Cozy Cottage Pin Cushion

QUICK! Lori Holt’s 2016 Cozy Cottage Calendar – Get $5 OFF with code: COZY2016 – Limited time only

When I was a girl, I was a bookworm. I would often have to pull my head out of a book to go to eat dinner or do some chore that Mum needed done. I have distinct memories of going through a stage of changing into the longest skirts in my wardrobe just so I could curl my legs under them as I sat on the couch to read a book each afternoon after school.

One of my all-time favourite books was one that had been Mum’s as a girl. It was called “Mimosa’s Field” and told of a girl who had a cottage in a field where she would play house. I vaguely remember that she was an orphan and I really can’t tell you much more about the story but I still have a vivid picture in my head of how I thought the cottage must look. I was enchanted with the idea of having a real cottage to play in!

When the girls at Fat Quarter Shop contacted me about receiving a copy of Lori Holt’s Cozy Cottage Calendar for 2016, I was enchanted by these cottages too. They are so cute! I was even more delighted when the calendar arrived and I could have a good look. Such gorgeous pictures of the projects and nice big calendar spaces making it a really practical family calendar.

The bonus, of course, is that you have patterns for the cozy cottage blocks in the back of the calendar. You can choose from an 8″ block or a super cute 4″ block, and there are also complete instructions to make the blocks into a quilt or a cushion when you’re done.

I created a petite 4″ block last weekend at Creative Craft Retreat using a Hello Darling charm square pack. The 5″ squares were just the right size to cut all the tiny pieces and I love the red and aqua combination. I couldn’t resist a strawberry patch out front.

The finished block was the perfect size to turn into a pin cushion so I added a border and backing. Here’s how I did it so you can make one too.

How to make a Cozy Cottage Pin Cushion

Start with a 4″ Cozy Cottage block using the instructions in the back of the Calendar by Lori Holt of Bee in my Bonnet.

Next, cut a 5″ square into 5 x 1″ strips. Set 2 strips aside and join the other three together at the short ends to create a long 1″ wide strip. Cut this in half.

Take the two 5″ x 1″ strips and join them to the sides of your Cozy Cottage block using a quarter inch seam. Press them flat. Then attach the two longer strips to the top and bottom of the block. These will be longer than you need so trim the excess overhanging ends after you have them joined and pressed.

Now your block has a border. I chose a contrasting fabric to create a frame.

Cut another fabric piece for the backing of your pin cushion – a 5.5″ square. I didn’t have quite the right minty green in my stash but these dots are still darling. (I feel like they might be Riley Blake fabric but I’m not 100% sure as my scrap didn’t have a selvedge.)

Lay the backing on top of the framed block with right sides together. Stitch around the outer edge leaving a gap of about 2″ for turning.

Clip the corners (as in the photo) and turn through. Use a knitting needle to push out the corner points.

Stuff with cushion filling and slip stitch the opening closed.

Want to see some more projects using Cozy Cottages? Check out the list of lovelies here.

Disclosure: I was gifted a copy of this calendar to review. All opinions are my own.