Quilty's Peyote Beaded Pincushion

[Quilty]

Quilty's Peyote Beaded Pincushion Tutorial

This tutorial describes how the pincushion in the photo below was made, providing detailed step-by-step instructions with photo illustrations.

It goes hand-in-hand with another tutorial here on how to do One-Drop Peyote Stitch directly on to a prepared item.

You will find instructions in this tutorial for preparing an item for beading (in this case a small empty wooden spool) and for making it into a pincushion after the beadwork on the spool has been completed.

http://community.visiblesoul.com/forums/images/1098587396-PPCa.jpg

My pincushion was made from an old empty cotton reel (spool) and beaded with Delica DBR (size 12/o - also called size 11/o) beads.
The pincushion itself was made from Dupion Silk.
My favourite antique (1880's) Charles Horner "Dorcas" steel core silver thimble alongside it should give you an indication of the size of the finished item.
It stands just a tad over 2 inches tall and measures about 1 ¾ inches across the pincushion top.

These are very easily made and would be an attractive little gift for a friend who sews, embroiders or quilts (or beads!)

[Quilty]

Your Beading needs for the Peyote Pincushion:

I chose Delica size 12/o beads because they are so uniform in size and shape, and they come in a great range of colours.

This page was written mainly for those new to beading so may easily be skipped by the more experienced beady types.

For those unfamiliar with Delicas, you can see here just some of the colour range - it is quite extensive and this allows for the creation of some very interesting design work.

http://community.visiblesoul.com/forums/images/1098587536-PPCb.jpg

Whatever beads you decide to use for this project, they should be about this same size, or no bigger than size 10/o beads.

Size 10/o beads threaded will measure 16 beads to the inch.
Size 11/o beads threaded will measure 18 beads to the inch.
Delicas threaded will measure 19 beads to the inch.
Size 12/o Czech Seed Beads threaded measure approximately 21 to the inch.

You will need at least two colours to create a pattern, but preferably 3 to 5 or more.

Delicas are also a little more expensive than other seed beads, but not wildly so.

It took about 1250 Delica DBR beads to make my pincushion, which is about 6.5 grams of beads (190 beads per gram).

Delicas are often sold in 10 gram tubes at around $3.60 per tube.
You can buy more expensive metallic ones that cost up towards $10 per tube.
(Yes, despite being a Kiwi, I am talking US dollars.)
I understand that it is possible to buy tubes that have a mix of colours. If you like sorting beads, that would be a less expensive way to go.

You will need a thread conditioner to strengthen the thread, to help prevent it from fraying, and to help reduce tangles and knots forming as you work with a long length of thread at a time.
I like to use "Thread Heaven" but you may also use beeswax.
I've heard of folks using Chapstick (for sore lips) as a thread conditioner and reporting that it works very well.

Nymo thread is very good for this kind of beadwork. It is both fine and tough.
It is a waxed nylon thread that often comes on 64-yard or 300-yard spools in different colours.
It is sized from 00 to FF (00 is the thinnest), but sizes B and D are the most popular choices.

For this kind of project I often use an ordinary Sharps needle, size #11. Sharps are shorter than beading needles, and I find that is better for doing One-Drop Peyote Stitch.
I'm forever bending my needle, but find that the bend it in makes it even more useful.
Whatever needle you choose to use, check that the eye of it will pass through the hole in the bead you are using. You will be passing through each bead twice, and your needle and thread must not be too thick so that you unable to do so.

I also like to set up my work space so that everything is close at hand, tidy, and takes very little room.
Like this...

http://community.visiblesoul.com/forums/images/1098587635-PPCc.jpg

[Quilty]

Other materials required:

You will need an old empty thread spool.

It is important to find one that has straight sides, NOT concave or indented as some are. The straight sides mean you don't have to fuss with increasing or decreasing the number of beads per round.

http://community.visiblesoul.com/forums/images/1098587715-PPC01.jpg

My little thread spool stands about 1¼ inches high and is the same measurement across the diameter too - short and stumpy looking.
The one I will be using here is a plastic one, but very similar to the old wooden ones in the photo above.

You will also need...

* Some thin card such as that on the back of a pad of writing paper.
* A piece of fabric for making the actual pincushion and covering both ends of the spool - about 12 inches square would be plenty. I am using dupion silk here, but you could use anything that you thought would be suitable for a pincushion.
* Some craft glue. Be mindful of any possible reaction between certain solvents and the fabric you have chosen.
* A small strip of felt is required, as wide as the height of the spool and enough to wrap completely around the circumference.
* A needle and strong cotton thread - matching colour to the fabric and felt.
* A small amount of polyester fibrefill or batting with which to stuff the pin cushion.
* Sharp scissors.

And of course, all those beading supplies - nymo thread, thread conditioner, beading needle, beads.

[Quilty]

Preparing the spool:

Place the spool on the thin cardboard and trace around it. Do the same again so that you have two separate circles.
Cut out these circles and trim them so that they are just a tad smaller than the ends of the spool - big enough to cover the ends but not to protrude over the edge of the spool.
The effect you want is a clean smooth surface without any indentation from the centre hole.

