planning another one!
The only print I went hunting for were the Heather Ross frogs on blue for the doorway of the little houses. This is my favorite of the the three patchwork pincushions!
The mommy frog & baby frog seemed like the perfect neighbors for my gardener mouse in the village pincushion! The pincushion ideas in Pin Pals are so easy to make but not something I would have thought of myself. 
The tiny half square triangles are from bindings & trimmings I’ve saved from a decade of quilting. Do you recognize any long-out of print favorites? I usually use a trick to make the patchwork line up better, but I skipped it this time and my points are only ok. Luckily the colors are so pretty I don’t think the recipient will mind at all.
So, what camp do you find yourself in? Have you been stitching up a storm? Or have you been taking a breath and letting yourself use this time as a great pause? I think both methods are great! I just find if I keep my hands busy, my mind can’t spiral into places I’d rather avoid, you know?
If you just need some quick project ideas, grab Carrie’s Pin Pals book. It’s seriously so great & there are even more projects inside that aren’t featured on the cover. It’s definitely worth adding to your shelf!
