Pincushion Parade Blog Hop {Scrappy Applique}

Hello and welcome back! Today I have another turn on the Pincushion Parade Blog Hop hosted by DayBrook Designs and am sharing another pincushion idea to use up those fabric scraps. I made this pincushion (and a matching bookmark) for my mom for Mother's Day.

When I recreated the pincushion for today's post, I tried something new and used my AccuQuilt Circle Die to cut my quilted pincushion top into a 5" circle. I can't decide if I like it or not!

Let's get started! I find it difficult to throw away even the smallest fabric scraps, and this is a great project for using them up. For the background of this pincushion project, create a piece of fabric by sewing your scraps together. To get started, just pick to scraps that are approximately the same length and sew them together. Trim up the edges so they are even then add another scrap. Keep adding scraps and strips until your piece is the size you want. I usually aim for 5" x 5". 

I like to quilt my pincushion tops, so place your fabric right side up on a slightly larger scrap of batting and quilt as desired. (I quilted wavy lines on my circle pincushion.) For the applique, you will need a small scrap of colored fabric and a piece of double sided fusible webbing. (I use Heat-N-Bond for my projects. Follow the manufacturer directions on the product you use.) I drew a heart to make my applique, but you can applique anything you would like. Get creative!

Leaving an opening at the bottom for turning, stitch the layers together using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. (I like to stitch along the edges twice just to make sure everything is secure.) If making a square/rectangle pincushion, clip the corners taking care not to cut the stitching. 

Turn the pincushion right side out. Stuff your pincushion as desired. You can use polyfill, shredded batting, fabric scraps, or crushed walnut shells. (My preferred filling is crushed walnut shells because it gives the pincushion a nice weight.) Handstitch the opening closed. I like to use a heavier, upholstery weight thread so the stitching is nice and secure. That's it!

You can find all the blog hop details on this DayBrook Designs blog post. I hope you will join in the fun and sew along with us this month. (There are prizes involved!) Thanks for stopping by. I can't wait to see what you create!