Scrap Attack Project – Martha’s Tomato Pincushion

I’ve been researching ideas of things to do with scrap material — things besides quilting of course!

For my first in a series of projects I chose to make some pincushions.  This first pincushion is the classic Tomato and the project I’m following is from Martha Stewart.

I’ll link to her post here so if you want to check out all her little scrumptious examples please do.  There is also a video of her kinda quickly showing us how these are made that I just realized — oops!  That would have been helpful!!!

The instructions aren’t the greatest from the printed version, and I ran into a few issues myself, but I figured it out and am ready to show you how it’s done, or at least my interpretation.

First, take a piece of 8-1/2″ x 11″ paper — just any old piece that you have on hand and fold it in half lengthwise.  Then cut it on the crease.  Next, measure down 8-1/2″ and fold the edge to this point and cut.

You now have a template that is 8-1/2″ x 4-1/4″.  Draw a diagonal line from one of the corners to the center crease — this will give you your bias grain line.  Find some scrap and cut out your fabric.

Then follow the instructions or video to stitch the side seam and then gather around the bottom edge.

Turn inside out and stuff! I am using leftover poly quilt batting.  I cut off a piece of batting and pulled it apart to make the lofty bits.

Get it all in there. Stuff, stuff, stuff!  You want to make it quite firm!

Then gather the top edge and pull to gather it all in.  I used hand quilting thread for the gathering in case you are wondering.  This thread was a little bit tougher then just ordinary sewing thread!

Then I used a buttonhole thread to make the segments.

I started at the top, went down through the middle to the bottom then up and around.

This is where some trouble began.  The bottom seam allowance of the tomato started to come back through the bottom.  So to fix I sorted through my button stash.

And sewed a button to the bottom.

I tied off at the top and then found some green felt in my scraps.

The instructions say to trace the stem pattern, well I couldn’t figure out where the template was for the green stem so I just made my own.  I cut out a circle of felt the diameter of the top of my tomato and then snipped out the leaves.

Then all I needed to do was glue on the top!

I used Aleen’s White Glue but I’m sure any white glue will work just fine.  And viola!  A Blue Tomato!

This project was super quick!  From start to finish it only took me about an hour…and that’s with having to make the pattern and figuring out how to fix the bottom and make the green leaves!

So easy I highly recommend every sewist make their own!

~Cathy