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.
Forget-Me-Not pin cushion using Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt and DMC Embroidery Floss.
My floral inspiration, an actual close up of a forget-me-not flower
materials
- 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)
Materials needed to make Forget-Me-Not pin cushion
How to make the Forget-Me-Not pin cushion
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.
Cut 2-3″ circles from Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt 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”.
11½” long x 3″ wide piece of Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt in royal blue for the sides of the pincushion
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.
KAI 7100 Embroidery Scissors. The blade is made of high-carbon stainless steel that ensures a sharp cut, all-the-way to the tip.
Felt pieces of flowers, buds, centers, stems, and leaves cut out ready to applique.
Cut out with Kai Embroidery Scissors.
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.
Flowers, stem, and leaves cut out for the side of pin cushion from Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt.
6. Glue the white centers to the forget-me-not flowers with Hi-Tak No-Sew Fabric Glue as shown.
Center of flowers glued with Hi-Tak No-Sew Glue
Hi-Tak No-Sew Fabric Glue used to applique flowers to the pincushion
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.
Use Hi-Tak No-Sew fabric glue to glue flowers and the stem on the side piece of pincushion
Running stitch on the stem in green and french knots on the centers. Embroidered with DMC Embroidery Floss and beads glued to the center of the forget-me-not flowers.
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.
Auditioning and placing vines, leaves, and flowers. Centers have been glued with Hi-Tak No-Sew Fabric Glue.
Auditioning and placing vines, leaves and flowers cut from Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt. Centers have been glued with Hi-Tak No-Sew Fabric Glue.
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.
DMC Embroidery Floss assortment used on the Forget-Me-Not pin cushion, KAI Embroidery Scissors and DMC Floss Bobbins ready to get threads organized.
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.
Floss wound onto DMC Floss Bobbins prevents less tangles as you work.
DMC Floss Bobbins, great for storing and organizing embroidery floss. Prevents tangling while working on projects.
The top of the pincushion is completely appliqued with Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt and embroidered with DMC Embroidery Floss.
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.
The bottom is sewn to the side piece using a blanket stitch by hand using 3 strands of DMC Embroidery Floss
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.
Poly-Fil Poly-Pellets ready to be poured into the bottom of the pincushion
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.
Stuffing the pincushion with Poly-fil Premium Polyester Fiber Fill.
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.
Stuffing the pincushion with Poly-Fil Premium Polyester Fiber Fill and blanket stitching the top closed
Enjoy the fruits of your labor. You now have a pretty place to store all your pretty pins and needles.
Forget-Me-Not pin cushion to store Klassé Flat Flower Head Pins and UNIQUE Sewing Pearl Head Pins.
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.