All done!

Here is the last of the three giveaway pincushions promised.  This will head out to Sarah very soon.

Paper piecing an "S" may be the hardest block I've ever done.  

But, I learned a ton and am glad that I've done it.

The next time I have a giveaway, I promise a quicker turnaround on the prizes.  

Thank you for your patience, Sarah!

Two pincushions down, one to go.

Poor Vanesa has had to wait eons for her "V" pincushion from my giveaway.  "V" is an easy letter to paper piece so I spent way too long trying to figure out how to make it more complicated.

Seriously.

I have some issues....

This is the second draft.  For the first draft I made the same block to start, then I machine stitched around it to accent, and then I thought I'd try a curved corners triangle shape.  Disaster!  When I stuffed it, there were puckers all over the place and it was too big and hideous.  That was the first paper piecing I've ever done that went straight into the trash.

But this version I'm happy with.  I think the hand stitching around the letter suits it just fine.  Vanesa asked for blues, so I used a 30's repro print for the letter and a blue Hoopla dot for the back. 

(Charise's "C" pincushion is here.)
Sarah, yours is next on the sewing table.
The two curves in opposite directions for an "S" may be my most difficult piecing design yet. I have absolutely no need to further complicate that one.

One pincushion down, two to go.

I got so excited by the number of comments on my custom pincushion giveaway, that I decided to make three of them.  Well, I have one finished now.  Charise requested a "C" in red, aqua and/or mustard.

I used a mix of paper and improvisational piecing.  Straight paper piecing will give accurate results and a clean finished project, but I'm often too lazy to go to the copy store to reverse my drawing and also too lazy to wrestle with the paper for the tiny piecing.  So, first I start with a detailed drawing. 

Then I make at least two regular copies of my drawing (my copier at home can do this much) and I cut out piece 1 like a template and I cut out pieces 1-7 all joined as a second template. 

You'll see that pieces 6 and 7 have extra hash marks because the red fabric has to be joined to the aqua background fabric before joining it to piece 1.   So, next I prepare pieces 6 and 7 by sewing two small strips of the two colors together.  Then I use my template of piece 1 to cut the aqua background fabric adding a 1/4" seam allowance all around.  Next I sew pieces 1-7 together and use the 1-7 template to trim off the excess fabric (remembering to add a 1/4" seam allowance).  Then I continue piecing 8-16 on.  Then I trim that to a square and make it into a pincushion.

I don't know if that clarifies anything, but I thought I'd try to explain my process a little.  Someday I'll have to remember to take more pictures when I'm in the midst of this piecing.  (I think I turn into a sewing/cutting/ironing whirling dervish when I'm in the middle of making these blocks, so the photos may be awhile.)

I placed some plain white fabric behind the front and back squares of the pincushion before sewing them together.  I stuffed this pincushion with crushed walnut shells--otherwise known as "lizard litter" at the pet store.  Then I whip stitched the opening closed.

Okay!  This will be on its way to Charise soon!
I have a "V" and an "S" pincushions left to do for the giveaway, so stay tuned. 

For those of you that want to try paper or improv piecing and designing your own blocks, I highly recommend practicing with letters of the alphabet. Especially L, T, H, V, M, A or a squared-off O. Then you can try curved letters C, U, D or a curved O.  I'd save a curved S, B, G, Q, R and lowercase e and g for last.  I did other posts here and here about my designs for a couple of other letters.  Good luck to you!