Biscornu

A biscornu is a small, 8-sided, stuffed ornamental pincushion, usually made out of Aida cloth or linen. Embroidery or cross-stitch is used to decorate the top… (definition from wikipedia)

I have been fascinated by these little gems for quite a while. They are actually very easy to make-once you get past the embroidery and beading…

Anyways I also saw this on facebook:

        

The pattern is available on Ravelry at

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hexagon-pincushion

So I decided to have a little fun and I made this:

Certainly not as fancy but I think it is cute! Here is the other side:

Unfortunately the little biscornu inside is obscured but I still enjoyed making it.  It is about 4 inches square.

This is how I made it:

I started with 2 charm square and 2 granny squares I had in my stash (What? You don’t have extra granny squares laying around?) The granny squares are about 4” square.

Draw your seam lines on the back of the fabric at 1/2”. I cheated and used a 4” sq. ruler to mark my charm patches. Also mark the halfway points on your square,  I put hash marks. I hope you can see them.

You are going to start by sewing one corner of one square to the center of one side of the other square right sides together.  I sewed by hand but if you are brave you can use your sewing machine. Just make sure you don’t sew into the seam allowance. 

Your first seam will look like this:

In the above picture the corner of the top square is matched up to the center of the seam line on the bottom square.  I sewed to the center of the seam of the top square which is pinned to the corner of the bottom square.  I know it sounds confusing but it is simple to do.

Then you will sew from the center of your top  square (which is at the corner of your bottom square-stay with me here!!) to your next corner (which is at the center of your bottom square)

Continue to sew around matching the corner from one square to the center of the side seam of the other square.

Keep sewing until you have one section left to sew (You will have sewn 7 sections.)

Are you still with me? Great! You will have something that looks like the picture below:

Clip your corners:

Turn right side out and push out your points.

At this point I like to press my seam allowance to the inside.

Stuff, and sew the last end closed.  At this point you can call it done and attach two buttons (one on top and one on the bottom) to give the biscornu some dimension.  Or you can cover the whole thing with 2 granny squares!

You will crochet the two squares together just like you sewed the fabric liner: corner to center of each side.

I just used a single crochet to sew them together:

When you are almost done, pop the liner inside and finish crocheting the edges together.

I made a simple edging by doing a single crochet, chain 3, skip 1 space and single crochet all around.

Attach your buttons and you are done!  The whole pincushion took about 1 and 1/2 hours. If I do another one, I will make my granny squares with a DK or sport weight yarn. Enjoy!

Another New Project

Maybe I will just call it an ongoing project. 

Because I fall asleep in front of the tv if I just sit there and because my husband would like me to put down my lap top occasionally, this is my new tv work.

Ta Da! (as my Leonard would say!)

I am working with 3/4” hexagons. Not sure how I am going to set them together but I thinking about doing a path with white diamonds around the hexies.

Stay tuned!

Classes at Mission Rose

I am teaching a couple classes at the shop this winter.  Here are my samples:

This is a table mat using reversible quilted hexagons.  It is the same technique I used for this little purse.

 

I have really been wanting to teach a hand piecing class so I came up with this wall hanging:

I have a renewed interest in doing handwork.  I am working on another hexie project.  I will post more on it later.

Happy Sewing!

Sneak Peak

I have been doing some embroidery over the past couple of days.

I will post another pic in a few days when it is done.

The Latest from Japan

As many of you know, I have a love affair going with Japanese books and fabric. 

This is my latest book:

Not much from the cover, but look inside….

It is a book on reversible quilted projects.  Of course they are all completed by hand although I suppose that it could be adapted to machine sewing.  Here is my first project:

It is (to me, at least) the cutest little pouch made from just 3 hexagons! I just love it! It took me an evening to HAND SEW it all together.  The folding took me longer-the first hexie took 45 minutes but then it got much easier.

This is the next project I want to make:

The purse is on the left.  The two bigger pictures show the piece before sewing it into shape.

The book also shows cathedral window shapes-but oh, the twist that has been put on them!  I will post more on that later…

It Is Done!

I started this table runner way back in 2009.  It is all hand pieced.  Yesterday I finished the quilting and the binding.

Here is the deal.  I have never put a binding on that wasn’t at right angles.  Tune in to tomorrow’s Movie Monday to see how I attached the binding!

From this….

to this!!

Well, it is not completely finished, but it is ready for me to machine quilt.  It is basted and ready to go.  Can I get it done this week?  I hope so!

Also here is a little sample I made for the shop. 

The pattern is “A Very Braidy Christmas”.  The pattern calls for jelly roll strips but we have this fabric at the store.  (This is the back of the runner)

I cut the strips apart and then just followed the directions.  The whole runner took 1 1/2 yards-including the border, back and binding.  We have a couple of similar stripes at the shop.  I may make a few more!

Hexagons: Part Two

As promised, I will show you how I sew my hexies together.  Thanks to my daughter Katie, who took the pictures for me.

OK-in this first picture I am holding 2 hexies right sides together. I start right in one corner and pick up a couple of threads from each hexie, avoiding the inside paper.

I do a whipstitch across the top of the two hexies. You are just skimming the tops of each hexie, just picking up a few threads of the fabric. If you hit paper, you are going too deep into the hexie.

Do you see how the green hexie is peeking out from behind the red one? That happens sometimes.  After you do a couple stitches, pull the shorter hexie a little so that it is lined up at the end and continue sewing.  They will ease together and then play nice at the end!

Here is another picture showing how I whip stitch the two together.

When you get to the end (see how nicely they meet up?), take a couple stitches but don’t cut your thread!

Here are two hexies sewn together.

Now we are ready to add the next hexie.

In the next picture, I am sliding the needle through the top of the hexie to get ready to sew again.

Imagine that the red is the center of your “flower” and the green hexies are the “petals”. In the next picture I am sewing the two green petals together.

At the end, take a couple stitches…

You will have something that looks like this:

Now take the hexie you just attached and line it up with your center hexie…

…and continue sewing.

Take a couple stitches at the end…

Two hexies attached!  Continue in the same manner, and add another hexie,

add another.

One more to add,

and you’re done!

This is what the back looks like:

I tried to get a close-up of my stitches.

Remember the hole we punched in each paper?

Just stick your scissors in the hole…

And pop out your paper to use again!

Remove the papers only when you have sewn all around your hexagon.  This occurs when you are sewing several pieces together

I am planning to make this little flower into mug rug.  I will give it a good press, carefully take out the papers and attach it to a piece of wool felt.  I will show it to you when I finish.

Oh!  Look for Movie Monday on Sunday this week.  I will explain later!