Test pillows & What a difference a stitch makes

This weekend while working on a larger project (coming soon) I also worked on smaller projects for instant gratification (i.e. the Minky eye mask... love it!).  I also messed around with different shaped pin cushions or mini pillows.  

Now thinking about the pin cushions and playing around with the shapes and fabrics of them could be a great way to determine if you want to make a pillow with your final fabric choices.  Nothing's worst then picking out fabrics, make what you want with them, and then not really care for the final outcome (the fabrics didn't look as nice together as you might of thought or the patterns don't work for the pillow...etc).  What a waste of fabric and time.

So why not first make a pin cushion as your test pillow?  At least it is still a pin cushion, and as long as your not a coordinating obsessor in your sewing workspace a pretty or funky pin cushion is nice to have around.  As for a funky, not what you wanted pillow... well do I keep it in the closet or do I break it down and keep it for scraps?



Frankenstitch (aka blanket stitch)


 

These pin cushions were meant to be pin cushions, and I stuffed them with polyfill and lavender (mmm they smell good).  But after my first one I was sad.  It came out cute, but my frankenstitch just drives me crazy.  My go-to hand stitch is the "frankenstitch", aka the blanket stitch (I didn't know this until I Googled it).  The frankenstitch is not the prettiest thing when sealing an opening in a project such as this.  So I had to find some way to make future projects better looking.  



Clean hidden stitch (well it will be hidden next time I try)



I've heard of hidden stitches and blind stitches so I Googled these (I love Goggle).  In my search I found this helpful video showing how to do a hidden stitch.  Of course I had to try it out; therefore whipped up another pin cushion, and voila the hidden stitch is soooo much prettier.  LOOK!  You can see where I went over to the surface of the fabric a few times (after some practice I'll get better), but it's such a clean look.  I didn't create a monster (another frankenstein reference) I created a pretty pillow... well in this case a pin cushion...ok it'll more likely end up being a pillow for one of my daughters stuff animals.

Yea!  Happy dance! (well it's a happy bob/sway I don't move me feet)