In between my umpteen other projects I’m working on, I decided it’s time I made some pincushions for myself. I pulled out the Wild Thyme fabric scraps from my raw edge circle quilt, and put together these strips as a starting point:
Now to sew the strips together, and create my pincushions.
simple zigzag stitch, no seams
All done! As I looked at my little patches of sewn strips, and contemplated what design I’d use for my pincushions, it suddenly came to me…
I’m going to make a huge cube, with those blocks making up five of the six sides, and I’ll cut a piece of felt for the top! So I won’t have several pincushions, just one. But a really cool one, if it turns out half as good as it looks inside my head. So, I cut them all into 6″ x 6″ (15 x 15 cm) blocks, and cut my felt to the same size.
six easy pieces.. (why does that sound familiar?)
But DON’T do what I did!! I thought it’d be really cool to just sew a zigzag stitch to keep the strips together, without having to mess around with seams or anything, and if it frayed a little, no problem, it’d all be that kinda hand-sewn look. Very sewing-room-floor kinda look, if you know what I mean.
Problem is, I realized after I’d finished all the seams, I’m about to fill the thing with stuffing. And what do you reckon that’s going to do to all my loosey goosey seams???? That’s right, one little ever-so-light tug on those seams, and they opened wide up. No problem, I just had to go over them again, several times, to make sure they’d hold. We shall see!
doesn't look really smart, but i like that rough-edge look
Now if only I had some fusible pellon! Nevermind. Forge ahead.
Next, I sewed four of the pieces together, and pressed the corners to form the walls of my cube. I made sure I left out the block that I wanted to use for the bottom, least seen, side of the cube.
my cube standing tall
Do you think it’s too big for a pincushion? I could always make it into a toy or something instead. With a bell in the middle. Nah, I like it, it’ll be my special pincushion that I’ll keep in my workroom. It’s not one to pop into my sewing bag to take to class or anything. Still, I think it’ll be nice. Can you tell I’m just filling space here? I need to get that pellon, and I am going to class tomorrow, but I just can’t wait!
OK, back from Amitié with my pellon. Oh, and that gorgeous piece of Liberty of London end-of-the-bolt sweet pink that was just begging to go home with me…
Alrighty now.. first, cut my pellon, and iron it onto the backs of my blocks.
see - ironing the pellon after I've sewn the bits together.. no problemo!
Now, starting with one side, I pinned and stitched the bottom of the cube to the walls.
first side pinned
stitching and pinning, working my way around all 4 sides
all done
I turned it to the right side, just to see how it looked. I like it!
Looking…
thinking…
looking…
thinking…
looking…
think/ .. I have it!
Sorry folks, no pincushion! It’s a little box to keep my sewing machine cottons in on my table!
Watch this!
I hemmed the top.
hemmed top edge
Next, I folded down the walls to the floor, so to speak, and pinned the hemmed edge along the bottom edge.
all edges pinned
Then I machine sewed that seam down. Next, I stitched down the corners to give them some support, and then topstitched the top edge.
isn't it pretty!
I decided to wack a piece of stiff cardboard in the bottom, to make it a bit sturdier. Then I popped in the piece of interfaced felt, without stitching it down. That way, if I need to ever wash the little box, or it gets wet somehow, I can always just lift out the felt and the discard or replace the cardboard.
5" x 5" (12.5 x 12.5 cm) piece of cardboard in the bottom
soft layer of pretty white felt
Now it’s finished! And I just love it!
filled with cottons
view from one side
another view
and a third view
and the last other side
Wish I could show you the pretty bottom of my cotton box, but too late 
