Stuck on Pincushions

What can I say? I love pincushions. My theory is you can never have enough. Pincushions are handy to have strewn all over your sewing area, in sewing baskets, on the end table, and in your sewing bag or kit. With all that said- see what I mean? You don’t have to feel guilty for having “too” many, there is no such thing!

Only recently did my love affair with pincushions begin. I always took them for granted. They were always just there. Then one day I started to see them in another light. Everything could become a pincushion. Take a favorite quilt block pattern as an example-that could be a pincushion, maybe a really large one, but it would work. Want to try a certain quilting technique, like cathedral windows? Make it a pincushion! Just one small scrap of a favorite fabric left, not big enough to really do anything with? Yep, you are catching on! Make it into a pincushion.

Everywhere I look there are pincushions. At the cash register at a down town quilt shop, on the cover of one of Alex Anderson’s quilt books- a rather large pin cushion at that, and in friends sewing rooms and on cutting tables everywhere.

I was looking at a really neat book on buttonhole stitch appliqué with bright colors of blue, red, green and yellow the other day and got inspired. Appliquéd at the end of some of the projects were these penny sized discs of wool. And I thought, aha! pincushion. I created a pattern for a multi colored pincushion made of crafters felt. See FREE Pincushion Pattern for the “how to” to make one of your own.

For me, the making of pin cushions is the idea of being able to create something quickly that I can use and enjoy. You can never have too many projects in the works, and pincushions are small and won’t take much time to create, right? So, make some pincushions and have fun!

Do you have a sewer on your Christmas list?

Here is a list of pin cushion ideas to create in a jiffy:

Appliquéd pincushion- choose an appliqué design or part of one.

Sew a triangle with rick rack sewn into the seam edges. (half the rick rack will poke out of the seam as small triangles.)

Layer contrasting fabric triangles in different sizes on top and button hole stitch in place.

Make a small nine patch square.

Make a black and white four patch.

Cut a rectangle of a foundation fabric- using the crazy quilt technique: stitch small leftover pieces of fabric to the foundation. Sew the rectangle together along the longest edge-leaving the short edges open. Stuff then tie the short edges with ribbon or cording to make a Bon Bon like pincushion.
 

-Lynn H. Castille

 Lynn H. Castille is a freelance writer with a passion for quilts –but not a lot of extra time. She has been sewing for thirty years and hosts a monthly group for other quilting enthused ladies like herself. Lynn hopes to share their fun and ideas with her readers and help make quilting fun and simple for anyone with a passion for quilts.