Pincushions & More

Use up your scraps with these fourteen attractive and highly giftable pincushions.  The “and more” refers to three needlebooks, all guaranteed to make sewing even more fun. 

As this is part of a quilting series several projects make use of quilting and patchwork skills, but many others just require some basic sewing experience.  Everything is rated either beginner or confident beginner, so despite the professional appearance of many pieces none is too difficult to tackle for an improver.  The ability to work small is essential, as is a stash of scraps of fabric, felt, odd buttons and other embellishments.  The latter in particular is something all needlecrafters easily amass and here is a great way of using some of it up.  There are no staged photographs here but some useful diagrams showing key steps; all the measurements are imperial as this is an American book.  All projects have a list of materials, a cutting list and instructions as well as a finished size, large photograph of the item in situ and where necessary block patterns.  Turn to the center and you will find all the patterns; elsewhere there are handy diagrams for embroidery stitches and a useful guide to stuffing options. The pincushions are all lovely and ideal as gifts if you can bear to part with them.  Choose from basic shapes, a biscornu, animals including a turtle (my favorite), bee, cat and mouse, flowers and even a Christmas tree.  The needlebooks are a chicken, dog and cat.  A user friendly book that shows how much can be done with scraps, odd items and a modicum of sewing experience.

-- Rachel Hyde * myshelf.c