*This post contains affiliate links – meaning I get a small commission if you purchase through the link.
Did you ever make something you liked so much you put it next to your bed so you would see it first thing in the morning? This pin girl is like that for me. Something about it… And I’ve made a pattern for you. The pin girl is not only the official pincushion of the 2020 scrap festival but she is also the official pincushion of the miss thislte society.
Before we get started let’s talk about pincushion filling for a minute. I think walnut shells are ideal (unless you have a tree nut allergy). They add a nice weight and fill out the curvey shape beautifully. I got a huge bag here (I get a small commission if you purchase through this link).
Sand works too and you can most likely find fine sand at your hardware or gardening store. For this pincushion I don’t recommend using just fiber – the weight and shape won’t be nearly as nice. If you have other filling ideas please let us know in the comment section. Also – I’m thinking of putting together kits for the shop with sweet fabric, and everything else you need – what do you think?
Let’s make pin girls!
You will need:
download the pdf template
Affiliate links are marked with *
fabric scraps – cotton and a little wool or felt
A wooden bead- I used a ⅞ inch (about 22mm) bead – a little bigger or smaller is fine. You can get beads with faces! *right here.
wooden skewer – the larger size is best – what matters is that your bead fits on it. I *used these.
crushed walnut shells – I *used these
a little wool stuffing
trim and lace scraps
chopstick
funnel
glue stick
paint and brushes
white or wood glue
a basic sewing kit
1. Cut out one bottom and 3 doll pattern pieces. Mark a 1/4 inch seam line lightly in pencil on all your pieces.
2. Fold the top edge of the doll pieces over towards the wrong side at the seam line and press.
3. Pin two of the doll pieces – right sides together and stitch one side. Stitch over the folded edge and stop at the bottom seam line as shown. You can hand or machine stitch – in either case use a very small stitch.
4. Open the two pieces you just stitched together and match the edge of the third doll piece to one side.
5. Pin it in place and stitch the side.
6. Match the last two sides, pin and stitch.
7. The 3 pieces assembled should look like.
8. At the bottom edge press the 3 side seams open – you don’t have to press all the way up – just near the bottom.
9. Carefully matching the edges, pin the circle to the bottom opening.
10. Stitch the bottom circle to the opening – make sure you follow the seam line and use small stitches. It is easier to do this by hand.
11. Use a chopstick to turn the doll right side out through the top opening and run the stick around the seam with firm pressure.
12. Painting the heads – paint simple features with acrylic craft paint or *get heads that are already painted here.
13. I’m using *crushed walnut shells and a tiny bit of wool to stuff the body (probably not a great idea if you have a tree nut allergy). Checkout the notes at the top of the post on stuffing materials. You can also use fine sand or sawdust.
14. Place a small funnel in the neck of the body and start adding the filling. As you add the filling use the funnel to crush and press it down and into the edges. Keep compressing and adding filling.
15. Use your chopstick to push filling into any soft areas and add more if necessary. Tap the bottom of the body on your table to settle the fill and add more – stuffing as firmly as possible will make the best shape.
16. Paint a little glue on the blunt end of your skewer (white or wood glue works).
*The magic fabric above is courtesy of my Brooklyn neighbor Sri threads. There is more about it at the bottom of the post
