the pincushion saga

Sooo,

I was thinking far to hard and lusting after yet another purl bee project that looks ever so easy to pull off (for normal people that is) when I came across this tutorial for a "very easy" pincushion.

So I proceeded to try and f-it up as much as possible by not following the directions and winging bits of it here and there. Logical for a Gemini.

I found my un-ironed fabric, threw a small but clean dinner plate on top of it and cut around the plate with my scissors to make a nice jagged edge.

Next, I turned under the fabric and began stitching with my weak cotton thread (totally not recommended by purl bee). I made nice short stitches in an attempt to duplicate a running stitch instead of longer and wider ones all the way around.

I sat on the couch thinking goodness how nice it is to hand-sew something, make it myself ya know etc, etc..... blah, blah blah.

So I yank the yarn when finished, pull the thread taught and decide to stuff the inside with what else wool (purl bee highly recommends cotton here)

I stuff, pull, stuff and pull and then snap (visualize weak thread breaking here) and poof - the above becomes this:

%#^%

So, I decide to try again, using new, stronger thead, and cotton, like purl bee said from the get go. And wouldn't ya know it worked. Why all be!!

Next, I decided to add the little wool topper. I cut what wool I had before-hand, so of course it doesn't fit the opening now, why would it?

Out of wool, I decide to ad lib. I cross 2 pieces one over the other to make a hideous x on top of my pumpkin instead of a nice round leaf-like circle. Very nice and pirate like. It clashes extremely well with the gold and chocolate cotton fabric that I have cherished for months now.

It could work, it could look good, or eclectic, or half-assed. Or it could just kinda look.

Ah well. It looks pretty from underneath.

Comments

[Nancy]

omg. you are too funny. i had exactly the same experience making an "easy" tomato pincushion from an MS Living craft article last year sometime. i cursed the entire time I was making it, and it turned out horrible and lumpy and sucky. i threw it away when I moved.

despite the frustrating experience, I have to say that yours actually looks great! especially with your coordinated blue and yellow pins all lit up by the sun!

[Leslie]

Sometimes the "simple" projects become the trickiest! It's cute, though.

[Julia]

I think it's cute and I love the pins!

[Julie]

Keep making more and they do look better. I've hidden (thrown away) my first attempts at similar pin cushions.