Pin Cushion Carry All

I made this pin cushion caddy that I have been just dying to make for a while.  I just finished my quilt and I finished piecing the top of another quilt.  I wanted a project that I could whip in a day or so.  I feel the need for a sense of completion sometimes.  Quilts are process oriented.  I thought this was the perfect time to do that pin cushion caddy.  Thanks for the excuse, Iron Crafters as it was perfectly aligned with one of my favorite movies.

I had borrowed Seams To Me by Ann Marie Horner.  I thought I wrote down the instructions for the caddy but I did not.  I happened to find them online here though.  I also saw this at Texas Freckles which is what actually re-inspired me to make it.  I followed none of anyone's directions. (I am like that- I hate following directions, the written kind).  Matter of fact I made my own pattern piece.  Was it a good idea?  Well, yes and no.  It came out well but not like I wanted it to.  I want to make it again using Horner's pattern etc, along with Texas Freckles adaptations.  We'll see if I actually do that.

My theme was Somewhere Over The Rainbow from the movie Wizard of Oz which is one of my all time favorite movies. I guess it was nominated in 1940 but never actually won.

A bit of warning if you end up making this caddy:  It's a lot of hand sewing which personally I don't mind sometimes.  The only part you sew on a machine are the side pieces.

Here is what I did:

I cut out my pieces, I had to readjust one time because they came out sort of like a nose.

I sewed them together to make the full circle.  I folded the top down a quarter inch and pressed it.

I used some stiff interfacing I had and made a sandwich with my lining for the caddy and some muslin.  I then sewed the top of my pretty circle to the muslin,lining and interfacng sandwich.

I stuffed from the bottom and sewed it shut at the base. I then put two circles in, one at the bottom inside and then one at the bottom outside, using that stiff interfacing.  Done.  After many pin pokes, done.

I set a can of Mamacita's Hominy in the basket to straighten out the form a bit. That helped immensely. (It must have been 'cause it was Mamacita- women have a way of fixing things).