Posted in craft sewing, fabric stash, Life with Sami, sewing

Trying Out Pin Cushions

Posted on by peggycooperquilts

Don’t you just love cute pin cushions? During my recent browse around Pinterest several caught my eye, and of course these 10 minute crafts turned into a several day project, but they are so cute! The fruit pie cushion is a free tutorial from one of my favorite quilter/designers, Lori Holt at Bee In My Bonnet. The fabric I used was a charm pack called Farmer’s Market from RJR Fabrics. The little cobalt blue flower pots are ones that I’ve had for many years and decided to make them earn their keep and hold my pins. 🙂

I used the crushed walnut shells, called lizard litter at the pet stores, to stuff the cushions and to give them a little weight. A little advise: fill the cushions over a container up high in case your dog (Sami) decides to ‘help’. This stuff goes everywhere if you spill it and your dog tries to play in it while you are trying to clean it up.

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These little cushions were made from orphan blocks left over from other projects. They are very handy to have at different locations around my sweat shop. Now I have one at each machine, cutting table, and the ironing board, but I will never be organized.

I am guessing you all have several pin cushions you have made, in addition to our old standby ‘the tomato pin cushion’, and probably some that have been handed down from relatives and loved ones. I remember my aunt kept a hanky pinned to the front of her blouse had pins pinned to the hanky when she was sewing.

 

 

 

Author:

I am a retired grandmother living in hot and sunny Florida. I spend most of my days doing what I love: sewing and quilting. I have a spoiled rotten Boston Terrier named Sami who keeps me busy mostly by cleaning up after her and refilling holes in the yard that she insists on digging and burying her toys. Of course then she digs them up and brings them into the house resulting in...you guessed it...more cleaning. I will be posting pictures of Sami, quilts, flowers, and other things as they come along. Glad to have you join me.

28 thoughts on “Trying Out Pin Cushions”

  1. I haven’t yet succumbed to the fancy pin cushions, but they are so cute! I have three tomato pin cushions, acquired over the years, and they still do the trick. Maybe someday they will finally wear out and I can make cute ones!

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    1. I still love the tomato pin cushions, especially if they still have the little pin sharpeners attached. I didn’t want to start a long project so started a small one…should have stuck with a lap quilt….same amount of time. 🙂

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  3. Hi Peggy,
    I have seen several folks have pin cushion collections – and cute ones at that! I have not fallen victim to that . . . yet. Yours are very collection worthy, and how nice of Sami to ‘help’ you clean up! Isn’t she kind?!! ~smile~ Roseanne

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    1. Thanks Roseanne. Very helpful of Sami, especially since she was the cause of the mess. 🙂 She always has her little face into everything and everything goes into that flat nose and the sneezing starts.

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  4. Oddly, I don’t have a ton of pin cushions laying around…but you give me ideas;-). I can use a pin cushion at each station too. Sometimes, too much of a good thing is a good thing;-). However, I do have an apple pin cushion that I’ve picked up at good will before I became a quilter…it floats all over the sewing room and falls to the floor (in true apple fashion) when I’m not looking. But the cleverest pin cushion I’ve ever seen was a little squirrel with a retractable tape measure in its base…I may need to make one like that;-).

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    1. I’ve found that pin cushions are like scissors, they are never where you need them, so now I have them everywhere. 🙂 The squirrel one sounds perfect: a tape measure and a pin cushion. Perfect.

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  8. These are so cute. I read once that stuffing steel wool into a pin cushion would help keep your pins sharp but I havent tried it. After one of my dogs found and tried to eat a pin I started placing them in magnetic bowls.

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    1. Thanks Denise. Good idea about the steel wool. I haven’t tried it either. I also have a problem with pins (and batting scraps, fabric strings, and everything that will fit in her mouth) with my Sami. I have to watch her like a hawk.

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  11. I have to say, I don’t have that many. The only reason I have more than one are through workshops and such. I have planned many new pincushions though, maybe making them is addictive 😅. Yours look great btw! Love the idea of using orphan blocks

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    1. Thank you Bella. They are additive. I would like to say they use up scraps but I cannot tell any difference in my scrap pile after making them. 🙂 Using the orphan blocks help a little though. Looking forward to seeing yours. (hint)

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