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October 9, 2013

Prettified Pincushion

This week marks the grand finale
of the Patchwork Please Zakka 2.0 Sew Along.
Debbie from A Quilter's Table
has done a magnificent job of
hosting the last half of the sew along!



They say you can't judge a book by its cover,
but as soon as I saw those Prettified Pincushions
on the front of the book,
I knew I wanted to have a copy!

For my version,
I chose lots of sunny yellow prints
from my fabric stash.
I used linen, to mimic the samples in the book.


There is just something about the texture
of the linen, paired with
smooth quilting cottons...so touchable.


The neutral linen also serves
as a calming backdrop,
enhancing the brightness of the yellows...
so exciting!


I made my pincushion quite a while ago,
but I remembered to make some notes about
my progress,
for my "likes" and "dislikes" section.

Dislikes are always first...
If you haven't made your {first}
prettified pincushion already,
make sure you add a 1/2" for the seam allowance
{1/4" on each side}
to your template piece!!!

{This is just sooooo important. The finished pieced block will be 2 1/2" square.} 

The instructions don't say when to remove
the paper from the block.
I recommend waiting until all of the 4 blocks
have been stitched together.

One more criticism I have is regarding the 
size recommendations for the scraps
used in the paper piecing.
I am stone serious when I say that
I wrote in my journal,
"You will CRY, unless you cut the pieces LARGER
than the book recommends!"

I used pieces at least this size:
4 Prints: 2 1/2" x 3"
Background Linen:  (4) 1 1/4" x 2"
(4) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2"
(8) 1 3/4" x 2 3/4"

And now for my "likes"...

I really enjoy paper-piecing once in a while,
and this was really a rewarding project
to make with that technique.
I think it would be a great project
to make, even if you've never tried it before.

Another great thing about making this project
is that you end up with a
very functional and stylish item.
The size is just right,
and it is the perfect way to explain
what is meant by "zakka".


My greatest "like" is the finished result.
I mean...just look at how CUTE it is!
The covered button adds so much charm!

{And I'm not just talking about MINE...I haven't seen one I didn't love,
as they have popped up all over the internet and blogland.}

If you've got this book,
I guarantee you will be happy
with the pincushion you prettify
from this design.


 I think I'm going to have to prettify some more pincushions!

14 comments:

  1. That is definitely a pretty pincushion! I love the happy yellows and linen and i can not resist tape measures in any shape or form. For paper piecing i always "go Big" like baby blanket size to (especially on those angled pieces) to avoid pulling of hair. Thanks for the great tips!!

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  2. Those yellow prints are great!! This was the first project I made when I bought the book, even before the sew-along started. I use it everyday :) Very sad to see this sew-along end too. Cindy

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  3. really pretty :-) Love the yellow tape-measure fabric especially. And I agree with you about the size of the pieces for paper piecing - I always cut much bigger than recommended!

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  4. This pincushion is perfection in yellow and linen!! Love your fabrics and attention to detail!! I am going to have to try this pattern, too! Thanks for the tips!!

    Susie

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  5. As ever this is absolutely lovely. I agree that the linen is the perfect showcase for those sunny prints. Love it.

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  6. I'm beginning to think you might have a thing for pincushions! This one is so pretty and I love that used a different yellow for each "petal". Beautiful!

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  7. Agreed - this is Zakka in a nutshell! Just darling and thanks for sharing your yeahs and nays!

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  8. I seriously LOL at the part about crying. (I needed that laugh this morning, ty.) I have been there with the embroidery pouch. I absolutely love your beautiful pincushion! The measuring tape fabric, swoon!

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  9. It is gorgeous, and I love the choice of tape measure fabric......sew cute!
    Helen x

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  10. Your pincushion is perfect Amy, I love your choice of gorgeous fabrics!

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  11. I love yellow! and I've said it before! Everything in yellow is "happy!" This is adorable and I love the contrast of fabrics and your corners are enviable!! Really nice job, I am so sorry that there are always some "dislikes" with patterns, you'd think they would check that!

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  12. Adorable!!!! The tape measure fabric is perfect!

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  13. I am in love with your pin cushion! This is on my list of must makes this winter. Yours is beautiful"

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  14. I absolutely adore your pincushion. I still haven't had time to make one single thing from this book. I'm glad you're going first and finding all the problems for me! I hope I remember to come back and check your blog for these projects before I start them. Are these all tagged somewhere on your blog so they're easy to find afterward? :-)

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I look forward to your comments and will read each and every one, even if I am not able to reply to all of them.