Handmade Pin Cushion with Embroidery

When the calendar for the Int’l Bloggers Club said linen, I knew exactly the little piece of linen I wanted to use. I scored a vintage piece of linen at a garage sale its not quite large enough to create a linen bag, so I have it stashed to make some sewing notions out of it.  The Internation Bloggers Club gave me the incentive to start, so today’s post is how to make a DIY Pin Cushion with embroidery.

The pincushion has two parts, the linen embroidered top and a fabric covered jar bottom.  This way you can use the pin cushion as a small sewing kit.  So handy if you don’t sew often, or if you’re like me and live in a three-story, where you want a few sewing goodies stored together while you craft something in front of the TV.

The container is a leftover hair treatment jar that I washed out.  You can use any plastic jar that is a size that you like.  I suggest getting the jar first so you can decide the size of embroidery pattern you need to make for the top.

Small jar with lid

Small piece of linen

Clip art, carbon paper

Embroidery needle, small scissors, small embroidery hoop

Embroidery cotton

Hot glue gun, glue

Scrap of pretty fabric

Mod Podge, small brush

Adding Embroidery to the Pin Cushion

For the pattern, I didn’t use an actual embroidery pattern but clipart,  Linen is such a vintage fabric that I chose to embroider it with a  vintage sewing machine pattern.    Here is the link so you can purchase the same or (not an affiliate link).  You can also find free clipart and use that instead, I suggest a sewing machine, needle, and thread, a dressmaker frame outline, or scissors.

Once you have your pattern trace it onto your linen using carbon paper.  To do this sandwich a piece of carbon paper between the linen and the clipart.  Trace the outline.

To embroider the vintage sewing machine you will need 4 colours of embroidery thread, blue, soft pink, soft green, and grey.

Outline all the lines on the sewing machine using a simple back stitch.  There is a little bit of satin stitch on the heart shape, and the simple leaves are a single lazy daisy stitch.  It embroiders very quickly, I did mine while watching a movie.

The picture shows you the placement of the colours and stitches.

Pin Cushion Top

Center the top of the jar you’re using over the embroidered sewing machine motif, draw a circle two inches wider than the jar top and cut out.

Make a small rolled seam all around the edge of the circle.  You want to do this as neatly as possible but you will be covering it with lace, so you don’t need to be too fussy with the stitches, just make sure the edge is finished well.

Apply glue to the top and push on some polyester stuffing.    Press in place.

Iron the embroidered linen to remove any wrinkles.  Starting at one side attach a portion of linen to the top.  Then attach a little on the opposite side.  Continue adhering the fabric to the lid until its fully covered and attached all the way around.

My first plan was to crochet a simple border around the edge of the pincushion linen top, but it didn’t look right once I placed it on the bottom portion.   I removed the thin crocheted edge and replace it with a one-inch wide length of cotton lace.

Pin Cushion Bottom

The bottom of the jar is just fabric wrapped around the plain jar.  The bottom of my jar is round with a flat bottom and a smaller neck.    I could have used mod podge and strips of fabric to cover it, but I wanted a softer look to match the linen top.

Start by making a fabric circle. To find the size, measure your jar, start at the top rim, around the bottom of the jar, then up the other side to the top of the second rim.  (12″), add an inch (13″) Fold your fabric in half so you have a folded edge.  Using a string or pipe cleaner and a piece of chalk. Attach the chalk to one end.  Measure back half the measurement of the jar (6.5″). Place one end of the string in the center and make an arch using the chalk to draw a circle.

Cut out the fabric,  fold it in quarters, find the center point and mark it with chalk. Place your container over the center mark and confirm your cut fabric circle is large enough.

Using mod podge paint the bottom and the outside rim of your jar.

Its a challenge to neatly wrap the fabric around the spherical and flat shape of the bottom of the jar.  This is how I did it.

Fold one side of the fabric up and over the jar.  Make sure the bottom and top are attached with the mod podge.  Repeat on the other side.  You will have two excess flaps of fabric.

Make sure to coat the inside ridge of the jar with mod podge.  Starting at one side fold little pleats as close to the same size as possible, fold each pleat over the top before creating the next pleat.  Repeat until the fabric is tight against the jar.   You may find that there is excess fabric on the inside of the jar, or that it’s not perfectly smooth.  We will fix that soon.

Repeat with the other side.

Once you have all the fabric folded around the jar, work on the inside, clipping off any excess fabric.  Take off an edge that needs trimming, apply more mod podge between the folds and reattach.   I had to fix two spots.

I thought the extra length of the linen would completely cover the seam where the pieces fit together but the edge stuck out to much instead of flowing down the jar.  Leaving the top on it own was something I considered because the top portion was actually really cute.   The problem was I wanted a little sewing organizer that I could take with me to hold the thread, a needle, and maybe some pins as well.   To finish the little sewing container I removed the crochet edge and replaced it with a small length 1-inch wide ribbon.

To add the ribbon I put the jar together and with a hot glue gun, I glued along the outer edge making sure the top of the ribbon adhered well, and that the ribbon laid downwards nice and straight.

International Bloggers Posts all about Linen/Silk

Enjoy the creativity of my blogging friends.  Our styles are widely different and I love seeing what they create on the same topics as I do.  Enjoy!