Berry Pincushion - Create in Stitch

Exclusive to Country Bumpkin
Be rry Pincushion
by Anna Scot t of Australia
This design uses
The use of woollen yarns and simple stitches make this
a quick and easy project to create, just perfect for that last
minute Christmas gift for someone special.
Back stitch spider web
Coral stitch
Detached chain
Fly stitch
Stem stitch
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Requirements
Fabric
30cm (12") square of cream linen
20cm (8") square of calico
Supplies
Fibre-fill
15mm (5/8") self-cover button
No. 8 perlé cotton, ecru
Water-soluble fabric marker
Fine permanent marker
Threads & Needles
Appleton crewel wool
A = 353 lt grey-green
B = 403 lt sea green
C = 407 vy dk sea green
D = 505 vy dk scarlet
Needles
No. 3 crewel
No. 24 tapestry
Preparation for
embroidery
Neaten the raw edges of the linen with
a machine zigzag or overlock stitch to
prevent fraying.
Transferring the design
Aligning the placement marks with
the straight grain of the fabric, centre
the linen over the embroidery design
and pin or tape in place.
Trace the design and stitchline using
the water-soluble fabric marker. Mark
the centre point with the permanent
marker.
Using a light coloured machine sewing
thread, tack along the stitchline.
Transfer the button design and cutting
line onto one corner of the calico in
the same manner.
Embroidery
All embroidery is worked using one
strand of yarn.
Order of work
Stems
Embroider the stems in
stem stitch using B. Start
each section at the junction
and finish at the tip.
Change to C and whip the stem stitch,
sliding the needle under where two
stem stitches overlap. Use the tapestry
needle for the whipping to avoid
picking up any fabric or splitting the
previous stitches.
Leaves
Stitch the leaves using A
or B. Begin each with a
detached chain at the tip,
working one side of the
stitch longer than the other to achieve
the curved appearance. Continue in
fly stitch, keeping the stitches close
together and placing the anchoring
stitches along the centre vein. Secure
the last stitch with a longer anchoring
stitch to create the leaf stalk if required.
Complete all the lighter coloured
leaves, before embroidering the darker
ones.
Berries
The berries are stitched
with D. Work six straight
stitch spokes, bringing
the thread to the front on
the outer edge and taking the needle
to the back through the centre. Using
the tapestry needle, work detached
back stitch over the spokes, pulling the
thread towards the centre after each
wrap, to pack the threads close together.
Embroider the berry on the calico in
the same manner. Roughly cut out
1cm (3/8") from the marked cutting
line and set aside.
Outer edge
Embroider the outer edge of the
pincushion after the front and back are
stitched together.
Construction
All seam allowances are 1cm ( 3/8") unless
otherwise specified. The shaded areas on
the following diagrams indicate the right
side of the fabric.
1. Preparing the embroidered piece
Rinse the embroidery to remove the
water-soluble marker. Place the piece
on a soft surface, wrong side facing up
and pin in place, gently stretching the
fabric taut to block the embroidery.
page 1
When dry, press with a warm iron.
Using matching machine sewing
thread, stay stitch along the tacked
line. Remove the tacking.
2. Joining the front and back
With the wrong side facing up, centre
the embroidered piece over the calico,
ensuring the grain of the fabrics are
aligned. Pin in place and stitch just
inside the previous stitchline, leaving a
2.5cm (1") opening at one side. Trim
the seam allowance to 6mm (1/4") and
clip at short intervals (diag 1).
4. Lacing the pincushion
Cut a 150cm (59") length of perlé
cotton and thread into the crewel needle
and knot the end. Take the needle from
front to back at the centre and tuck the
knot into the pincushion.
Take the needle to the front at the
centre, leaving a tiny stitch on the back.
Position the thread along the fabric
grain in one direction and slide the
eye-end of the needle under the coral
stitches at the edge. Take the needle to
the front through the centre (diag 2).
Diag 2
Diag 1
Turn to the right side through the
opening. Fill the pincushion firmly
with fibre-fill and handstitch the
opening closed.
3. Coral stitch edge
Using one strand each of A and B
in the needle, work coral stitch over
the stitchline, keeping the knots
close together.
Repeat along the fabric grain at the
quarter points (diag 4).
Diag 4
To complete the lacing, repeat halfway
between each of the previous lacing
stitches, dividing the pincushion into
eight sections (diag 5).
Diag 5
centre back
Pull the thread very taut to make an
indent at the edge. Position the thread
along the fabric grain in the opposite
direction and work the second lacing in
the same manner as the first (diag 3).
centre back
5. Making and attaching the button
Cut out the button piece along the
marked cutting line and make the
button following the manufacturer's
instructions.
Using the perlé cotton, stitch the
button securely in place at the centre
front of the pincushion, pulling it
firmly into place.
Diag 3
Bu tton Instructions
1. Lift washer off shank.
2. Cut cloth to pattern.
Cut stretch fabrics slightly
undersized. Thin fabric
should be interfaced and use
double thickness. Moisten
bulky fabric.
3. Run a gathering stitch close to edge of
cloth. Place button on wrong side and draw
in gahers. Secure thread tightly and smooth
gathers around button.
4. Place washer on shank with teeth side
down. Use the end of a thread spool to
push washer down firmly.
page 2
Berry Pincushion
Embroidery Design
Berry Pincushion
button template
page 3