The Carry All Pincushion

Happy Thursday! The other night I finally started (and finished) something I’ve had on my list for quite a while…

Back in September I had some scraps left over from my Strawberry Fields

 Revisited sewing that I knew I had to save for a new pincushion pattern I had seen. But then market sewing came along and the after-market busyness and then Thanksgiving…

So anyway…I finally decided I was just going to make it! Of course now I wish I had made it sooner; I absolutely love the pattern and how it all went together so quickly and easily.

This is a good-sized pincushion…about 4″ tall, 4″ wide, and 9″ long. It’s substantial enough to  sit on a table or take to a class…you’ll be able to find it easily. And…it has nifty pockets everywhere that are especially handy for keeping things close at hand.

I was able to get everything cut from scraps and added in some Moda Mochi Linen for the main body pieces. The Mochi Linen works great as a neutral for so many fabrics that I love, so I keep it on hand. For stabilizer I used Soft and Stable on the sides (called for in the pattern) and Fusible Fleece for the top, bottom, and ends (the pattern called for ShapeFlex, but I’m really happy I went with the Fusible Fleece–especially since I did a little quilting on my pincushion).

 You can find the pattern in the book Handmade Style: 23 Must-Have Basics to Stitch, Use, and Wear. Like all of Anna’s patterns, the instructions are easy to follow.

Another thing I did a little differently was to add some straight line quilting to the top of my pincushion–it just seems to give a little more body to the top and make it better for pins. The pincushion is stuffed with a combination of crushed walnut shells and cotton stuffing. I used Anna’s suggestion for enclosing the walnut shells in a separate pouch which is then placed inside the pincushion .

The only bad thing about making this the other day is that I keep thinking of people who might really enjoy one…and there are only a few more sewing days before Christmas. I could always add this to my gift list for next year, though…I definitely have plenty of scraps that need to get used up!

Speaking of scraps…get ready to use yours in the coming year…I have a fun goal and some terrific plans for keeping up with them in 2016.

Thanks so much for stopping by!