paper and paint

These make me smile. A bit of nostalgic old fashioned charm. That’s what I’m all about. Throughout history, these have been made from scraps of leftover fabric, but these pincushions are made with ribbon remnants, shirting fabric, and felt. These new materials work especially well because its edges won’t fray. You could also give these as a gift or use them to decorate your crafty space. You could also venture out to create other fruit and vegetable pincushions. I have way too much time on my hands…

Tools and Materials:
Fabric and ribbon remnants
Sewing machine
Needle and thread
Scissors
Fine sand or emery
#3 pearl-cotton thread or felt, for berries’ tops
6-strand embroidery floss, for seeds
Fabric glue

How to:

1. Begin by printing out the template [provided by marthastewartliving.com] Trace the cone template onto fabric, then cut out the shape. Fold the fabric into a cone shape, right sides facing, and stitch together along one edge, leaving a narrow seam allowance.

2. Sew an even running stitch along the perimeter of the opening (will be the top of the berry). Before cinching the top, place the cone in a small jar for balance, and fill it with sand or emery (keeps the pins sharp). Pull the thread taut, and stitch the top closed.

3. For the strawberry’s top, trace the cap template onto a piece of felt, cut out the shape, and affix it in place with a drop of glue; then sew along the edges with a slip stitch. Or, create leaves by sewing long stem stitches onto the strawberry using the pearl-cotton thread, leaving a loop of floss at the top for a handle. Embroider seeds onto berry using embroidery floss with a single stitch or a French-knot stitch.