Tutorial--A Handy Dandy Pincushion

**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**


When your hubby is wrapped up in an action flick or really busy on the telephone with a client, quietly walk up to his golf bag, slowly unzip the little pocket on the side of the bag, slide your sticky little fingers into the pocket and steal, err, uhm, borrow a golf tee. Quickly zip the pocket back up and stroll nonchalantly back to your craft room (no whistling as you walk away for this is a dead giveaway that you were up to no good). You are now ready to create this cute and handy pincushion.


For this project, you will need fabric, felt, pincushion stuffing, golf tee, cardboard, disappearing ink pen, scissor, needle and thread, hot glue gun, sewing machine (optional).

I have chosen a polka dot fabric (what else!) for the petals and a solid red for the flower center.


Cut two 2-1/2-inch circles from cardboard. Cut one circle in half. These will be your patterns. The half circle will be for the petals and the whole circle will be the flower center.

Trace the petal pattern five times onto the wrong side of two layers of fabric. Trace the flower center pattern once onto the wrong side of a single layer of fabric.


Cut the circle out on the traced line; set aside.


For petals, with right sides together, secure both layers of fabric with pins.


Sew by hand or by machine around the curved edge of the five half circles, using the traced line as your seam line. Leave straight edge open for turning.


Trim around curve, turn right side out.


With needle and thread, take a running stitch along the straight edge of each petal.


Slide each half circle onto the thread, one after the other.


After all five half circles are on the thread, clip thread to release needle.


Tie both ends of the thread together to form a circle of petals. Clip thread close to knot. Set piece aside.


For flower center, take a running stitch around the edge of the circle, stuff with your favorite pincushion stuffing, pull tight and secure with a knot. Clip ends of thread close to knot.


Cut a 1-1/4-inch circle out of felt. Notch out center creating a small hole.


Gather the four components together. You are now ready to assemble.


Using a hot glue gun, place glue under the flat portion of the golf tee. Carefully slip the pointed end of the golf tee through the hole in the center of the petals. Hold for a few seconds until glue has set.


Glue the flower center securely to the top of the petals, covering the head of the golf tee.


Turn flower over, put the pointed end of the golf tee through the hole in the felt circle. Glue the felt circle securely to the base of the flower. This will hide the mechanics and will give your pincushion a more polished look.


Pop your new pincushion into a spool of thread, add a couple of needles, and you're ready to start sewing. This is a handy portable piece to carry with you while hand stitching and can be easily changed from spool to spool whenever necessary. No more lost sewing needs in the arms of your sofa again.


I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial. I know many of you have seen this before, but I wanted to share it because I know that there are some who haven't. I find this pincushion indispensable when I'm working in front of the television. It also makes a good travelling pincushion for take-along projects.

Have a fabulous weekend. See you all on Monday.

Aloha!

**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**