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.
~Taunja
