A Little Crafting

An article by Rachel    1 Comment

True to my word, I decided to make a few things. To get my spirits up, I started with a small project. I needed immediate gratification.

Project #1: Fabric-covered Thumbtacks

I just had to have some of these. I was surprised at how easy it was to make these. I used this button making kit. Just in case you are wondering, size 30 (3/4″) buttons work perfectly with these quilter’s thumbtacks. I think these thumbtacks would make a perfect Christmas for co-workers and such. I mentioned this to Ross. He set me straight. These thumbtacks might be OK, to give to women, but no they are a little too feminine for men, regardless of the fabric selection. Back to the drawing board I go.

Next on my plate, Project #2: An Offset Square Pincushion.

I found the tutorial on Craftybits via Sew, Mama, Sew. I loved it. The pincushion is simple. Yet it makes the mind think. Since making the pincushion, I discovered that this shape is more widely known as a Biscornus.

I had so much fun making the first pincushion that I made two more today.

Not that you can tell from this photo, but I used a cover button to dimple these pincushions. I believe I used size 20 buttons. The pink pincushion will be a gift for my mom. See additional photos on flickr.

I want to mention a couple of things I learned from these pincushion. In the past, I’ve had problems making the dimple in pincushions and other stuffed items. Either my thread broke or the button didn’t give the look I was looking for. By following the tutorial, I fixed both problems.

It was all about using the proper notions. For the dimple, I used “button thread.” It is thicker than upholstery thread. It comes in about 8-10 colors. Using the nice sturdy thread, I made the little loop on top to make the dimple. It worked like a charm. I got my nice little dimple, and the button doesn’t carry the pressure of creating the dimple.

Since the thread is thick and the directions call for two strands of thread to go through the needle eye, I used a chenille needle. The eye is large, and it’s a little longer than the standard sharp needle.

Well that turned out to quite the post. Hopefully there will be good blog fodder in the near future.