Getting Started

Take time to stuff your pincushions carefully—using small bits of stuffing for a smoother fill. Use the eraser end of a pencil, which will grip the stuffing nicely to scoot it around just where you need it in corners and hard-to-reach places. Or, use a chopstick, a knitting needle (see figure 1), the blunt end of scissors, or any long, thin, pointed (but not too pointed) tool you have. Fill gently but firmly, and don’t overstuff, or your pincushion will be bursting at the seams.

When you sew a pincushion inside out, all of the material in the seam allowance on a curve will bunch together when turned right side out. To help it find its own space and lay flat, snip about two-thirds of the way into the seam allowance in several places on the curve. This allows the fabric to overlap slightly where it was snipped and results in a smoother curve and seam on the right side (see figure 2).

The same is true of the fabric on a corner. When turned right side out, it will fold on itself to try to fit into the close confines of the corner. Before turning right side out, clip straight across the corner of the seam allowance, halfway between the stitching and the corner of the fabric. (Don’t cut too close to the stitching, or it will weaken the corner and be the first place to burst open under pressure.)

If you want, you can sew one face on the front of your pincushion and another on the back—then rotate your cushion daily to fit your mood.