Making sew easy, summer fresh felt strawberry pin cushions

Happy Friday! Yesterday I made a travel needle kit and now it’s the end of the week. In light of the fact that it’s Friday, today’s project with Kunin Rainbow Classic Felt is super easy and super fast to complete. Immediate gratification is what Friday is all about after a long week.

Today, I’m making a super cute strawberry pincushion that you’ll find not only summer fresh but also adorable for your sewing room. Embellish it with DMC Embroidery Floss, French knots, beads, buttons, or whatever your heart desires. This project is also a great gift option for a friend or relative who sews. Multiples of these can be made in no time!

• Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt in shades of reds, pinks, greens & white
• DMC Embroidery Floss for seeds and embellishments
• Fairfield Poly-fil Premium Polyester Fiber Fill
• Fairfield Poly-fil Poly-Pellets
• Hi-Tak No-Sew Fabric Glue
• Klassé Quilting Flat Head Pins
• UNIQUE Sewing Crewel Embroidery Needles
• KAI Embroidery Scissors
• Klassé Stork Embroidery Scissors
• UNIQUE Sewing Permanent Marking Pen – black
• template plastic or card stock for circle templates
• machine sewing thread to match.
• sewing Machine (optional as this can be done by hand)
• strawberry basket (optional)
• beads (optional)
• decorative buttons (optional)

1. Make circle templates with card stock and a UNIQUE Sewing Black Permanent Marker in any size you like, mine were 4″, 5″, 7½” and 8½”, based on the plates and bowls in my kitchen.

Note: Every circle will make 2 pincushions.

2. Cut out each template with paper scissors and trace onto a red, pink, or burgundy shade of Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt with the UNIQUE Sewing Black Permanent Marker.

3. Draw a line down the center of each of the felt circles with the UNIQUE Sewing Black Permanent Marker and cut the circles out with KAI Embroidery Scissors. These scissors are fantastic with felt because the blade is made of high-carbon stainless steel that ensures a sharp cut, all-the-way to the tip, and they cut through felt like butter with a clean cut.

4. Fold each half circle of Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt in half along the straight edge, pin with

Klassé Quilting Flat Head Pins and sew the straight edge with a ⅛” seam allowance.

TIP This could be done by hand as well but a double thread is required to make a strong seam.

5. Turn the felt strawberries to the right side. Using 2 strands of thread, a large knot, and a basic sewing needle, add a line of large gathering stitches around the circumference of the top of the strawberry. Keep the thread, needle, and basting stitches in place, for now, a gathering will take place after stuffing. Embellish the outside of the strawberry with DMC Embroidery Floss in gold and French knots to act as seeds or you can also use beads for this purpose as well.

6. Add Poly-fil Poly-Pellets to fill the strawberry ⅓ full. The poly-pellets add weight and stability to the strawberry pincushion so it does not topple over with pins in it.

7. Add Poly-fil Premium Polyester Fiber Fill to top up the Poly-Pellets until the strawberry looks slightly overstuffed. Start to pull the gathering stitches as it’s stuffed and use small bits of fiberfill at a time so there’s even stuffing and no lumps. Poly-fil Polyester Fiber Fill is smooth textured and effective stuffing to help avoid the lumpy look.

8. Stuff the strawberry until it’s stuffed firm but not distorted and then pull on both strands of thread to gather tight. Tie the strands together at the top and knot several times to ensure the thread is secure and cut with Klassé Stork Embroidery Scissors. These scissors are great snips for both machine sewing threads, close appliqué, and embroidery floss as they have very sharp points and a gorgeous gold vintage finish.

9.  Cut out some pieces of green felt (x 2) to simulate leaves at the top of the strawberry and glue them on top of each other with Hi-Tak No-Sew Fabric Glue to cover the gathering threads.

10.  Braid 8″ each of  3 strands each of yellow and green DMC Embroidery floss together, tie a knot at each end and fold in half, baste this with sewing thread to the top of the leaves as shown. This will act as a grabbing loop (you can also attach this to a key chain or ring to attach to a sewing bag for traveling). Sew a button to the top of this through the loop and the leaves to secure.

11. With a UNIQUE Sewing Permanent Marker, draw a strawberry blossom and cut out of white Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt as shown. Secure the white blossom with sewing thread and a bead.

TIP If you don’t have beads you can secure your blossoms with French knots and DMC Embroidery Floss. You can change up the colors of the hanging loop for the strawberry and use all kinds of DMC Embroidery Floss Colors. You can also use beads instead of French knots to simulate seeds. Variety is the spice of life and creativity is never boring.

12. Admire your efforts, many of these can be made at once and why not try making a berry basket full of them! So cute. Also, they make a great traveling pin cushion with the addition of a hanging loop.

I sincerely hope you enjoyed this week’s projects as we immersed ourselves in the world of Kunin Rainbow ClassicFelt and simple embroidery with DMC Embroidery Floss. Look for them both at your local arts, craft and sewing stores. Hopefully, these projects are an inspiration for you to make and take them on your journeys this summer and/or simply beautify a sewing room or two. Don’t forget to share your photos of your projects.

Enjoy a lovely weekend!