What is it about the New Year that seems to encourage getting organized? 

I don't know if it's because you need to find room for the gifts you received, or whether it's just a need to have things orderly and feel on top of your home - especially when things outside the house feel anything but stable and tidy (thanks, COVID)!

Do you find yourself wanting to get organized this time of year too?

Whatever the reason for the urge to tidy, I’ve learned it’s best to seize that urge and ride the organizing wave while you’re in the mood!

That's probably why I couldn't resist signing up for the Sew Organized Aurifil Artisan January Challenge for the second year in a row! 

It's also probably not a big surprise that my go-to Sew Organized project is my Sit-n-Sew Pincushion. 

I not only adore having these in my studio, but I love gifting them too! Which is why I whipped up several before the holidays.

That’s right! Even with the craziness that is the holiday season, I was still able to sneak several of these in between other projects.

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HIGHTLIGHTS OF THE SIT ‘N SEW PINCUSHION

What makes these Sit ‘N Sew Pincushions so awesome is they don’t require much fabric.

Fabric scraps are the perfect go-to for this sewing project. I tend to like to use the scraps leftover from whatever quilt I’m working on (see some examples below!).

She doesn’t take long to make. You can 100% whip one up in an hour.

They’re beyond practical for keeping your most used notions handy. I keep one at my sewing machine, on my ironing board, in my sewing kit and next to the sofa (where I do most of my hand stitching).

It's the perfect opportunity to have some creative fun and try a new technique – hand quilting, matchstick quilting, free motion quilting. What quilting technique have you been wanting to try out? Now’s your chance!

You could even play with a new thread weight! When’s the last time you tried a new-to-you thread weight?

Plus, they really do make a great gift for a fellow sewist or quilter. I’ve given many over the years and they always seem to be a hit 😊

Click here to read more about how the Sit ‘n Sew Pincushion came to be! 

 

Pictured above is the thread included in my 2020 Aurifil Artisan Collection.

SIT ‘N SEW PINNIES

Don’t you love a sewing pattern that’s versatile?

Here are just a few examples of how much of your own unique spin you can bring to these pretty and practical pin cushions. 

PURPLE PASSION | AGF PURE SOLIDS x SIT ‘N SEW PINNIE

In this purple beauty, I had some scraps leftover from making my Shattered Star Lumbar Pillow. I loved that fabric combo so much, I decided to play a little more in this pinnie.

 

When it came time to quilting, this one was all about having fun with 28wt. A fave of mine!

Plus, I was loving seeing how the lilac thread looked against the Aurus Pure Solid – it’s such an unexpected fun combo!

Just look at the texture 28wt creates! All created with my walking foot!

MATERIALS FEATURED IN THE PURPLE PASSION PINNIE

Here’s everything you'll need to make this pincushion:

  

LITTLE TOWN x SIT ‘N SEW PINNIE

A dear friend of mine has a mutual love for Amy Sinibaldi’s prints. I couldn’t resist making her one that featured most of the prints in the Little Town collection I used in my Holiday Shattered Star quilt. 

I loved stitching up that strip of mini trimmings – not only remembering my own quilty journey, but thinking of my friend getting to enjoy these little prints every time she uses it too!

MATERIALS FEATURED IN THE LITTLE TOWN PINNIE

Here’s what I snuck in to create this one:

 

SAY IT WITH FABRIC | BUBBIES BUTTONS & BLOOMS x SIT ‘N SEW PINNIE

I’d been holding on to this gorgeous Bubbies Buttons and Blooms gray floral by Kori for Windham Fabrics for quite some time just waiting for the right project to come along. And I instantly knew when I came across the sayings in this print that I wanted to feature them in a project where the motivational sayings would be seen on the daily. And I knew exactly who I wanted to gift the pinnie to!

What better place than fussy cutting them to appear on the front of the Sit ‘n Sew hanging sleeve!

Life can be hard and sometimes it’s nice to have a reminder to “follow your heart” and “keep going”. I thought my dear friend would be touched not only by the sayings, but by the fact I made it just for her.

MATERIALS FEATURED IN THE BUBBIES BUTTONS AND BLOOMS PINNIE

To make this one, I used several prints from the Bubbies Buttons and Blooms collection.

I kept the quilting minimal with *50wt Aurifil Thread #2000 Light Sand to allow the prints to shine.

PURE SOLIDS x LITTLE TOWN

I clearly wasn’t finished playing with the scraps leftover from my Holiday Shattered Star quilt as I whipped this little cutie up too!

This time, I focused more on featuring the Pure Solids with a couple of pops of Little Town.

The piecing is quite minimal in this one, so I added in more visual interest by creating a grid overlay with *50wt Aurifil Thread #5008 in Sugar Paper (what an awesome name!). This is a beautiful gray blue colour that is patiently waiting for me to feature her in my Artisan Cotton Shattered Star Quilt.  

Versatile, right?!

I hope this has inspired you get the Sit 'N Sew pattern, dive into your fabric scrap bins and stitch some up for your sewing friends. It’s what quilty good times are made of 😉

Happy quilting!

xo

Shannon

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