Pincushions.

I don't think I've written anything about pincushions before. This is odd since I love them - pincushions and needlebooks. I have a belief that the first thing anyone should make when learning to sew is a pincushion or a needlebook and that everyone should keep AND use the first ones they make forever. This doesn't always work out I realise, things get lost - I myself have lost a gorgeous needlebook made by the lovely Claire at Clarabella - it's here somewhere, I just don't know where. Neither do I know the whereabouts of the pincushion I made at school that the teacher took home to finish off after we stuffed them with tights!

However, I do have the one I made when I got my last sewing machine, a piece of canvas with a sample of all the stitches running across it, I also have a pincushion I made from tiny hexagonal patchwork that spent at least some of it's life stuck in an old, glass ashtray to stop it sliding off the table! My mom uses a needlebook that she actually made but the front of it is a tapestry of a horse's head that I worked from a kit when I was about eight.

Anyway, I've been a bit fascinated with wearable pincushions since the whole Alice/Mad Hatter thing and have been mulling over designs for pincushion rings. There are loads of amazing tutorials online for making rings from old bottle caps and elastic and a few designers making gorgeous versions - time for a Wychbury one!

I wanted something with a bit of Hatter-gothic appeal but still usable so I've opted for an adjustable ring base in our typical antique bronze rather than elastic. I've shortened the depth of the base a bit from the bottle cap designs so I had room to get a nice aesthetic dome into the shape without it being too high on the hand. I also wanted to achieve the crown effect from old velvet and silver pincushions so I've added vintage lace and a button to finish them off. I've also customised the pins they are shown with to resemble tiny hatpins and will be selling them with the pins included.

The first three designs are now available for listing and will be up shortly - I hope they go down well as I'm looking forward to showing them off at 'Treasure' in a couple of weeks. Here's a preview!

Here are a few links to the queens of the handcrafted pincushion and their beautiful creations as well as a couple of fab tutorials - enjoy!

PINCUSHIONS TO BUY

Namolio, divine crocheted pincushions.

Very Big Jen - beautiful felt creations, now also on rings.

Clarabella Craft, Visit Claire's blog for a list of stockists (Yorshire map pincushion is my favourite!)

Blonde's Backyard, on Folksy - very prolific designer and maker of bright, well made and well priced pincushion rings.

PINCUSHIONS TO MAKE

Finger Pincushion on Craft Gossip.com

If you like Crochet, a gorgeous cupcake pincushion on Good Housekeeping.

With beautiful 'How to' drawings, pincushions on Grey Duckling.

The definitive Wikihow bottlecap pincushion ring tutorial that I've used for the basis of my designs.

Paula x