Lesson #3 Pincushion: Piece & Play
Designer: Jean Wells
About this Technique
To learn more about skinny insert strips, see Piece & Play in American Patchwork & Quilting June 2015.
Materials
• 1-6"-square skinny insert strips piecing unit (pincushion top)
• 1-6"-square print fabric (pincushion back)
• Needle: milliners or straw
• 1 cup crushed walnuts or fiberfill
Finished pincushion: 5-1⁄2" square
Yardage and cutting instructions are based on 42" of usable fabric width.
Measurements include 1⁄4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.
Assemble Pincushion
1. Layer pincushion top and back 6" squares with right sides together; stitch around all edges to make pincushion cover, leaving a 1-1⁄2" opening along one edge for turning. Clip corners; turn right side out. Use a funnel to fill pincushion cover with crushed walnut shells. Or stuff with fiberfill. Slip-stitch opening closed.
2. Turn pincushion facedown. About 1" from a corner, use a milliners needle to take a stitch from the back of the pincushion to the front and return to the back, leaving a 1" thread tail at each end. Tie a double knot on the back of the pincushion to make a dimple. Repeat to make four dimples total to complete pincushion.