Posy Pincushions

Designer: Alma Allen

For oval pincushion:

• 9x11" piece pink print
• 9x11" piece fusible interfacing
• 3-1/2x1-1/2" oval kraft paper box

For round pincushion:

• 10" square green print
• 10" square fusible interfacing
• 2-3/4x3" round kraft paper box

For both pincushions:

• Acrylic paint: off-white or cream
• 2--2x10" pieces decorative paper
• 2 each of 1/4x4" and 1/4x10" pieces green-and-white check ribbon
• 2--1-3/8x10" pieces 1-1/2"-wide rickrack: green
• Small sponge brush
• Fine-grit sandpaper
• Pinking shears
• Bookbinding glue
• Paste wax: light brown
• Soft cloth
• Tacky glue
• Heavy-duty sewing thread
• Crafts sand
• Polyester fiberfill

Finished pincushions: 3-1/2x3x3" (oval); 2-3/4x4-1/2" (round)

Quantities are for 100% cotton fabrics.

Click on "Download this Project" to download the pincushion patterns.

1. Lay fusible interfacing, fusing side down, over oval and circle patterns. Use a pencil to trace each pattern once. Cut out interfacing shapes roughly 1/4" outside traced lines.

2. Following manufacturer's instructions, press oval and circle interfacing shapes onto wrong sides of designated fabrics; let cool. Cut out fabric shapes on drawn lines.

1. Remove lid from oval box; set it aside for another use. Paint outside of oval box with two coats of acrylic paint using the sponge brush, allowing it to dry after each application. Using fine-grit sandpaper, sand box until some of the original kraft paper is visible.

2. Measure around outside of box to determine circumference. Using pinking shears, cut a strip of decorative paper 1/2" wide by circumference plus 1/4" for overlap. Center and glue 10"-long ribbon over paper strip. Adhere strip around box 1/4" from bottom edge using bookbinding glue.

3. Lightly coat outside of box with light brown paste wax; let dry. Buff box with soft cloth.

4. Run a thin line of tacky glue around inside top edge of box. Referring to photo, press a piece of 1-3/8x10" green rickrack into the line of glue so that half the rickrack shows above the box edge.

5. Referring to Oval Pattern, use heavy-duty thread and a running stitch to sew around pink print interfaced oval 1/4" from outer edge. Gently pull thread tails to gather oval until diameter is about 3".

6. Fill oval halfway with crafts sand. Stuff fiberfill into opening until full. Whipstitch opening closed.

7. Stuff fiberfill into bottom of painted box. Mold stuffed fabric oval to fit into the box; remove. Run a line of tacky glue around inside of box below rickrack edge; return stuffed oval to box.

8. Repeat steps 1–8 to make a second pincushion using round box and green print interfaced circle.