WARNING: The following blog post contains language
that may be unsuitable for some readers. If you have an aversion to terms like
adorable, precious, darling, cute, and super duper cute, you may wish to stop
reading.
In the spring of 2013 I
purchased a “Little Bites” pattern for pincushions called “Morsel” (by Carrie
Nelson of Miss Rosie’s Quilt Co.). The Morsel
projects were intended as a way to use up 2 ½” squares, and that was probably
about the time I started getting hooked on mini charms. Well, I made my first pincushion that spring,
and Carrie’s instructions were fabulous!
In addition to her pattern’s step-by-step instructions, there were also
general guidelines and tips on getting creative and making your own shape or
size and embellishing them as you like.
I also distinctly remember that part of the fun included going to the
pet store with my daughter to purchase crushed walnut shells (used for bird or
lizard cages) . . . what a terrific filling it makes! Anyway, my first pincushion turned out just
darling! No big surprise to those who know me well, I used Fig Tree & Co.
scraps, this time “California Girl.”
Well this pincushion
was so fun and so cute I had to make one for my friend Ibby, who faithfully
organizes our annual quilting retreats.
Then Ibby asked me to make one for her mom, who is another wonderful
quilting friend, so of course I made one for her too. Then my busy sister Stacy, who is a terrific cook and gardener, shocked me by asking to borrow a sewing machine so she could
take up quilting! (Yippee!) So, naturally I had to make her a darling, little pincushion. And not long after that, my friend Carolyn
took up quilting. She went straight
from, “I think I want to start quilting” to making a lovely full
sized quilt! And yes, Carolyn needed a pincushion
too. I was on a roll. Five pincushions from my Morsels pattern and
every one was just super duper cute.
I have no idea how or
why I fell off the wagon, but I have not made another pincushion since then . .
. not for two years! And come on, I had
only made ONE for me! I definitely needed
more pincushions for my sewing room! Well I found the cutest pattern (sorry, it
had to be said) in Heidi Staples’ book “Sew Organized for the Busy Girl.” What a terrific book, filled with a variety of
fun projects I hope to try. I made Heidi’s “Deluxe Pin Cushion” in one short evening
and I love it. It even has a pocket! Are
you kidding me? Cuteness alert!
A day or two later, a
little quilting voice started nudging at the corners of my brain that there was
one more pincushion I needed to make. The
mother of all pincushions. The pièce de
résistance. There was a pattern in
Joanna Figueroa’s book “With Fabric & Thread” that I have been avoiding
since I got the book in December of 2012.
Drumroll . . . the “Pin Cushion Buttercup,” a three dimensional flower pincushion
with petals and leaves . . . the whole floral works! The pictures in the book are absolutely charming,
but it looks tricky, and time consuming, and possibly like a project that might
cause me to throw something across the sewing room. But hey, I had recently conquered my fear of
zippers . . . twice. I figured I could do this too!
And I did . . . and my Buttercup
pincushion turned out precious, cute, darling . . . nope,
it is beautiful! Many thanks, once
again, to Joanna who writes instructions like a seasoned classroom teacher.
As a treat to myself, I
used the technique in Joanna’s book for making the round center portion of the
flower, to make two pincushion balls that I could stuff into some sweet little
polka dot measuring cups I wasn’t using. Silly as it sounds, these two ten-minute pincushions
might end up being my favorites. I
really love that little trick-or-treating girl! She makes me smile.
I began this post with
a warning about the language I was going to use. Now I will close with a disclaimer. I don’t use pincushions . . . at all! ;)
I pin a lot, I’m a nut
about pinning, but I tend to leave a trail when I work. My pins end up not just on my sewing machine,
or sewing table, but also the cutting table, the ironing board, the floor, the
bookshelf . . . you get the idea. So
after about an hour of work I take my old, cracked and scuffed magnetic pin
holder and swipe it about the room, gathering my mess of pins.
But I still love my pincushions. And I’m certain that I need more.