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"Let's be cheerful"! We have no more right to steal the brightness out of the day for our own family than we have to steal the purse of a stranger. Let us be as careful that our homes are furnished with pleasant & happy thoughts as we are that the rugs are the right color and texture & the furniture comfortable and beautiful"! Laura Ingalls Wilder

Thursday, June 9, 2011

groovy pincushion



A couple of months ago the girls were given a hand-me-down shirt that neither of them were interested in wearing.  The print is fun so I decided to keep it for the fabric.  It has a geometric design that lent itself well to this pincushion idea I had seen.  I didn't have a pattern but it was simple enough to figure out.






First I cut two circles using a drinking glass as a template.  I made sure to center the pattern.  Next I stitched them right sides together on my sewing machine using a shallow zig zag so the fabric wouldn't fray.  I left about a 3/4" opening for stuffing.  Using an unsharpened pencil I turned it right side out.

Next I stuffed it with bamboo fill and stitched the opening shut.  Usually I don't like the final steps of a project... the finish, but this one is great.  It takes just minutes.  Using crochet cotton thread (or embroidery thread) I stitched through the middle, around and back up through 6 times, tugging gently after each stitch to create a flower shape.  Now I sewed the button on and knotted at the back.  I could have been finished like this but decided to go down, then up through the button one more time, tying the long tails in a bow and double knotting so it wouldn't untie.








Voila!  This is a happy edition to my sewing box.  I cut out several so I hope somebodies aren't looking...


Joining Natural Suburbia's Creative Friday
Blessings, Debbie

38 comments:

  1. Very, very cute! I love the groovy pin cushion! But I loved the groovy shirt too! Remember when such was simply the cat's meow? LOL!

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  2. Like Wow Man, that is one far out pin cushion! I actually think that is something I can make! Debbie, I hope you and your beautiful family have
    a wonderful weekend.
    PS- I hope you still want to play as I enjoy our "visits". {next Thurday is carrot day..sorry!}

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  3. I love to figure out ways to use remnants of fabric too pretty to give away and often create those remnants from discarded clothes. I wouldn't have thought of this, and I think it is really fantastic! To me, this is a marketable idea. I really love it.

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  4. Psychedelic! Love that fabric:@) I have to chuckle because I find some new fabrics so flimsy that I look at old shirts at yard sales or the Salvation Army to use for projects. Happy Weekend!

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  5. What a cute idea. So glad you saved the shirt. It was way too groovy to be tossed aside unused in any way...good save!

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  6. I enjoyed this so much, I will now think twice before throwing a used garment away. You did a beautiful job, thanks so much for sharing.Enjoy your weekend.
    Sue

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  7. Pretty cute! I love working with those crazy paisley patterns. Depending on how you cut it out, the design changes. They are like kaleidoscopes.

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  8. The print is perfect and so pretty! You are quite clever making a pin cushion :D

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  9. Yes, this pincusion is certainly groovy...and cute, cute, cute! So now who's clever? :-D
    My daughters grab old clothing to use in making yo-yos...the bag doesn't go to Goodwill until they've all had a peek!

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  10. Ohhhh I LOVE it! I have been really wanting to make a pincushion and this is REALLY inspiring. [0= Sounds like a fun week end kind of project. (( light bulb coming on [o= ))

    Thanks for sharing
    Blessings!
    -Mary

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  11. Very cute! Love the fabric (in small doses)!

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  12. Love it! So cute. And that fabric is really nice as a pin cushion. :)

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  13. That is one cute pincushion! I agree with Debbie, this is a marketable item. xo,

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  14. Very cute, I love the fabric too. I didn't know they were so easy so guess what I am going to make.:)

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  15. So cute! I have several friends who sew...maybe I'll make them a surprise! :-)

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  16. Very cute!
    You won my giveaway of the little tins :)
    email me!
    pcovington270@bellsouth.net

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  17. Chuckling. Oh - paisley - how I remember thee. This is a clever project, and the results are VERY satisfying. I think I'm falling in love with pin cushions. My problem with Quilting was always its long term nature - and huge space commitment. Which is why I tended to do wall hangings. And the occasional appliqued pillow case - which is VEVY fun. And I don't knit clothes - all those rows and rows of sameness - I like shape and personality. Now, with Spargo's wild imagination, and your delightful design, I'm thinking pin cushions. Which COULD turn into Christmas ornaments.

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  18. Love your new pincushion Debbie. They look very easy to make. I'm still using my red tomato pincushion from about 40 some years ago. I don't even remember when I bought it, it's that old. I've had it for so long and it has served me well all these years. I think that you can't have too many pincushions though. JB

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  19. How cute and creative are you!!!! I love the colors...those bright colors are what I am going to use in my new temporary house...something that is cheerful and makes me smile. You are inspiring!

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  20. I have a similar one that was given to me when I was a young bride. Now that's a long time ago! Now I finally know how to make one. Love the idea about the Christmas tree ornaments. Maa.

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  21. Dear Debbie,

    I love it! It reminds me of the shirts I wore back in my Monkees-crazy days!

    Love,

    Marqueta

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  22. Thanks for stopping by my blog:-) Love the colors in your pin cushion. I have made a few of these too but put a yo yo fabric in the middle with a button, those that got them as gifts loved them.
    Blessings,
    Suzanne

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  23. Wow. Now that's just the type of crafting that eludes me. Beautiful and purposeful! Sell 'em!

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  24. Debbie,
    Great pincushion. I love creating things from whatever is on hand. The trouble oomes in when I have "stuff" from this and that and it never gets used for anything! Good intentions and all that. I do paper crafts and lately my daughter and I made book marks from velvet ribbon and jewelry finds.

    ~Jean

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  25. Love your pincushion...and mine, which is made from the same pattern. I won a give-away at A Haven for Vee's blog several years ago...and a pin cushion made by Vee was part of the package that arrived. Thanks for including instructions!

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  26. How cute is that!
    Thanks for stopping by Dreaming.
    Come by anytime.

    Who knows you never know when the opportunity to meet fellow bloggers will come by. Keep looking.

    Melinda

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  27. I have never made a pin cushions -- It doesn't look hard - I'll see -- and when I do I'll make a few too.. thanks for the ideas and the infor,,

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  28. Now, how adorable is that??!! I love it. I do the same thing with cast-off clothes: save for fabric. Ahhh, the things we do for love...of crafting. :)

    Thanks for the encouragment recently. Means a lot! Lynn AMothersJournal

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  29. Very groovy and easy. Love it!! Clarice

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  30. what a great way to recycle that shirt! very cute pincushion.

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  31. Fun! Super cute pincushion! Once it's cut up into smaller pieces the fabric looks really great!

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  32. I am going to try to make this today! Thank you so much for sharing your how to's. [0=

    Will post pics if I get it done.

    Blessings and ((HUGS))
    -Mary

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  33. I don't think I've ever told you how much I ogle this little pincushion... it's so adorable. And easy. It's looks very easy to do.

    I must..

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