Tuesday, May 03, 2011

(terrible)Tutorial Tuesday: Tin Can Mushroom Pincushion

This is what I made my mom for Mother's Day.

Oops, I just ruined the surprise. Oh well. I think she'll like it even more knowing it once starred on my blog in cyberspace. I meant to write a nice tutorial to share with you, but it was one of those projects that didn't turn out quite the way I thought it would.

For example, when you sew together shapes like these:


They make a shape like this:


Which is not mushroomy at all. I considered turning it into a strawberry or maybe a gnome's hat, but instead, I reworked it into a dome shape. (This is where the tutorial started to fall apart and my photographing became sporadic.)

Next, I went upstairs and got a pickle jar top out of the recycling bin and emptied out a tomato paste can, washed and dried it, and filled it with dried pinto beans (for weight). I then sewed a muslin tube with a flat circle bottom and inserted the can.


Later, Erik questioned why there was a Tupperware container with tomato paste in it in the refrigerator, to which I sheepishly admitted, "Because I needed the can for a craft project."

Next, I stuffed the mushroom top:


then inserted the pickle jar top and stitched it shut.

Then I placed the mushroom cap on top of the tall ribbed can and it looked like a penis so I gave up on it for a while. (Though now that I think of it, there may be a market for penis-shaped pincushions, but not for Mother's Day.) Today, I decided to try to make it less phallic and more whimsical. I ironed some HeatnBond to green fabric, cut it out in the shape of grass,

and ironed it on the the can. It worked, but I wouldn't recommend doing it this way. I warned you this tutorial would be convoluted.

Next, I squirted hot glue on the stalk and attached the cap:

but it wasn't really secure and I didn't want to use more hot glue so I sewed it together around the edge. Stitches are better than hot glue anyway.

Then I pulled a wooden ladybug off an Ikea clothespin and glued it on to the side.


And finally got it kind of how I envisioned it.

I entered this mushroom in a pin cushion blog hop on the Arrow Sewing Cabinets' blog. You may have hopped over here from the Posh Girl Friday blog... next stop on the blog hop is Dustpan Diary. Check out all the cool pin cushions people are making!

20 comments:

hi, i'm kat. said...

awesome kb! i'm a sucker for toadstools :) i bet she'll love it!

Tracey said...

Great idea! I love it!

kluless said...

This was a great post - made me laugh right out loud! Your mushroom turned out cute and you get A+ for your tenacity.

Mandy @HKCHIC said...

ooooh that's sooo adorable!!!!!!!

Annette said...

It turned out great! I probably would have stopped after the penis and given up! :) I bet your mom loved it!

SharonA said...

Fun idea, thanks for sharing!

CupcakeCatie said...

Such a cute idea! :)

MaryW-Kansas (msunderstood_one@hotmail.com) said...

This has an Alice in Wonderland quality to it...great!!

Anne said...

I saw your post earlier, and I was glad to see that you entered the contest!

Mandy @HKCHIC said...

oooh i just thought of a good one, make one that looks like the mushroom in Mario's games! i bet that'd be awesome too

Bobbi said...

very very cute!!!

chastity said...

love the mushroom..looks just like the ones in my flower bed...only mine are not as cute with all the color...very impressed..great job

Becky said...

It is adorable.


Anxiously awaiting the Penis PinCushion - heehee. Like a voodoo doll pincushion!

Anonymous said...

good use of a soup can!

Karla Schroeder

MulticrafterAmy said...

Cute. You need to get a Gnome to stand next to it. lol Great job!

Pat Hathaway said...

I'm so glad you figured out that it looked like a penis--I didn't want to hurt your feelings. LOL Once we were trying to find a gag gift for my husband's boss at the time and went to a "fun" gift store. They had jars of "pickled penises" made of old nylon stockings sewn into the shape and stuffed with fiberfill. They had little balls of the same attached. I couldn't bring myself to buy them but they were really funny.

Maybe all you need to do is make the cap a little flatter and rounder more like a mushroom top.

Viagra said...

great post keep it up.good work in your post.

Anonymous said...

Yes! Finally something about flight.

Have a look at my blog safe diets

jasonbob said...

paul george
supreme outlet
supreme hoodie
kevin durant shoes
chrome hearts online store
bape
nike sb dunk high
kobe
golden goose outlet
yeezy shoes

Anonymous said...

jordan retro
golden goose outlet
lebron shoes
jordan 11
off white
nike lebron 16
supreme clothing
supreme clothing
golden goose sneakers
alexander mcqueen

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...