'Make Do' Pincushions

Figure A

Steps:

Cupcake
1. Cut arms from sleeper (Figure A). One sleeper yields two cupcakes.

Figure B

2. Cut tube the height of the ribbing of the sleeve and insert it into the ribbing (Figure B).

Figure C

3. Sew felt circle to bottom of cupcake tube (Figure C).

Figure D

4. Trim sleeve leaving two inches above band. Fold in 1/4 inch of raw edge and sew a gathering cord around the opening of the cupcake top (Figure D).

Figure E

5. Stuff cupcake and close opening. Tack off thread (Figure E).

Figure F

6. Thread needle with strong thread. Start 1/4 inch over from the center bottom of cupcake and go up to top of the cupcake 1/4 inch over from the center top. Go back down 1/4 inch away from the center of the cupcake opposite of where you came out. Come out at the bottom of the cupcake. Pull the thread tight so that the top of the cupcake is tufted. Tack off thread (Figure F).

Figure G

7. Decorate by adding a string of tiny beads around seam between the band and the fabric and finish by stitching a ribbon trim or flower to center top of cupcake (Figure G). If desired, stitch rickrack trim around the cupcake just above the band. Circle rickrack slightly, overlapping the trim in a spiral to the center top of the cupcake.

Oreo Look-Alike
Materials and Tools:
3"x6" dark brown suede-look fabric
6"x6" off-white fleece fabric
off-white, 6-strand embroidery floss
Softgrip scallop fabric shears by Fiskars
brown thread

Figure A

Steps:
1. Cookie middle: Cut fleece into four equal squares. Stack them on top of each other and cut all of them at the same time into two-inch rounds (Figure A).

Figure B

2. Cut brown fabric into two squares then use scalloped-edge scissors to cut both pieces simultaneously into 2-1/4-inch circles (Figure B).

Figure C

3. Embroider top of cookie. Use all six strands of the floss (Figure C).

Figure D

4. Stack sandwich and sew through all layers of the cookie with the brown thread to hold the cookie together (Figure D). Sew around the cookie just outside the chain-stitched circle.

Chocolate Candy

Chocolate Candy
Materials and Tools:
6" brown suede-like fabric
5"x 1-1/2" white lace
pink 6-strand embroidery floss
quilt batting

Figure A

Steps:
1. Gather around the edge of the suede fabric. Fill with fiberfill and pull tight. Secure thread (Figure A).

2. Using a stem stitch, embroider on a swirl of pink "icing" by stitching from the center top of the candy with pink embroidery floss.

3. Gather white lace and sew as a cupped container for the candy.

Pecan Twirl
Materials and Tools:
10"x 6" tan suede-like fabric
10"x 6" pecan colored glitter fabric
8"x 1-1/2" white lace
tan thread

Steps:

1. Fold in ends of tan fabric and glue. Fold the length of the fabric several times until you have a strip of fabric 10" x 1".

2. Do the same with the second piece of fabric.

Figure A

3. With the fold of the fabric on top, spiral both together into a spiral roll (Figure A). Sew in place on the bottom of the roll.

Figure B

4. Gather lace and add to bottom of pecan roll (Figure B).

Chocolate-Filled Cookie Sandwich
Materials and Tools:
two, 3" round powder puffs or two fleece patties*
6" circle fabric for filling. Chocolate look fabric
3" circle of batting
1 foot 1-1/2" wide white lace
Opalescent seed beads

*Fleece patties can be made by cutting four, four-inch circles of fleece and two, three-inch circles one layer thick of quilt batting. With right sides together sew two fleece circles together around edges. Cut a small slit in the center of one side and turn it to the right side. Add batting through slit.Steps:

Figure A

Steps:

1. Turn in raw edges of filling fabric and sew a gathering cord around the edge. Add batting circle and close gathering. Tack off thread (Figure A).

Figure B

2. Place filling between the two patties or powder puffs and sew together by sewing seed beads to the top of the cookie and running the threads through to the bottom of the cookie (Figure B).

3. Gather edge of lace and sew to the bottom of the cookie as a container.

Cake Squares
Materials and Tools:
1-1/2" x 12" white flat lace
two, 3" squares of fabric for icing
2"x 2" square cardboard
6" circle of cake colored fleece from child's sleeper
white sewing thread
rick rack (optional)
white embroidery thread
2" x 2" x 1" high piece of foam or batting
glue

Steps:
1. Glue foam or batting square on top of cardboard square.

Figure A

2. Place cardboard square foam side up on center of wrong side of six-inch circle of cake fabric (Figure A). Sew a gathering cord around outside of circle. Pull cord tight so cardboard combo is covered. Tack off thread.

3. Place two icing squares right sides together and sew all around the outside. Cut a small opening in the center of one piece only and turn to right side.

4. Place icing slit side down on top of the cakes gathered side. Sew together with hidden stitches around edges 1/4 inches in from edge. Catch only the bottom layer of icing to the cake.

Figure C

5. Add decoration to the top by sewing a chain stitch with white embroidery thread or stitch small strips of rickrack on top of the icing (Figure C).

Figure D

6. Gather white lace and attach to bottom of cake so it appears to be a paper cup around the cake square (Figure D).