During the 15Th century, metal pins were very expensive, and thus were usually stored in fine cases. During the Tudor Era, however, it became a common practice to use fancy cushions. Later, during the Victorian Era, parlor rooms were all the rage, and the goal of the typical housewife was to stuff it full of opulent clutter. Pincushions began to come in fancy shapes, such as fans, dolls, shoes, fruits, and vegetables. These cushions were displayed on tables and hung from walls. In the 1800's they began to be mass-produced, and the tomato proved to be the easiest to assemble because of its simple design. Apart from that, the different segments proved useful in separating and sorting pins of different lengths and thicknesses. Now the tomato is still in use because it has become iconic of the entire sewing community.
Well as you can see, that wasn't really helpful, however I did learn that there is a Sewing Community. It's sounds like fun. I picture a bunch of fluffy chairs and old ladies faithfully sewing doll dresses for their grand kids, or maybe perhaps sewing jackets for penguins effected by an oil spill somewhere off the Arctic coast lines. Either way, it sounds like loads of fun.
However when it comes to my personal sewing kit, it's a pink faux crocodile zipper box from Clinique that Cindy threw my way. This thing is way to funky to have some rattly old tomato cramping it's style. So I came up with my own design for a pin cushion. Something "hep"
and weird. Something you would see in a box like this. Something like a Sushi roll. I occasionally browse Donna Downey's Website, she does this amazing art with things people wouldn't look at and say "Now that's art", like her Fabrics\ scrapbook. I figured, hey, if she can make a scrap book from fabric. I can make a sushi roll a pin cushion. So I headed off to walmart as this was around 10pm one night and the craft stores were closed.Ten minutes later I had this very stylish pin cushion (I'm sure you agree)
As you read above, these things are generally filled with sawdust. I didn't use saw dust, I didn't have any lying around, I'm pretty sure Martha Stewart hasn't dreamed of selling it in her craft supplies and I'm serious not going out to buy me a bag of saw dust. I needed this project to be cheap, actually I was strangling the last five dollars of my crafts budget to satisfy my needs. All it took was a few things I had lying around the house and of course a few pieces of felt.
To do this project you will need:[001] 1 Piece each of Black, pink and white felt
[002] 1 Pack Lime green Rick Rack
[003] 2 Buttons one in white, the other green
[004] Contrasting colors of Embroidery thread
[005] Hot glue gun and glue sticks
[006] Scissors
[007] Sewing needles
[008] A tube the size you would like your sushi roll to be. (I used a candle holder)
[008] Stuffing (Fiberfill or an old throw pillow's fluff)
Then we make the sushi roll.
[001] Trace the circle pattern on to the white felt. Cut them out and set aside.
[002] Cut out two amoeba shapes from the pink felt about half the size of the white circles.. Set aside.
[003] Wrap your tube in the black felt and measure where the two ends meet. Mark and cut off excess felt. Once cut out, Thread embroidery floss into a sewing needle and crazy stitch up the side relatively tightly. (Crazy stitch is for when people don't know how to sew by hand) Turn right side out.
[005] Sew a running stitch just on the inside of the pink felt with a contrasting color or embroidery floss. Hot glue the finished pink felt to the white felt circles. Sew on buttons to each white circle. (put a Little hot glue behind the put once sewn on to make sure they stay put. Crazy stitch the white circles onto the ends of the tube, leaving a one inch hole in the last circle.
[006] Stuff the inside of your sushi roll with pillow stuffing. (I always recycle my tired throw pillows this way). Once fully stuffed sew up the opening in the sushi roll. Then using your hot glue gun apply the green rick rack.
[007] Shove it full of straight pins and enjoy your wacky new pin cushion.
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This is a really cute idea. I'm suprised you didn't do a cupcake.
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