My NEWFOs

Hot diggity dog --- if there is one thing I'm really good at, it's starting new projects! (Grin) And today I'm linking up with the Enabler-in-Chief, Barbara over at Catpatches, who is hosting the party:

I'm calling her the Enabler-in-Chief because she is actually encouraging those of us with this issue, to start something new each month (and we don't even have to finish it!).  I love it!

Here are my NEWFOs for this month:

Here is the e-reader cover that I completed (uh-oh, I think that is against the rules of the NEWFO challenge.....please don't tell!) for the Remember September effort for our service men and women.

And here is a little project for the crisis pregnancy center near me -- a small tumbler quilt to be used when the baby is tucked safely into a car seat, and needs to be kept snuggly and warm.

I was gifted with the tumblers (thanks, sis!) some time ago, and I think the pinks and browns will be sweet. I'm going to bind it with the quirky edge, instead of chopping off fabric to make a rectangle --- just couldn't bear to do that!

Be sure to stop by over at Catpatches and visit all of the other poor souls who can't resist starting new projects! (Wink) 

Love,

Padsworth's Project

Ribbit! Padsworth here, with an announcement for all of you special Lilypadquilting peeps --- especially those of you who participated in the fun of the 2012 Pets on Quilts Show!

All of us here at Lilypadquilting were so happy to read the stories and see the pictures of precious pups and kitties that had been rescued and were featured in our show. Snoodles' studio kitty, Moses, and the huge white pony, er, doggie that lives here are both rescue pets, so that is a topic that is near and dear to our hearts!
We were searching for a way to include some kind of project in our show planning, that would benefit the many shelters that provide "way stations" for pets that are hoping to find their special people and their forever homes.
We've started Padsworth's Project to fill that need!

Precious pups and kitties of all ages come to shelters tired, scared, and maybe even sick. The volunteers at the shelters have their hands full, feeding and caring for these animals. They do their best to make certain that they are clean and healthy, and that someone who wants a pet can come and find that special friend.

But it's not easy to look perky when the kitty below you kept you awake all night. Or if the big dog in the cage next to you just won't stop barking and you're stressed out. Or the cage just wasn't comfy, or it was cold, and you just are not ready to "wow" the folks that come to look you over . . .

The shelters do their best to accommodate the animals' needs, but they still sometimes are sleeping in cages that have only a metal grid in the bottom, or sleeping on the concrete floor of a run, or something like that. And an animal that has gotten a good nights sleep will present better, and have a better chance of adoption!

There are several non-profit groups around the country that have web sites to address these problems. They have ideas to inspire you, and tutorials to guide you. You can make a pad or bed from fabric, or you can knit or crochet. Ribbit, ribbit! It's important to follow their guidelines --- they have experience in what works, and what doesn't!

You see, if you don't make it "the right way" it may come apart when the shelter staff tries to wash and dry it, or it may end up being puppy-shredded all over the place . . .

So, please, check out these sites we have listed here, and follow their advice!

Snuggles Project

Kennel Comforters

(Kennel Comforters even has a video so you can see what they do!)

You will want to check with your local shelter, to see if they accept beds, pads, or blankies, and if they have facilities to wash them. If the first shelter doesn't, then try another! 

We have a new page on our blog for Padsworth's Project, and the linky party there will last all year. We encourage each and every one of you to participate and join the linky party. 

Here's the carrot dangling in front of you! (Wink) For each blankie or bed that you make and donate, put a picture in the linky party. Each donation will earn you two entries in our Pets on Quilts prize drawings next year!  It's a real two-for-one deal! Hoppy froggies! 

Let me and Snoodles know what you think! Will you party with us?

(Linking up today to Katherine's Corner Thursday Favorite Things hop and also to The Jack Chronicles, her cohost!)
Love,

Special Delivery

Just a quick post today, to let you know that there is something special coming soon to Lilypadquilting . . . Padsworth's special friend, Mhairi, has sent something from the Land Down Under, and we can't tell you yet, what it is!!

It's a surprise!

Hang in there, we'll show you the surprise soon!

Love,

E-Reader cover finish!

Hoppy Froggies! Padsworth and I sure hope that many of you will be completing pillowcases and e-reader covers for the Remember Servicemen and Women in September project!

We're proud to be a part of the effort, and decided that the Snoopy pillowcase was just not enough . . . Padsworth was determined that we were going to complete an e-reader cover!
Luckily, Melissa at SewBittersweetDesigns had a bodacious tutorial that helped us along! 
Whatcha think?  Yes, yes, I know you all love Padsworth....how does the cover look?? (Grin)

Melissa's tut had instructions for a velcro closure, and for the life of me, I couldn't find my velcro in my stash. Plus, I'm old school, and decided a button and buttonhole might be sturdier, so that's how we rolled.

