A different kind of SWAP

This one's an actual "swap"! Over at NanaPennyPockets, I joined the Valentine's Day Swap, just because it sounded like fun. These ladies do a lot of heirloom & smocking & home dec stuff...mainly machine embroidery. I don't do too much of that type of sewing any longer (no time!) but the swap sounded like fun so I thought what the hey! They did a great apron swap in the fall that I wish I had joined.

I was inspired by the pincushions that Rebecca over at Studio*Bijou posted a month ago or so. Here's my sweet V-Day version:
The Swap is anonymous until all have received their goodies, but my swap-ee won't be reading this blog, so I'm safe. :D I used a variety of vintage-look red & pink prints and patchworked them in a random sort of pattern. I embellished the patchwork with decorative stitches. I don't use those enough!! No pattern was used, but it was super easy to make. Here's a picture-less tutorial.

First I cut 2-3" by 8-9" strips of 3 fabrics. Then I arranged those in a pretty manner, cutting a few in half lengthwise & stitching to add an offset patch here or there. I stitched 3 strips together to make a 9 x 9 square (approx.) Repeat, so that you have two 9 x 9 patchwork squares. I grabbed a saucer out of the kitchen to use as a template and traced a circle with my blue washout marker on each square. Move the plate around until the patches look their best!

Before cutting out the circles, I added rickrack, velvet ribbon, lace, and rosebud trim. I also added decorative stitching using Madeira rayon thread and a light tearaway stabilizer for support. After all the decorative stitching is finished, cut out the circles.

Stitch right sides together, leaving a bit open for turning, Turn and Stuff firmly. Slipstitch the opening closed. Now for the hard part. You need to make the "indent" in the center...and the webs that pull in the cute scalloped indentions in the cushion sides. I started in the center and took a few stitches front to back then front again, pulling as tight as possible, knotting off every couple of stitches to keep it secure. Then I changed over to pink floche, using 3 strands. Come up through the center and wrap around the cushion to the bottom, coming back through the center to the front. Pull tight. Repeat on opposite side, then repeat perpendicular to this stiching, forming a "T" . I changed to red floche and stitched the same process again, between the previous pink stitching, giving me 8 "scallops" .

Almost done! Just decorating stuff now!! I stitched a vintage red button on the bottom of the cushion to hide the knots, but hot gluing a button would be easier & probably work just as well! I hot glued tiny red daisy petals in the center of the top, adding a pretty bead to the center. I finished the whole thing off with a little bling bling from my Kandi hotfix wand & aurora borealis crystals. Voila! Pretty Valentine Pincushion!!

Have a great weekend! :)

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