Pin pillow

.... or pin cushion if you like....  WARNING:::: photo heavy ..... hahhahahhahahah....

I love it!!

Began it over a week ago as a break from the blocks of my wrapping cloth.  Well, and also, because all the others in the Simply Stitch group were making some... one girl made 6 already...whew...she must be 'da bomb' seamstress!  Me?  Well, I'm Slowpoke Rodrigues myself.... but, that's okay....

And, for me it began with a cutout window of cardboard.... I wanted to try to get an idea of how things might look when completed.  My window is 3" X 4".

Some decisions, ....     placing and piecing of fabrics ...  including a piece of Dupioni silk, some FME (Free Motion Embroidery) to hold all in position.  Then,  cross stitched some tiny hearts onto the silk ...they remind me of strawberries .. ..., some edging of the very plain flat lace on the right side with frilly picot stitches to make it more interesting, buttonhole edging of the top corner piece, placement of a cut off tab from a large stiff pretty collar piece from Maggi's cousin and lots of French knots here and there .....et voilà... my pin pillow begins to take shape.

After decorating it with more knots and stitching it went to the machine.  Which is where I usually stall out totally.... have to check to see I have it threaded right... put some matching thread on a bobbin... but, check page 13 of the manual to see if I have the thread in the proper place to do that... then, actually practice a bit on a scrap to see if I can more or less make a straight line..which by the way, is more harrowing than just haphazardly doing some FME... stitched 3 sides on the machine...turned it ..and oh, ... was I happy with the look!   Sometimes I do take a long time to make decisions it seems ...but, in the end ... am usually very happy with all of it... so, no time wasted really.

Stuffed and finished.

Dupioni silk for the backing.

Frilly picot stitch along the plain lace trim.

Little cross stitched hearts that look like strawberries to me.

Edged in buttonhole lace stitch.  Finishes it off perfectly.  And, there you have it....my first pin cushion.  Yay me!