Spools and Tools Quilt

While we were in Paducah last week, we walked around the city enjoying the scenery and happened upon Eleanor Burns' Quilt in a Day Shop.  Of course, I ducked in for a few minutes.  It's all very nicely done and the fabrics are to die for, but something else caught my eye--this pattern booklet titled "Spools and Tools" by Wendy Gilbert.   Since I'm trying to avoid overspending, I made only the one purchase and it was very affordable.

One reason I couldn't resist the pattern is that I've been wanting to make a small wall quilt for the studio that had something to do with sewing or quilting.  In fact, I've been pinning pictures with the intent of creating a small quilt with my favorite motifs.

Thanks to Quilt in a Day, there's no need to do all that figuring.  

I've discovered something about myself over the years: the moment I put something away, it's gone.  Not lost so much, it sort of ceases to exist as something that I will really use.

I haven't figured out why that is, but patterns and fabric collections need to be used immediately after purchase.  Individual items don't seem to be "saved" and I have no problem pulling them out and using them.  Armed with this knowledge, I started a project using the pattern the day we got home.  

It's a quilt in a day project, but I modified it, so it became a two day event.  I like it more though because it's my own.  

I started off by modifying the scissors...the handles are a different color than the cutting area.  I had some fabric with a tape measure, so I added a strip.   

It's since occurred to me that I need a few buttons, which I will add today.

I used trapunto on the tomato pincushion so it will hold real pins.  Then I added the word sew to the open area near the machine and changed the machine just a tad.

I'm a big fan of Superior and YLI threads and my mom used Coats and Clarks, so I quilted the names on the large spools. I had fun with the quilting, trying to make the stripes appear more like thread.  The last thing I 

Completing it as soon as we got home surely helps to make it feel like a memento of our trip.  What do you think?  Doesn't it make a nice souvenir for our trip to Paducah?  Would you consider purchasing the pattern booklet?  I really like the pattern, but honestly did not like the directions.  I'd have made several changes in the pattern text and I'd have included template patterns.  Tell me about my modifications?  Do they improve or detract from the quilt?