Just a Tiny Bit Crazy

It's been kind of a busy, strange, happy, sad, funny, trying, yet in some ways uplifting, week around the Nest. The best part was having my son here for four days. Nothing is better than that. I'm certainly not going to go into the rest of it...suffice to say there just wasn't anything "normal" about it. So, here's a new week and it's Tuesday already and I am feeling so very far behind. Why is it we all have so much to do that accomplishing anything less than our "whole list of to-dos" makes us feel inadequate? I wish I knew. Oh, darn, now that I've said that - I don't know about you, but, for me, there IS that obsessive/compulsive thing I have. Yeah, that's it. Enough to make me a tiny bit crazy?

I wanted to post something about quilting today, after all, that is what I do. So, I took a look around the place and decided that because I was feeling a tiny bit crazy.....maybe a tiny crazy quilt would be appropriate. I know many of you love crazy quilts, as I do, so if you do.....this one's for you!

This little quilt is 12 1/2" x 14 1/2" and was made for a little doll bed I have. I thought about showing you the doll, bed and all, but decided against it as I want to make a different quilt for the bed and probably sell the whole thing in my etsy shop sometime later this year. You can see the bed, linens and all then. This little quilt I love. I don't know about you, but the things I enjoy making the most always turn out to be the things I love the most, therefore, I have a problem parting with those.

I used some glass butterfly beads on this quilt, a butterfly stamp and a glass heart bead. There are three tiny embroidered designs....one a vine with a chain-stitched heart, a small spray of three pink flowers using the lazy daisy stitch, and a single stem tied with an embroidered bow in outline stitch. Of course, it's a crazy quilt, so all the seams are stitched over. I am so "crazy" over the simple embroidery stitches we learn when we are young, that I tend to use them over and over. If you read this blog.....then you have heard me talk about them before. Simplicity is just a great thing!

One of my most favorite motifs, as you have also heard me go on and on about, is the tiny hearts I love to embroider. There are several here. There are seven if you count them. LOVE em!!!

Back "in the day" crazy quilts were rarely quilted. I, however, (being somewhat odd) like to include quilting in mine. I don't know why I do that, either, but I like doing it.

Another thing I tend to do is use only prints in my crazy quilts....a thing you probably shouldn't do. Sometimes I like to use a print that "reads" as a solid and sometimes a solid actually finds it's way into my work, but mostly I use all prints. Maybe it's my rebellious streak. Now, bear in mind, I'm not saying I never use solids at all in my work.....I said I "mostly" use prints. You will rarely find me using "fancy fabrics" in my crazy quilts. I love those fancy quilts too, but since I make other types of quilts and am lucky enough to have an abundance of cotton fabrics.....I prefer to use those in my crazy quilts. I won't live long enough to use all my fabric, so feel obligated to use as much of it as possible. Then, too, in my estimation, a little cotton crazy quilt is a fine thing indeed!

I have included a tiny pincushion here also. It's 3 1/2" square. I made it at the same time I made the quilt. Just because. I like it very much....and another tiny heart appears!

The last photo shows the back of both pieces. I love these fabrics.....the sweetness of them is a wonderful visual treat for me...especially the larger rose fabric. Makes me a tiny bit crazy.....what about you? See you soon. Pat

In answer to a comment, I should tell you that I used play sand to fill this tiny pincushion. I lined the pincushion and used a funnel to add the sand. Pincushions filled in this way are not washable. I have also used ground walnut shells to fill a pincushion. Play sand can be purchased from your local lumber yard and the ground walnut shells are available at places like PetSmart. It is used to line the bottom of birdcages. Both give a nice weight to the pincushion.....but if pressed...I prefer the play sand - it's also good to help keep the pins and needles sharpened.