Did you know you should change your sewing machine needle regularly? It’s as important as changing the oil in your car. A dull needle can ruin your fabric, but it also makes your machine work harder than it needs to. I change my needles after every 8-10 hours of sewing.
I don’t like to dispose of sharp metal in the trash – I’m always worried that it might hurt someone. I usually put all my dead needles into an old pincushion – so I thought it might be fun to make one where the needles become part of the design. A hedgehog is the perfect needle-y critter!
Make a softie hedgehog that can be a toy or a pincushion!
Janome Supplies Required
Janome supplies needed:
- 1/4″ foot O – use for all steps.
- Janome Sewing Machine (Sam uses the Horizon Memory Craft 8900 QCP)
Fabric and Notions Required
- Body: 10” square of cotton print
- Face: 5” square of contrasting print
- Ears: 3” square or scraps of felt
- Fiberfill stuffing
Instructions
Instructions:
- Download the attached pattern and cut out the pieces at the top of the page.
- Choose fabrics, making sure you get a little contrast between the face and body colors. I chose a pale peach felt for the ears, and used 10” squares from a pre-cut package for the body and face.
- Fold fabrics right sides together and pin the pattern pieces to them. You will need to flip the Base piece over to make it fit.
- Cut them out.
- Mark the darts on the wrong side of the Body pieces. The easiest way to do this is to cut the dart out of the paper pattern, and use it to mark the lines.
- Stitch the darts.
- Cut a slit into each ear, about half way up from the flat edge.
- Overlap the bottom edges a little to make the ear bend, and stitch along the bottom about 1/8” from the edge.
- Center the ears at the front edge of the body, and stitch down 1/8” from the edge.
- Pin the Face to the front of the body. Start at the center, and ease the edges of the curve. Yes, there will be a little overhang – these are dog-ears that get trimmed once the seam is sewn.
- Stitch this down. Press the seam towards the face so that ear lays back, and trim the dog-ears. Repeat with the other side.
- Pin the Bodies, right sides together, and sew along the top. Align the darts and the Face seams.
- Clip along the seam.
- With right sides facing, sew the Bases together along the straight edge, leaving a 2” gap in the seam (you will turn the softie through this hole). I usually put pins in for the gap to remind me to stop! Be sure to back-tack or lock your stitches at either side of the gap.
- Press the seam open.
- Trim off the dog-ears at the point.
- With right sides together, pin the Body to the Base. Start by pinning at either end of the Base seam, and then ease the rest together, pinning generously.
- Sew around, starting at the Nose, being sure to back-tack or lock your stitches. Flatten the Body as needed to make handling it easier.
- Trim the seam allowances at the Nose.
- Turn the hedgehog right side out through the hole. If you want to embroidery a face or sew on button eyes, now’s the time!
- Stuff with Fiberfill, making sure to poke it into the nose. Fiberfill works best when you tear off lots of small amounts rather than bigger chunks. Stuff as densely as you like.
- Using matching thread, stitch up the hole in the bottom.
- Fill with pins or needles! I used pins to make the eyes.
- Make one for a friend!