Project

Strawberry Pincushions

You may remember seeing charming strawberry pincushions like these in your grandmother's sewing box. Hers were probably sewn from scraps of leftover fabric; ours are made with ribbon remnants, shirting fabric, and felt, which works especially well because its edges won't fray.

Source: Martha Stewart Living, April 2000

materials

Pincushion template

Fabric and ribbon remnants

Sewing machine

Needle and thread

Scissors

Fine sand or emery

#3 pearl-cotton thread or felt, for berries' tops

6-strand embroidery floss, for seeds

Fabric glue

steps

Begin by printing out our templates. Trace the cone template onto fabric, then cut out the shape. Fold the fabric into a cone shape, right sides facing, and stitch together along one edge, leaving a narrow seam allowance.
Sew a loose, even running stitch along the perimeter of the wide opening, which will become the top of the berry.
Before cinching the top, place the cone in a small jar or bottle for balance, and fill it with sand or emery, which will keep pins sharp. Pull the thread taut, and stitch the top closed.
For the strawberry's top, trace the cap template onto a piece of felt, cut out the shape, and affix it in place with a drop of glue; then sew along the edges with a slip stitch.
Or, create leaves by sewing long stem stitches onto the strawberry using the pearl-cotton thread, leaving a loop of floss at the top for a handle. Embroider seeds onto berry using embroidery floss with a single stitch or a French-knot stitch.