Friday Freebie: Shimmering Seas - Pincushion

Welcome to the second Friday Freebie for January 2021! Last week I started this three part series with a fob and this week I'm continuing it with a pincushion — and not just a single options pincushion but two! First is the standard square version that can be finished square or as a biscornu and the second is a box pincushion. If you'd like to read more about the threads I'm using then check the previous post.

I stitched mine into a box pincushion so that I had somewhere for my counting pins that I got in my Jodyri advent boxes last Christmas and the Christmas before. My needle keeper with the marked sizes is great for needles, but the counting pins made it roll over all the time — not handy at the best of times!

I stitched mine like this to use the least possible fabric so did extended flaps into the finishing allowance instead of using a plain square for the back. I discovered that it was a lot more fiddly assembling it than it would have been if I'd just used that separate square on the back.

If you choose to do it with a square back then you will need a backstitched outline that is 38 stitches square.

Here is the set so far.

You can find the pincushion/biscornu pattern here.
You can find the box pincushion pattern here.

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How I assembled my pincushion:

First I stitched the middle back seam.

Once done I rotated it, so the seam was in the middle back and made sure the seam on the inside is neat.

I did the short side seam first — with beads every other stitch starting at the second stitch. Then I stitched towards the centre — and did one stitch more to avoid a gap. Finally, I started at the other corner and worked towards the centre back.

Make sure that the centre of the pattern aligns with the centre back — I'd actually stitched my backstitched outlines a stitch short so had to fudge. It's correct in the pattern — I just can't count.

I then did the same on the other side — make sure  to stuff it before closing the final bit of seam, and not to overstuff, you want it to sit flat.

Naturally if you can think of an easier way to do it, then by all means do it!

I'll be back Monday with the Temperature SAL, Tuesday with the start of the second page of the sampler SAL, and Friday with the Ornament of the Month!