Pincushion patterns that will make your heart stop!

One of the must-haves in the toolkit of every quilter or sewist is a pincushion (pin cushion works, too!). I am always looking for cool pincushion patterns so I can make them for myself or to give them as gifts to my friends.

[Edited: June 23, 2020]

Last night I dropped everything and locked myself in my studio to make these pincushions – I could not help it after I saw them! One had pieced houses and the other had machine applique’. I could not choose so I made them both!

In no time at all, I found the fabrics I needed in my stash (that is THE reason we have such large fabric stashes – on a whim we can open those magic drawers and quickly choose the best fabrics for the project we MUST make now!). These are all by Riley Blake Designs – I am totally smitten by their Date Night collection!

I followed the patterns and cut all the pieces of fabric I would need, including the batting.

The houses were easy to put together. The fabrics gave them a vintage vibe, don’t you think? Nope, they were not paper pieced so you can assembled them quickly regardless of your sewing skills.

From tiny pieces of fabrics, a neighborhood emerged very quickly. You know I am moving in a few weeks so this pincushion caught my eye for its cuteness and timely design.

Compared to the one in the book, mine is not so shabby! I did not notice while I was sewing it (remember, I did it at night), but the thread tension is a little bit off. Oh, well. It is ready to be filled.

Crushed walnut shells are an indispensable item if you like to make pincushion and other items that need to be filled. I left a big enough opening for the spoon to fit inside.

I like my vintage pincushion to be filled to the brim and so it is.

The flash from the camera is hitting the small aluminum pan serving as a base for my ‘operation’. It is perfect to catch the little pieces of filling, and then I can just pour them back into the plastic bag. I pinned the opening and slip stitched it shut.

Ta-da! But, hey, I did not stop there. These are so addictive! My love for pincushions goes way back. Check out the wool embroidery pincushions I made a while ago. To die for!

I pulled out fabrics from another one of Riley Blake‘s collections…

… and, wait, before I go on, this is what I use to draw perfect circles. I have had it for years.

Ah… I needed some green energy vibes and so I made a green flower. My Bernina machine will definitely go to the shop while I am in my ‘Pack the House’ party because the tension needs adjusting. But, you can see the blanket stitch I used is still turning out fabulous.

I use Aurifil 40 wt thread for the machine applique’. Always. Well, unless I do not have the color I need. Also, I usually match the thread color to the fabric. In this case, however, since I had different shades of green, I picked a dark green and used it on all the petals. The result is a more primitive look. Cool.

I filled it to the very tippity-top with crushed walnut shells again.

And here it is, my boxy pincushion. The one on the background is from the book. Oh, yes, I need to tell you where I found these gorgeous pincushion patterns!

They are from Carrie Nelson’s latest book “Pin Pals” published by Martingale. That I made these two pincushions in under, way under 2 hours tells you the instructions leave no room for doubt.  Carrie’s pincushions and pinnies are so fun! Can you tell I had a blast last night?

They are unique and make perfect gifts for your quilty friends. They can also add a touch of whimsy to your home decor if you casually place them near your craft chair, on the coffee table atop your favorite books, or on the nightstand to remind you every morning of the one thing you need to find time for every day – quilting!

I am a happy camper because I found time to delight my ‘maker’ soul by bringing to life these pincushions. Do you think Carrie was thinking of me when she designed these pincushion patterns? I can dream, can’t I?

Have a fantastic weekend,