Erin FoxA hedgehog without its spines would certainly look odd, but not this prickly pal who will mind all of your sewing pins and needles.
Pin cushions are usually quite small but if you have a very large collection of sewing needles, then make a few hedghehogs in different colours and patterns so you have a little family to mind your sewing essentials. You’ll especially need them if you are working on a big sewing project.
For the hedgehog pin cushion you will need some patterned material such as tartan or polka dots, stripes or instead, brown felt, cream felt, light brown embroidery thread, black or grey embroidery thread, scissors, kapok.
First make the template for your hedgehog. Draw the outline of its body and head onto the back of some cereal card.
Cut this out and pin it to two pieces of your material of choice. Cut around the template and then remove the pins.
Cut the face off the end of the template and then pin this piece to two sheets of the cream felt. Cut around them and remove the pins.
Black thread
Pin both of the faces to the brown felt and then move one piece to the side. Take the other piece and with some black thread, sew on a little eye, and then a nose to the tip of the face. If you prefer, use the tiniest button you can find to sew on for the eye.
Cut a tiny leaf-shaped piece of brown felt for the hedgehog’s ear. Sew the wider end onto the side of the face.
If you are using the brown felt then follow the next step, otherwise skip ahead to sew everything together. Thread your needle with the light brown thread and sew little “spines” all over the body.
Pin the two pieces together and start sewing everything up. You can use any kind of stitch you refer for this, just make sure the stitches are close together so that the kapok doesn’t spill out.
When you have nearly finished sewing up the hedgehog, stuff it with a little kapok, stuffing more into the body than the nose. Make it really quite plump so that your pins will stick into it without hassle.
When you’re finished, push all of your pins and needles into the pin cushion.