JAM JAR PINCUSHIONS
With a quick bit of piecing you can whip up a super- cute desk tidy in no time!
Notes
■ Our pincushions were made for 2 ½ in diameter lids, and the jam jar cover for a 2in diameter lid. You can use the techniques below to cover any size jar, but you may need to adjust the pieced circle sizes.
Hexagon pincushion
1 Trace a 1in hexagon ( above) on the reverse of a fabric scrap. Cut around the shape ¼ in outside your outline.
2 Cut several 1in fabric strips. Stitch the first strip to one edge of your hexagon, stitching only along the marked line. Backstitch at the beginning and end of your stitching.
3 Open out and press, with the seam toward the centre hexagon. Trim the edges of your strip even with the edges of the hexagon.
4 Repeat Steps 2– 3, adding strips around all sides of your hexagon. Keep adding rows until a 6in circle fits comfortably inside your pieced fabric.
5 Draw a 6in circle on the reverse of your fabric and trim about ½ in outside of this line. We used an embroidery hoop to trace our circle. With a strong thread, work a loose running stitch along your drawn line, leaving a long tail.
6 Draw up the thread slightly, then place a ball of stuffing inside. Place the centre lid seal gently over the stuffing and draw up the thread to gather the edges of the fabric around the lid. Gather tightly, then take a few stitches to secure. Push through the band, and twist on top of your jar.
Striped pincushion
7 Cut your fabric scraps into strips of various widths, making sure they are at least 7in long. Sew them together to make a panel roughly 7in square.
8 Follow Steps 5– 6 to make into a pincushion.
Covered jar
9 Cut two 6in circles of fabric and pin wrong sides together. Sew your bias tape around the outside, enclosing the raw edges.
10 Attach your circle to the jar using a rubber band. Tie baker's twine around the top to decorate.