Don't read if you don't like cute arts n crafts

I don't know what has come over me, as cute and darling really isn't usually my thing (unless you count Japanese toys), but I have been in dire need of a new pincushion or two. And you out there who use these items on a regular basis know that they're not all created equal. I've been surfing Etsy for my favorites for months, but have balked at the idea of paying $25 or more for a pincushion. I found this one and this favorite from verybigjen.etsy.com, and this from lupin.etsy.com. Love them! But didn't buy them!

Instead, I bought yet another book to teach me to make something. Who needs a book to learn to make a pincushion? Not I, but I was really too lazy to design my own. Besides, verybigjen at Etsy was a major contributor to the book I bought, so I got a book AND one of her pincushions for little $$$! Here's the results:



And they're perfect (fufnctionally, that is)! Both are made of felt. The big round one is stuffed with scraps of wool from a handbag I made last year. The conical one is stuffed with cheesecloth-like cotton, also scraps from last year. Both are weighted down with buckwheat hulls, the same stuffing used for the hard-as-rocks traditional Korean pillows. I didn't come up with my own designs, but to my credit, at least I used my own color schemes!

*The book is Pretty Little Pincushions by Lark Press, available here.