Hand sewing a vintage Forget-Me-Not pin cushion

Yesterday, I made a vintage looking scissor case to go along with my vintage gold finished Klassé Stork Embroidery Scissors. In keeping with that theme and a week of having fun with felt, today I’m showing how to make a vintage inspired Forget-Me-Not Pin Cushion with Kunin Rainbow Classic Felt, DMC Embroidery Floss and some tiny beads.

I’m calling it vintage inspired because it reminds me of a pin cushion my great grandmother (a consummate quilter & stitcher) had in her bedroom. Lots of tiny flowers and lots of tiny detail but you be the judge.

• Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt – royal blue, bright yellow, white, light blue, pink, lavender and green
• DMC Embroidery Floss – lavender, pink, light blue-green and yellow
• Free Downloadable Pattern Available Here
• UNIQUE Crewel/Embroidery Needles size 3-9
• UNIQUE Sewing Pearl Head Pins
• Klassé Quilting Flat Head Pins
• KAI Embroidery Scissors
• Hi-Tak No-Sew Fabric Glue
• Fairfield Poly-Fil Premium Polyester Fiber Fill
• Fairfield Poly-Fil Poly-Pellets
• UNIQUE Sewing Permanent Marking Pen – Black
• DMC Floss Bobbins (optional)
• template plastic or card stock
• beads (optional)
• sewing scissors
• wavy rotary cutter or pinking sheers (optional)
• tweezers (optional)

1.  Download the pattern for the Forget-Me-Not Pin Cushion available here.

2. Cut (2) 3″ diameter circles from royal blue Kunin Rainbow Classic Felt for top and bottom of pincushion.

3. Cut a length of blue felt 11½” x 3″.

Note: I cut mine out wrong the first time and had to add some length to it, but it’ll be embellished so you can’t see this error. I always say “the more detail you put into a project, the less you’ll see errors”.

4. Using the free pattern download, cut out pieces of flowers and leaves as shown. Cut out 2 sizes of forget-me-not flowers in blue (several or as many as you think you need). Cut out centers in white, lavender and pink blossoms, leaves, and stems in green from Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt.

TIP I cut these felt pieces out with KAI 7100 Embroidery Scissors as they have a crisp sharp edge and a sharp precise point, they worked great with felt. If you need to cut tiny pieces of felt, these are fantastic and very helpful.

5. Cut out a length of stem 11″ long x approximately ¼” – ⅜” wide with either a wavy rotary blade or pinking shears. Cut out some leaves and flowers as well for the sides of the pincushion as shown.

6. Glue the white centers to the forget-me-not flowers with Hi-Tak No-Sew Fabric Glue as shown.

7. Use the Hi-Tak No-Sew Fabric Glue to glue flowers and the stem on the side piece for the pincushion as shown. Use the glue sparingly and strategically so you can also sew with DMC Embroidery Floss in green on the stem. Add French knots to the centers in yellow and glue a tiny bead in gold in the center.

8. Glue all-white centers for the forget-me-nots with Hi-Tak No-Sew Fabric Glue for the top of the pincushion and start auditioning the layout of the vines and flowers as shown.

9. Embroider the flowers with french knots in yellow for the centers, French knots in the background for texture and interest, a running stitch on the vines and blossoms, and glue beads to the center of the flowers using Hi-Tak No-Sew Fabric Glue.

I used DMC Embroidery Floss in shades of green, yellow, pink, lavender, and light blue as shown.

TIP It’s really helpful before starting on an embroidery project to wind the floss onto DMC Floss Bobbins so it’s easier to unwind the floss as you work preventing frustrating tangling.

10. Sew the side piece at the short end. right sides together with a ¼” seam allowance. This can be done by hand or machine as long as it’s a strong seam.

11. Sew the bottom to the side piece using a blanket stitch by hand using 3 strands of DMC Embroidery Floss in royal blue to match the felt.

12. Using a measuring cup, pour ½ cup of Poly-Fil Poly-Pellets into the bottom of the pincushion.

TIP If you use a measuring cup, it helps to avoid spilling.

13. Top up the pincushion with Poly-Fil Premium Polyester Fiber Fill as shown, stuffing it as full as it can be without distorting the pincushion.

14. Sew the top to the pincushion using a blanket stitch with 3 strands DMC Embroidery Floss in Royal Blue.  Use pins to secure as you go if necessary. Also, add more stuffing if necessary and enclose all stuffing within the top. The pincushion should be fairly firm but not distorted.

Enjoy the fruits of your labor. You now have a pretty place to store all your pretty pins and needles.

Thanks for stopping by today and following along with this Forget-Me-Not pin cushion project. If you make one, be sure to post a photo on your IG or Facebook page of your Forget-Me-Not pin cushion using #TheSewGoesOn. We’d love to see it!

Join me tomorrow when I show how to make a really practical, quick, and easily folded travel needle kit using Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt with a really unique technique for a floral felt embellishment.