Here is Padsworth showing you the zipper to hold the reader in safety:

And here is one last shot of the cover and our dapper froggie friend:

I don't have an e-reader, so I stuck a ruler in there to show you that it really is a zipper pocket! 

I'm proud to be participating in this effort for our servicemen and servicewomen, and I hope that you will hop to it, and make a pillowcase or e-reader cover to send over! Get all the details over at Melissa's, or at Kristy's blog, or from Sondra, at Contemporary Cloth. 

Love,

Fantastic book!

Have you been surfing around the CraftBuds blog hop, and seen all the cool projects and fun blogs?  They're celebrating September, Craft Book Month, with some fabulous line-ups. There are new bloggy friends to meet, and they have revealed some wonderful finished projects to inspire everyone.


My name popped up as a book winner at the beginning of the hop, and I am thrilled with my new craft book, Reinvention, by Maya Donenfeld:

I love the idea of recycling and re-purposing items, and this book is all about that! Check out some of these projects in this collage:

This is one you might want to add to your Christmas wish-list! Thanks, Craftbuds!!


Love,

Mystery project revealed . . .

Hi everybody!

I'm back today to show you the completed project --- I think you might be surprised! I'll show you the finish, and then how to make it, in case you'd like to have one for your very own!

First, let me say, this is not a Lilypadquilting original . . . this project is from Lynette Anderson's wonderful book, It's Quilting Cats and Dogs. I seriously love this book --- the projects (seventeen of 'em) are so cute, and feature a dog, a cat, and a birdie that are good buddies. They appear on many of the projects; there are handbags, quilts, wallhangings, and TADA!!! Pincushions!!
 

 

(You were right, Gene, it's a cat!)

Isn't this ginger cat adorable? He's almost too cute to push pins into. (Grin)

Now, we started with these pieces:

The two fabric circles for the body are about 4.5 inches in diameter, and the face pieces are a little more oval in appearance, about 2.5 inches across. You can see that the kitty's paws are already placed on the long strip. 
I used my machine to blanket stitch the "stripes" on the kitty; they were cut from an orange print and stuck on for auditioning their positions with my faithful Lapel Stick (love that stuff!). 

Yep, I like that placement, so I stitched 'em down:

Then it was time to pin the strip around the edge of that circle, and stitch carefully . . .
Kinda looks like I made a neat little hat for Padsworth, ay?

The other side (the bottom of the pincushion) goes on next, and then --- make the kitty's face! After making the little ears, I put the ovals right sides together and stitched all the way around. The directions said to cut a small slit in one side to turn the face right side out, and here it is:

Then some decorative stitching with DMC (I added some whiskers because I thought he needed some!):

Then, the dramatic part! Stuffing! Poking the fiberfil into every little nook! I actually should make a note to self . . . stuff the next one more tightly! Oh well, he looks pretty good. Then I laid the little face onto the stuffed cushion and stitched it down.

The instructions said to leave the ears unattached, and I do believe that looks cute, seeing his ears up a bit. Maybe he heard something and he's waking up . . .

Well, I hope you liked my mystery project --- maybe you have Lynette's book in your stash, and you can thumb through it for the templates and make a Sleeping Kitty Pincushion, too!

I'm linking up with the linky party at Craftbuds! Check out all of the great links there, and try a new project or two! 

Love,

I'm baaaaack! With a mystery!

Sorry that it's been quiet here at the Lilypad for a couple of days.....been a lot going on here, and now I'm ready to catch up!

Padsworth has been intrigued by my current project, so I thought I would give you peeps a sneaky peek at it, and then show it to you tomorrow. 

What do you think this will be???

On a side note, please don't be like me, and let this much crud build up in your machine . . . Gack!

And I thought cats were the ones that coughed up hairballs! Eep!  Be sure to open up your sewing machine and clean it out fairly often --- don't wait like I did!

More on the mystery project tomorrow!

Love,

Back by popular request . . .

One way to tell girl ducklings and boy ducklings apart is to look at their feeties. The boys will be larger and more developed; the girls will be more petite. Of course, the girls are more petite all around, too, so that gives us a clue. Our ducklets happen to be "blondes" and the boys (drakelets) are darker.  (By the way, those claws that you see on the ends of their webby feet are peculiar to the type of ducks they are - Muscovy. They actually prefer to roost in trees at night!)

See?

Want to know what ducklings do on a dreary, rainy day?
First of all, they go exploring . . . what do they care if it's rainy, ay?

  

(Whispering) See you again soon!

I'm linking up with Katherine's Corner Thursday Favorite Things hop, and with her cohost, Two Succulent Sisters, because these little duckies are some of my favorite things!

Love,