Pincushions have been around for centuries and although they may have not been popular in recent years, they are starting to make a huge comeback. I am an avid seamstress and quilter, and the fabric and sewing notion websites I frequent are selling more novelty-type pincushions than ever before. Some of which are very pricey. However, even if you do not sew, and would like to give a pincushion or set of pincushions as a gift for that person in your life who does sew, than here is an inexpensive and easy way to make them using a few recycled materials.
The idea for making pincushions based on ocean creatures came to me from my love of the ocean. You will need the following items:
-Scrap fabric
-Used panty hose (washed)
-Ric-rac
-Coloring book or stencils of ocean creatures
-Fabric glue
-Needle
-Thread
-Assorted sized buttons
-Cardstock
-Pins
-Pencil
-Pincer scissors
Using the cardstock, make several ocean patterns from the coloring book or stencils. You will want to make sure you have a variety of shapes, such as fish, shells and starfish. A simple fish pattern will be used for these instructions.
Fold a piece of scrap material in half, right sides together. Place the fish cardboard pattern on the fabric and trace around it using a pencil. Cut the fish pattern out of both pieces of the fabric using the pincer scissors.
For a striped fish, I will cut pieces of ric-rac to the appropriate length and attach them to the cutout fish using the fabric glue (needle and thread can also be used). Depending on your design, you can attach the ric-rac vertical or horizontally. For this fish, I will apply the ric-rac horizontally.
After attaching the ric-rac, place the wrong sides of the two cut out fabric fish together. Starting at the bottom, glue or stitch around the cut out fish, using an up and down stitch. The stitches do not have to be even, but should be about one-eighth inch long. Attach the fish together all the way around, leaving a one and one-half to two inch gap at the bottom.
Cut the panty hose in small sections. The sections do not have to be even, just small enough to work with.
Stuff the panty hose sections through the bottom opening of the fish, filling it up until you get your desired fullness. Close the opening using the glue or needle and thread.
Sew a small button on each side of the fish for the eyes or you can glue on fake eyes. Sew or glue ric-rac all the way around the edge of the fish to cover the stitching and to add to the embellishments of the fish, or leave as is to add a folk-art look.
You can also glue or sew colored sequences to the fish to resemble scales.
Make remaining ocean pieces in same fashion. Your pincushions are now ready for use.
Source: Fun Stuff
