green pea studio

It's been too hot lately to do much of anything except lounge around pathetically and complain - let alone hang out next to an even hotter iron - so I thought I'd share a small summer sewing project from cooler days - a little bling for the machine.  Well maybe not bling exactly, but add a few glass-head pins and things could get sparkly.

You see, Finn the Cat, bless his heart, seems to think that every small stuffed object is a cat toy.   Including the pin cushion.  And I'm sure it's not hard to imagine that cat + pins = a very bad thing.

Doesn't he look guilty?

This took very little time to make:
Make a piece of patchwork, measuring the width of the machine neck + 1/2" x roughly 4 1/2".  Cut a second piece of solid cotton or muslin the same size for a lining to keep the filling from sneaking out the seams.
Cut a piece of 1/2" - 3/4" wide elastic a few inches shorter than the two sides and back of the machine body combined.

Layer the fabrics with the solid to the wrong side of the patchwork and fold in half RST the long way.  Finger crease the fold.  Place the elastic in the middle (on right side of patchwork) and align the ends with the short ends of the fabric sandwich.   Pin in place at each end.  (The elastic will be longer than the patchwok and bunch up in the center. Just take care to keep it away from the long edge.)

Starting at the folded edge, stitch across the end, making a few passes to secure the elastic Turn the corner and stitch about 1/3 of the way across, leave a 2" gap for turning, and then stitch to the opposite corner, turn and stitch the other short end with elastic, again reversing over the elastic a few times.

Turn right side out and stuff with your favorite pin-cushion filling.
I used crushed walnut shells, adding a little bit of fiber-fill at the end to pack it in well.
Stitch the opening closed by hand.

That's it!  The elastic should stretch enough to get the cusion up and around the machine arm, but hold it snug in place.

I'm not a big pinner, but I have to say, it sure is handy always having a few close by without having to fear them being absconded by the cat!

If you happen to make a little machine pin cushion, please share a photo on the lark cottons flickr group!