I mentioned sewing pincushions a bit back and here's a small group I made. I dived into these right after the holidays. I had so much fun using up my stash for pot holders that I wanted to keep going. They are a nice balance to the ambitious projects I have tackled lately, like the ballet bodice with boning (alliteration for the win!) and the stretch velvet leotard with a zipper, which was an epic fail.
I didn't use a pattern for these, I just winged it, but I did find directions for how to make the one on the right (the offset square pincushion) over at Planet June. Also, I was thrilled to find tips for stuffing. Polyfill is just too soft, it won't give the cushion any weight so when you take out the pin, the cushion lifts up. No good. I need a one-handed pin removal experience. I also like the heft of these little guys, they aren't small pillows, they mean business. The internet told me I can use Lizard Litter as a filling, which is ground up walnut shells. I found mine at Pet Smart, but it was sold as an all natural kitty litter. I filled them almost completely with the ground up shells and then used a little layer of polyfil for the top, because I do like the pin to glide in easily. I also lined some of these fabrics because they were to thin to deal with my robust filling.
