Thread Catcher!

My name is Jennifer, and I’m a slob when I sew.  I’ve been thinking about making a thread catcher for a while now (years).  Tonight was the night.
My husband laments the fact that I track threads all over the house.  I clip threads from the seams of my quilt blocks because my quilt needs to be tidy.  Then I throw them on the floor, where they stick to my feet, the dogs’ feet, and anyone else daring enough to visit the studio.  The ones from the longarm are great – sometimes they are a yard long.  I try to get them in the trash can, but you know, I’m not that invested in keeping the floor clean when I’m working.
I found an easy tutorial at Confessions of a Homeschooler.  I deviated a bit, of course, to accommodate the fabrics that were at the top of the scrap pile.  It happened to be a Jolly Bar of valentines fabric that I’ve been chipping away at since I made the Tea Cozy for Heather.   Jolly Bars are 5″ x 10″ pieces of fabric.  I like the scrappy look this has.
My pin cushion is one Jolly Bar strip folded in half.  I filled it with sand, since for the life of me I can’t find the crushed walnut shells I bought.  I pieced the larger sections, making sure the text fabrics would be aligned correctly in the finished piece.
I really like the way it turned out, and it was so quick and easy.  I think on the next one I’ll adjust the strap to be a bit shorter.  I might quilt one and see how I like the look.
They feel like a great project for a group – everyone could finish it in one sitting.  I have some ideas on how to make it fancier, but that requires some research.  I think ultimately I will have to make a few more of these for an upcoming craft sale.