A pincushion of convenience

I recently made this handy little pincushion as I was sick of hunting everywhere for mine and I need something super close to my workspace without getting buried underneath all the garment pieces from whatever I happen to be making at the time. Plus look at my sad cushion I had before.

I thought I would share with you how I made it in case you want your very own handy pincushion:

First cut out two pieces of fabric to desired size, plus seam allowances and allow some room for "puffing up" once filled.  Mine were 12cm x 9cm (or 4"x3").  I pinked the edges of mine to avoid fraying.

On the right side of one piece, sew a length of ribbon in place taking care to leave space for the seam allowance.  The ribbon needs to be long enough to reach around the sewing machine and tie in a bow (approx .5m or 1/2 yard).

Then place the two fabric pieces right sides together and stitch around the outside leaving an opening for turning and taking care not to catch the ribbon in the sewing.

Trim the corners to remove bulk and turn the pincushion the correct way out.

Stuff the cushion with toy stuffing, or kapock or fabric scraps and sew the opening closed.

Tie the cushion on with a lovely bow (so it can be removed if necessary) and voila - your pins are super handy when you need them!  I would love you to let me know if you make one of these too, or if you have any other handy tips to share about making your own sewing area just right.  Happy sewing!