Batiks on the Brain!

I love batik fabrics! They are just so bright and fun. I love how they can be very organic and abstract. They can also add a simple, subtle element to any project. I recently added some pretty colors and patterns to my Fabric Choices page. Take a look and see them here. Actually, I have a few more to add to that bunch. I'll list what is left over from an order I'm working on right now. There is a local quilt shop called Royce Quilting and they have nearly one hundred colors and patterns to choose from! If you are even in West Bend Wisconsin, you just have to stop in and see there amazing quilt fabrics.

Well, here are some of the new pincushions I created with my batiks. I added some pretty abstract and patterned fabrics as well. I'd love to know what you think!
Oh..you may notice that all of these have a heart motif! I am helping my sister out with a gift for a quilter she knows. I can't wait to see which one she picks out! P.S. The remaining designs will be available in my Etsy shop soon.

Pink Heart and Pretty Paisley

Pink Hearts on Green with and without beading, front and back. (I love them both!)

I created the same design using a fun paisley blue fabric. I just have to get some more of that blue!

Here is the first pincushion I made for this series. I showered this heart with embroidered flowers and a mattering of sparkling beads. The recipient is in her 70s. I've been told that she is a quilter with a beautiful, bright energy about her. I wasn't sure if this one was a bit too much....I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

I created this last pincushion on a whim. I purchased a number of pretty cotton duck fabrics in lots of colors and prints.
Using a printed pattern to create an embroidered design is a fun exercise I recommend to any new or even experienced stitchers. Just follow the pattern.

I used a simple backstitch to outline the flower shape. I added french knots to all the dots along the outside edge. I added an ombre effect in shades of orange and gold to accent the petal shapes. A few more french knots in the middle and its finished! Oh.. I almost forget those sweet, glittering beads added here and there. I used clear thread when I do my beading. It keeps the colors of the beads true and you can't see the thread as it goes in and out of the bead hole.

Here is a picture of the bottom of this pincushion. Aren't those little wool feet fun? Often, when I stuff my round pincushions, they seem to be a bit on the rolly polly side. Although, that may not affect the usefullness of the pincushion, it kind of bothers me. So I took felt balls and cut them in half with a scissors. I then stitched them onto the bottom of the cushion and it is rolly polly no more!

Here is an older pincushion made with cotton duck. I cut a large chevron pattern into wedges and created a smaller version. I then added some machine, free-motion stitching to create a cute banner design. Bits of cotton fabric are stitched down with more machine stitching. I just have to try to make this one again. They all are so much fun to make! There just isn't enough time.

Thats it for now. I hope to write a new post soon. I had a lovely surprise last week. A fellow fabric lover send me a box of wool scraps just because. it was the most wonderful surprise and I can't wait to share that box of goodies with you and perhaps combine a few of them with some pretty wool roving in a giveaway for wool lovers! Watch for that later this week.
Have a happy last week of July! (Where does the time go?)