Flower pincushions

These little pincushions are excellent scrap-busters and great little gifts. You can whip up several quite quickly. Use two coordinating fabrics per pincushion. You’ll also need some matching embroidery floss and some embellishments. I used stuff I had in my sewing cabinet — no need to run out and spend money.

Supplies

Pattern

Make a circle 6″ in diameter (3″ radius). If you need help making a quick and easy circle pattern, see this tutorial.

Process

Make a circle 6″ in diameter (3″ radius). See this tutorial if you need help making a perfect circle pattern.

Cut out two circles per pincushion in coordinating fabrics.

Press each circle in half and cut on the pressing line.

Press each half in half again, making another cutting line. You’ll end up with quarters. (Just in case you skipped third-grade math!)

You’ll sew two quarters together, then you’ll sew two halves together. So you end up again with two circles, but they are alternating fabrics. Always make a priority out of lining up the seam allowances.

By the way, lay out your fabrics in pairs before you sew to ensure that you have alternating quarters — in other words, you could end up with this (above). The like fabrics should be opposite each other, not next to each other. I thought about this beforehand but STILL managed to mess one up. I annoy myself to no end.

Sew your two circles together, right-sides together. Leave a hole for turning it right side out. Once again, line up all seam allowances first and foremost, pin and then pin between the seams.

Turn right-side out and press. Fold under the seam allowance of the opening and press the best you can. It’s kind of hard because it’s rounded.

Stuff your little pillow. Stuff it real good. You want it nice and puffy.

Slip stitch the opening closed. I did about half and then stuffed a bit more stuffing inside to plump up that edge.

Now it’s time to make the flower petals. You’ll need some embroidery floss, preferably floss that matches your fabric. I also found it preferable to use a long “decorator’s needle.” Mine was 4″ long. It just reaches through the pillow better. If you don’t have one, a long embroidery needle will do — embroidery needles have a bigger eye to accommodate the floss.

OK, so start by taking the needle and thread through the center of the pillow (above).

Turn the pillow over and bring the thread around the side. On the bottom, where the knot is, thread the needle through the strands of floss below the knot (I used 3 strands). This will help keep the knot from getting pulled through the fabric, which is sometimes a problem when using a thicker needle. It can make a hole that’s bigger than your knot.

Push the needle back through the center. So your embroidery floss is wrapped around the side of the pillow and you will pull really hard when you take it through again.

Go around each side along the seams a couple of times and pull hard. You want to make an indention.

After doing this at each seam, start doing it in the middle of the seams. Pull tight to make the indentions. Keep going around the sides and back through the center.

Eventually, you’ll get these little flowers. Tie off your thread. Find some items to embellish with. I used ric-rac, pom-poms and a tassel I found in my sewing cabinet.