Thursday 25 March 2010

pincushion trials and tribulations!

My mission for wednesday
was to make a pincushion

i had the idea in my head
i was in the mood for making
so off i went to my craft room to get to work



after a quick rummage through my
vintage embroidered linen cloths
i found this tray cloth
i used a large embroiderey hoop
to select the section i wanted
marked out a circle and cut it out

i then made a suffolk puff
but didn't pull the threads tight

then i made another the same size
with a plain linen napkin



i filled the plain puff with a LOT of polyester stuffing
next i pulled the threads tight - very tight

*POP*
oops that was too tight and the thread just wasn't up to it so it snapped under the pressure



feeling slightly annoyed i re-did the puff with stronger thread
and tied it up as tight as i could
whilst wishing i had an extra pair of hands to help



i popped the plain stuffed puff into the embroidered one so that the hole was on top under the embroidered linen and stitched a vintage dorset button on to the outer puff and a plastic button onto the plain puff pulling nice and tight to get a nice dimple in the middle

hmmm anyone else thinking this is all rather over complicated?


then i pulled in the threads
to finish the puff and tied them off


okay so it does looks quite pretty
but at the end of the day it's wasting the plain napkin 'cause no-one can see it.
So i left it on the side and cracked on with making another version which i'm not going to show
as it's for a swap ;op


********
After working on the secret pincushion and having learned from some of my previous mistakes, i came back to this one and decided NO i don't like it and dismantled it!
That plain area NEEDS something i thought
so i got out a hoop and sewed on this little phrase that's been going round and round my head
it seems very familiar {not the words themself as i know they are song lyrics} and i'm worried i may have lifted the idea from someone else
but i've no idea where the inspiration came from?


the pin marks the spot for a button
to give a nice middle dimple


dimpled!
i used the plain green stuffed puff for the inside again with them placed in opposite directions so the button sits nicely in the hole off the puff, i didn't bother with a button on the bottom as it's a real faff trying to get the needle through the holes of both buttons and it was nice to see the green showing through the puff-hole!

The lettering's a bit distorted where it got stretched
for the dimple but it's only for me so hey-ho!


For some reason i always seem to over-complicate what should really be a simple project, everytime i take part in a swap i make twice as many things as i need because i can't work out how to make something and have to make several prototypes!!!

Now i've got a couple of different pincushions under my belt, i think i may make a few for the shops
do you think they would sell?

12 comments:

CC said...

I think it's adorable..and works three ways for me..all things I happen to love. I love vintage linens, I love embroidery and I love,love pincushions. So you see...I think it's the sweetest little cushion and I love it..and yes,I think they would sell.

Vintage to Victorian said...

I'm sure they'd sell. It looks lovely. I have such a stash of embroidered traycloths etc which I keep thinking I'll use for "a project" but I never seem to get round to actually doing anything.

However, I'm hoping to give myself a bit more time this year to be creative, so maybe I'll come up with a good idea for them soon!

Clever, and very saleable!

Sue x

Apryl said...

I think it looks lovely, and I totally know what you mean about having an idea in your head and the trail and error of making that imagined item become real. it looks lovely and you should be proud of it... I wonder though if you could make a smaller puff and sew that ontop of a filled puff instead of one inside the other? more sewing I guess but the imagine in my head is nice. and yes I definitly think they will sell.

Clare said...

They are so cute, I'm sure they'd sell, I'd want one! x

Bunny said...

It is adorable I love it.

gtlady said...

I tink its fab, love the embroidery showing, the faded colours and your little verse, great use for a napkin that would otherwise never be seen!

Suzanne Vaughan said...

Yes, they would sell. I am in the same position in that I made one pincushion and am making a spare, in case I can do something better [rolls eyes]. Why are we never happy with what we do?!

Bigbluebed said...

I think that lots of great htings happen through trial and error.

Yours turned out lovely. And how nice to see a Dorset Button.

Lalabibaby @ Dreaming of The Simple Life said...

Lovely a woman after my own heart .... found your blog via UK handmade and so pleased to see someone else giving a new lease of life to a vintage textile. The embroidery just adds the finishing touch and I'm sure they would sell in your shop.

Izabela said...

hey of course they would sell, make more because they are all so original and unusual

I really liked your story! love reading your blog :)

JuicyFig said...

It turned out really well! I love it when vintage embroidery gets re-used, after al the work the maker put into it!

Kath
x

Al said...

Success, Fantastic!