Pin Cushion Party!

So, I joined Randy’s (Barrister’s Block) pin cushion swap and look what I received from Deb in Canada. I can’t imagine a better pin cushion for me than this beauty. Don’t you love it? And, she put this wonderful “Maple Leaf” flag of Canada on the back which is so perfect for me because my grandfather was from Nova Scotia. 

You can see I have already put it to good use, right beside my evening work station. 

  

And as if that were not enough, she tucked in this great charm pack of Barbara Brackman’s Morris fabrics. Oh yum! Thanks a million Deb! 

 I was overjoyed to find out that Randy picked Kevin (Kevin the Quilter) as the recipient of my pin cushion. He is so full of energy and has done so much for the quilt world with all his enthusiasm. Among all his other accomplishments, Kevin has made and distributed hundreds of quilts for Veterans.

He has recently moved to a new home where he now has chickens. So, my first thought was this ever popular chicken pin cushion. 

Luckily he posted about his first quilt day at his new abode (read about it here) with fellow quilters and he had made this very pin cushion for all the participants. What a hoot and what a lot of work! 

 

So I started to think about what to make. This is the first one I came up with. Years ago my friend gave me some vintage donut cutters and I love them for storing my bobbins in. I just filled the center with wool and voila, a pin cushion and bobbin holder! 

But that seemed too simple to me and way too boring. I wanted something with color so I made this little wool one and filled it with crushed walnut shells. 

I did not make a separate liner, but I did line both sides with a thick 100% wool piece of batting. This lets the pins slide in nicely and keeps the crushed shells where they belong! 

And, I don’t think you can have chickens without a “darning egg” so I dug one of my many vintage eggs out and it will travel on with the rest of the gang. 

   

 I had a ball doing this swap! Thanks Randy!