STRAWBERRY PINCUSHION - TUTORIAL

This is a lovely hand sewing project, although it is a little trickier than it looks.  Sewing can be deceiving at times!   This is suitable for a Little One who already has a few hand sewing projects under their belt and who has a little bit of patience.   This tutorial makes two pincushions.   

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* What you need

• Fabric: medium weight cotton or similar (not too thick as it will make the top of the strawberry hard to gather)
                  about 30cm x 30cm
• Stuffing - wool or polyfibre
  
• Embroidery floss or thick thread
• Embroidery hoop - 20cm diameter
• Needle and thread
• Felt - about 15cm x 8cm
  
• Pinking shears 

• Pins 
• Tailors chalk (if you don't have this, a pen that will mark fabric will do)

* Prepare and cut your fabric

T
ake the fabric you will use as the main body of your strawberry.  Place your embroidery hoop on top then, using your pinking shears, cut a square that is about 3cm wider on all sides of your hoop.   You can draw a square with your tailors chalk if you prefer and remove the hoop before cutting. 
note:  we used a thin microsuede because it gave a great texture to our strawberry - but it is harder to sew, especially when it comes to the top.  I'd recommend a medium weight quilters cotton or similar.  

Open up your hoop, place your fabric (right side up) on top of the smaller of the two hoops.   Grab the bigger hoop and push on top to hold the fabric in place.  Pull the fabric at the edges if needed to get a smooth, tight fit.

Tighten up the embroidery hoop.

note:  Embroidery hoops are a great tool for beginners.  It lets little hands be free to concentrate on the needle and stitching, instead of trying to manhandle the fabric.  

Draw a line with your tailors chalk or marker down the middle of your circle.  

* Stitch the strawberry seeds

Take your embroidery floss and cut a piece about 35cm long.   The embroidery floss is normally made up of six strands - you can choose to use all six, or split it to make the floss thinner.  We used two strands - peal off the number of strands you want to use (slowly!)
Alternatively you can use normal sewing thread - we did this on our second half and doubled the thread.  

Thread your needle, tie a knot at the end and, starting from the back of your fabric, start making small stitches.   You can be very random in your stitching, or follow a pattern - it's up to you.  

Make sure you only stitch on one side of the line you marked.  You will cut down this line later, so any stitches that cross the line will come undone when you do your cutting.

When you have competed the 'seeds' on one side, with a new thread, do the same on the other half of your fabric.   On our second half, we used standard sewing thread, but doubled it over.  We also made little cross stitches for a bit of variety.  

* Sew up your strawberry

Take the fabric out of the embroidery hoop.  There should be a clear circle creased in your fabric - cut around this circle with pinking shears (the pinking shears stop the fabric fraying).  If needed, draw the circle first with your tailors chalk or marker.  

Cut through the middle of your circle - where you marked in step one.  

Fold each piece of your fabric in half - with the right sides facing each other.  

Pin and stitch together with a backstitch - try and get your stitches nice and small.  This will make your finished strawberry a lot stronger.  

Turn out the right way - so you can see your seed stitches.  

Baste along the top of the strawberry.   A baste stitch is a long running stitch.    Don't secure your ends, just make sure you leave a few centimetres of thread at each end - you will be pulling these tight shortly.  

Stuff each strawberry.  Make sure you push the stuffing right down to the bottom.  

When you think you've got enough stuffing in, pull tight the basting stitches and tie a knot to hold in place.   
note:  for this step you will probably need some help from a Big Person's hands.  

Now you are ready to add the leaves!

* Cutting and sewing the leaves

Take out your felt.  Draw two squares - each about 7cm x 7cm.  Cut out the squares.

Draw a star with your tailors chalk on each square.  They don't need to be perfect - the more crooked your star is, the more it will look like leaves.  

Cut out each star.  Just use the tips of your scissors to make sure you get nice straight cuts and that you don't cut to far into the middle of your star.  

Now you have your leaves, pin to the top of each strawberry.   
note: we found this step a little tricky as our fabric was so bulky.  You may need some help from a Big Person.  

Make sure your leaves completely cover the gathers at the top of your strawberry.  You want to make sure no stuffing comes out!

Thread your needle with green thread to match your leaves.   Tie a knot at the bottom of your thread.  

Starting on the underside of your leaves, sew the leaves around the edges to the strawberry.   Use a simple running stitch.   Because you are stitching onto a stuffed object, you will have to complete each running stitch with one needle movement - into and out of the fabric before pulling the needle all the way through.   Take a look at the photo on the right below.  

If you run out of thread and have to cut a new piece to complete sewing the leaves, make sure you secure and start your threads on the red strawberry fabric.   This will make sure the leaves cover any knots and make your sewing look great!

* Finishing off

Trim any loose threads.   

Congratulations - now you can fill your strawberry with all your pins and needles.  

All ready for your next sewing project.  Enjoy!