Pin Cushion Assignment HNC3CI Crowell Adapted from Fairy Face Designs

Measuring & Cutting Fabric Press your fabric, then cut 4 pieces for the front measuring 3”x 3" each. We will be using a 1.5cm seam allowance. Cut another piece of fabric for the bottom (a 5”x 5” square). Decide how you want to lay them out.

Starting to Sew Place your top 2 pieces right sides together and pin them in place. Using a straight stitch, sew the pieces together, using a 1.5cm seam allowance. Remember to backstitch at the beginning and end of your seam. Repeat with the remaining two pieces.

Press Your Seams Flat to One Side Now you need to press your seams. Press one of the seams to one side and the other to the opposite side, and they will fit together nicely when you are sewing together.

Attaching all Four Squares Place your top two squares on the bottom two, right sides together, matching the seams exactly. Place a pin on either side of the point where the seam points match, as close as possible to the line of stitching, about 1/8" on either side.

Try to line up your squares precisely

Sew and Press Pin the rest of the seam, close to either end, then sew, remembering to backstitch at the beginning and end. Press your seam open down the centre.

Attaching the Top & Bottom Pin your bottom piece of fabric right sides together with your pieced top. Then, starting about 1.5cm from a corner, sew a seam all the way around the outside edge (leaving a 1.5” gap in the centre of one side). Remember to BACKSTITCH! At each corner, put your needle down, lift your presser foot and pivot the fabric to change direction.

Leave a 1.5” Opening Note the start and finish points. Centre your 1.5” opening in the middle of the seam.

Clip the Corners Using your scissors, very carefully trim the excess fabric from each corner. This will reduce the bulk of the fabric to give you nice crisp corners. Be careful not to clip your stitches, don't go too close!

Flip Right Sides Out Now, reach into the gap in your seam and turn your pincushion right way out, pulling the fabric out through the gap. When you have it turned right way out, it will look like this:

Crisp Corners Take a chop stick or the closed point of your scissors and very gently push out your corners till they sit correctly. Don't push too hard, you don't want to tear the fabric! Press your square flat when complete.

Stuff Your Pin Cushion Get some toy stuffing. Tearing it into smallish pieces, stuff into the pincushion until it is full and firm. You don't want it to be bursting at the seams, just a nice amount so it will hold your pins securely. In addition, put a small amount of kitty litter in the bottom of the pincushion to give it some weight.

Preparing to Hand Sew Firstly, line up the 1.5”opening. Ensure your raw edges are tucked inside the pin cushion (they should not be seen). Use a pin or two to match and hold your seams in place.

Hand Sewing Double thread a hand- sewing needle and tie a knot in the end. Then insert it into the interior of the seam, somewhere the knot won't be seen. Continue to stitch your gap closed (using a whipstitch or an invisible stitch).

Hand Sewing Finish your hand-sewing by making a few stitches in the same place to secure. Push your needle into the end of the seam and bring it back out an inch or so away. Clip the thread where it comes through the fabric and stretch out your fabric to make the thread disappear into the pincushion.

Adding Decorative Detail Cut a 18” length from your embroidery thread and split the thread into two parts (approximately 3 threads). Thread an embroidery needle with it and tie a knot in the end. Clip the thread quite close to the knot but not right on top of it. Choose a button to match your pin cushion.

Adding Embroidery Thread Detail Insert your needle through the centre point of your seams and bring it back out in the centre of the other side. Bring it all the way back around the front, following one of your seam lines, and push your needle back in and out through the same points again.

Completing Embroidery Thread Detail Pull the thread a little bit taut so it separates the quarters of the cushion, and is sitting nicely on your seam line. Repeat the process, changing the direction of the thread each time until you have the 4 seams done.

Finishing Embroidery Thread Detail After you have done the last seam and your needle comes out the back, push it in through the centre point at the back and up through the centre point of the front. The back (bottom) should look like this:

Adding a Button Use the tail of your embroidery thread to attach a button to the top of your pin cushion. Sew the button in place by a few stitches up and down through the centre to secure.

Finishing Your Pin Cushion When you are done, take a stitch or two to secure at the back. Clip the thread where it comes through the fabric and stretch out your fabric to make the thread disappear into the pincushion.

Awesome Work!