![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/_ETB_wSU3fUw\/TahfFiNO6VI\/AAAAAAAASCI\/MWP-vzNCPhE\/s800\/pincushion.jpg\" "\\"pincushions\\"")
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have i mentioned here that i teach a monthly class at work called “needlereads”?\u00c2\u00a0 it’s open to both teens and adults (and we get a lovely mix of both) and the idea is that each month we pick a project (usually from a sewing book) that we can complete from design to finished item in the two-hour time allotment.\u00c2\u00a0 i love this class.\u00c2\u00a0 i love being able to show people how easy sewing can be if you just don’t stress out about it looking perfect.\u00c2\u00a0 i love the “aha!” moments that i get to witness.\u00c2\u00a0 i love the pride everyone has in their finished items.\u00c2\u00a0 i love that the teens and adults in this class interact as equals.\u00c2\u00a0 and i love that i get to do sewing projects as part of my work at the library. ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/_ETB_wSU3fUw\/TahfFFKCrxI\/AAAAAAAASCA\/MMafNQODL9I\/s720\/_IGP7710.jpg\" "\\"pins\\"")
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for the april meeting, the group asked that we make pincushions.\u00c2\u00a0 fabulous!\u00c2\u00a0 i’ve been needing a new pincushion anyway!\u00c2\u00a0 but i’ve never really made one, so i decided to do some pattern testing first.\u00c2\u00a0 the pincushion that inspired this request was the cupcake pincushion from simply sublime gifts<\/a> by jodi kahn.\u00c2\u00a0 this is a great little book with some really cute and quick projects, but… i’m not a big fan of the cupcake pincushion pattern.\u00c2\u00a0 i’ll go ahead and teach it to anyone who wants to try it, but it’s all hand-sewing (making it almost impossible to complete in-class) and the angles of the “frosting” are really tricky.\u00c2\u00a0 my final “frosting” looks considerably different than the picture in the book and i tried it several different times with pins before i just gave up and sewed it the best i could.<\/p>\n i thought i’d try a few others to see if i liked them better, so the second pincushion i made was from last minute patchwork + quilted gifts<\/a> by joelle hoverson.\u00c2\u00a0 i liked this pattern much better.\u00c2\u00a0 actually, i’ve loved all the patterns i’ve made from this book.\u00c2\u00a0 i learned a few things about how best to do the thread overlays, but i’d be happy to teach this one in class.<\/p>\n does anyone else have a favorite (quick) pincushion pattern they’d like to suggest?\u00c2\u00a0 it could be from a book, or a website or even just a flickr photo.\u00c2\u00a0 we’ll take inspiration wherever we can find it!<\/p>\n p.s. i had no idea how hard it would be to photograph pincushions!\u00c2\u00a0 the pins really throw off your depth of field.<\/p>\n p.p.s. if you’re local and interested in attending a needlereads class, they are on the last monday of each month (usually) at 7:00.\u00c2\u00a0 if you need more info, contact me!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" have i mentioned here that i teach a monthly class at work called “needlereads”?\u00c2\u00a0 it’s open to both teens and adults (and we get a lovely mix of both) and the idea is that each month we pick a project … Continue reading