Cupcake Pincushion- A Pretty Gift by Julie Hodges

Updated: 21 December 2010

These look almost good enough to eat!

REQUIREMENTS Size: approx. 3" diameter, 3½" high *

• Medium weight iron–on interfacing
• Scraps felt*
• Small piece of pelmet Vilene
• Stuffing or scrap pieces of wadding torn up
• Thread to match felt
• Beads for decoration

*I bought my patterned felt from the local branch of Dunelm.


Cake in its case

1. Trace side and base of cupcake, given full size in Pattern Section, onto iron-on interfacing. Iron onto wrong side of the felt.

2a. Overlap sides by 1/8" and join together using a backstitch. The base will then fit into the circle you have made. Stitch in place using an overstitch.

b. Cut a small circle of pelmet Vilene to put into base of cupcake. Use the base pattern and cut inside the line.

3. Take the cake pattern and cut one from felt and, with a double thread, run a gathering stitch around the edge.

4. Fill the cupcake base with stuffing and then fill centre of the cake circle with stuffing. Pull up thread until you get the right size to fit into top of cake case. Fasten off double thread.

5. Pin cake to case by just stabbing the pins into the stuffing; this will hold the top in place whilst you get ready to start stitching.

6. Start at join and with a backstitch go round edge of cake case about 1/8" from top. When you get near to the finish, you might want to add some more stuffing until you get the desired shape. Finish off stitching when you have enough stuffing inside it.


Icing

1. From felt cut an icing shape and lay in place on top, hold in place with a few pins just pushed into the stuffing.

2. Using small circle cut a cherry from felt and, with a double thread, run a gathering stitch around the edge. Fill the centre with stuffing, pull up the gathers, fasten off and stitch in place round the edge.

3. Decorate top of icing with beads to look like hundreds and thousands.