Night is kind of the best time to sit and relax….and nothing is better for relaxing then some hand stitching. What I find though is I loose my scissors, miss place the thread, and who knows how many buttons and other goodies are tucked in between the cushions or behind pillows.
To save a little bit of frustration, the arm chair pin cushion and sewing pocket is perfect.
Materials Needed:
backing 7″ X 20″
fabric strips- can be scrappy!
binding 2 1/4″ X 53″
2– 6 1/2″ X 6 1/2″ muslin squares
2– 6 1/2″ X 6 1/2″ fabric squares– lining for the pockets
6 1/2″ X 7″- pin cushion
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Arm Chair Pin Cushion and Sewing Pocket Tutorial:
1) Fuse the fusible fleece to the backing (cut to the same size)
2) Place one strip in the center on the fleece side. Pin in place
3) Sew a strip to either side of the center strip. Flip to right sides out and iron. Continue this quilt as you go process until the whole fleece is covered. This is a quilt as you go technique. Trim your piece to 6 1/2″ X 19 1/2″ Set aside
4) Using your muslin squares as a foundation, sew strips to the other side — for the example the center of the log cabin is fussy cut fabric. Then strips are sewing around the center square. This is similar to string piecing technique.
5) Place the pocket lining right sides together with the pieced pocket. Sew across the top, fold to other side, iron and stitch 1/4″ finish stitch
6) Pin your pockets to the ends of the long background strip. If you have fussy cut, make sure those are facing the right way! Stay stitch around the pocket less than a 1/4″
7) Fold your pin cushion fabric in half the long way, right sides together and stitch
8) Place fold in the center on the back and pin in place in the center of the large background strip.
9) Sew this edge down
10) Stuff the pin cushion with polyfil. Doesn’t need to be super stuffed.
11) Pin and stitch the open end to the side of the background piece
12) Sew your binding around the arm chair pin cushion and sewing pocket- you are done!
This is perfect for folding up and taking to another room…or better yet, make one for each room that you lounge in. A different project in each!
The pockets aren’t deep enough to loose your stuff in there forever, but they are a good enough size to hold a pair of scissors and other sewing notions and needs for whatever project you are working on.
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Find more fun quilt as you go projects here!
Find more pin cushions here!
More Pincushion to make:
- Arm chair pincushion and sewing wrap
- Thimble pincushion
- Vintage Embroidery Pincushion
- Quilt block pin cushion
- Doily pincushion
Becky Jorgensen is the creative quilter behind Patchwork Posse, the Patchwork Planner and her online quilt group Patchworkers Plus. You can find her patterns in books, magazines, and her quilt membership. Gather your quilting supplies, organize your sewing space, explore the process of disappearing quilt blocks, or finish a free quilt pattern. I'll help you use what you have, finish what you start and make your quilting journey fun!
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A delightful project & tutorial; however, I find your pictures/fabrics too hard to see: they are so bright & busy. I can’t make out which pieces are the pockets (the button fabric?). If I could suggest pictures of simpler fabric might be easier for some of us. You did say one for another room! 🙂
Thanks for the suggestion Kathy– I’ll put that on the list!
Plain holder will be great looking forward to the next one.
Cant wait to try one.
Elizabeh
Love this – gotta make one for my mom. Thanks.
yay! it’s a great present.
Will definitely be making this. Might adjust one of the pockets to accommodate cotton reels too.
So cute! I would love to know the fabrics used!
Thank you, such a great gift for sewers! And for me too!
Já vou fazer!
Obrigada por compartilhar!
Thank you for a terrific idea and tutorial ! Makes a great gift as well ! This also can be adapted to knitters .
Do you need to use fusible fleece?
Does this roll up and tie shut for travel? I think these would be great to send in the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.
I have made this & I do use it often. To do my finishing hand stitching after the main projects are needing the habd sewing.
PERFECT!!! I’ve been wanting one of these armchair dodads and now I can make it myself. I especially need one to put by my bed.. Your site just magically came to me and I’m so thankful. Thank you for all you do for us do it yourselfers.
What could you put in the base of the pin cushion part to prevent someone from pushing the pins too far and they pierce through and make holes in the arm of a leather chair, couch, etc.?
I’ve not had any issues with the pins going through. You could slide in a piece of cardboard from a box if you’d like prior to stuffing.
I agree with the first lady, about the busy fabrics.