Here is my cotton reel showing a circle of thin cardboard glued over the end. I have cut out a larger circle of the dupion silk fabric that I intend using to cover the end, and the spool is just sitting in the centre of it to show you the size. I glued a cardboard circle to each end.

http://community.visiblesoul.com/forums/images/1098587785-PPC02.jpg

In the next step I spread a little ring of glue all the way around the BODY of the spool (NOT the end) close to the lip of the spool. I kept the glue away from the end just in case it left a mark on the fabric after it had dried.
I then placed that end of the spool on the centre of the circle of silk fabric and carefully folded up the extra fabric so that it covered the end and adhered to the body of the spool.
Before the glue set, I carefully eased out any tucks and puckers, etc, holding it in place with a length of cotton thread wound tightly around it. It is easier to do this after winding a length of thread tightly around the spool.
Using embroidery scissors you can snip back the excess fabric that might add too much bulk over the body of the spool.

http://community.visiblesoul.com/forums/images/1098587863-PPC03.jpg

I then cut a piece of felt exactly the right size to wrap quite tightly around the spool.

http://community.visiblesoul.com/forums/images/1098588123-PPC04.jpg

Notice in the photo below that the width does not cover the lip of the spool.

The felt gets hidden entirely by the beading, and should not overlap the lip or it will show on your finished item.
Also, there should be no overlap where the ends of the felt meet either.
A couple of lines of glue should be spread on the piece of felt before it is wrapped around the spool, the ends being brought together to meet exactly. Trim it as you work if necessary.

http://community.visiblesoul.com/forums/images/1098588277-PPC05.jpg

Before the glue set, I stitched the two ends together, lacing them firmly so that they did not pull apart. You do not want the ends to overlap as that will make a bulky line you could see through your finished work.

http://community.visiblesoul.com/forums/images/1098588352-PPC06.jpg

If you have got this far, and have all your beading supplies at hand, you are now ready to start beading.

At this point you will need to refer to the tutorial entitled "One-Drop Peyote Stitch on a prepared round item" if you require beading instructions.

Finish the beadwork on the spool first before continuing with the instructions on the next pages.

[Quilty]

Making the pincushion top (I):

Cut out a circle of the fabric you have chosen for your pincushion top.

http://community.visiblesoul.com/forums/images/1098588421-PPC22.jpg

I cut my circle with a diameter of 3 ½ inches but somewhere between 3 and 4 ½ inches in diameter is fine.

Cut a length of strong thread and using it doubled, take running stitches around the circumference of the circle about ¼inch in from the edge.

http://community.visiblesoul.com/forums/images/1098588483-PPC23.jpg

Pulling on both ends of the thread, gather up the circumference to make a "yo-yo" (as a quilter would call it) or little pouch which you can fill with polyester stuffing.

http://community.visiblesoul.com/forums/images/1098588539-PPC24.jpg

Leave it open enough that you can push the stuffing into it, but closed enough to keep it in there.

[Quilty]

Making the pincushion top (II):

I used some scrap offcuts of polyester batting for the stuffing.
I teased them out first then scrunched them into a ball.

http://community.visiblesoul.com/forums/images/1098588601-PPC25.jpg

Keep enough tension on the threads to help enclose the polyester while you are stuffing the pincushion.

http://community.visiblesoul.com/forums/images/1098588659-PPC26.jpg

You need to stuff the little pouch pretty firmly.

[Quilty]

Making the pincushion top (III):

For this next part you may need help from an extra pair of willing hands. :)

Carefully pull both ends of the thread together to completely enclose the stuffing with the fabric.

http://community.visiblesoul.com/forums/images/1098588717-PPC27.jpg

Tie the thread ends (definitely an extra finger to hold the knot as you are tying it will help) and then thread them into the needle and stitch several times over the closure to secure it well.

Add some drops of glue to make sure nothing breaks or comes undone.
Apply glue to the top surface of your beaded spool.
Apply a little more glue to the centre of your pincushion as well.

http://community.visiblesoul.com/forums/images/1098588780-PPC28.jpg

[Quilty]

Making the pincushion top (IV):

Press the two glued surfaces together.

http://community.visiblesoul.com/forums/images/1098588988-PPC29.jpg

I found it easier to do this with the pincushion upsidedown on a horizontal surface.
That way I could make sure that the spool was properly centred on to the pincushion.

Place a heavy object (this book was just the right amount of weightiness) on top to keep the glued surfaces in full contact with each other.

http://community.visiblesoul.com/forums/images/1098589044-PPC30.jpg

You might also try a G clamp, or if you are the infinitely patient type with nothing else to do, simply hold it yourself for the next several hours! ;)
Keep the pressure on your pincushion until the glue has set and dried.

[Quilty]

Finishing the pincushion:

When the glue has dried, if you want a nice looking finish, take a matching thread and with very fine "invisible" stitches, sew the pincushion to the fabric at the top edge of the spool.
You may also like to cover this seam with a row of beads threaded and couched securely into place on the seam line, or with a little length of suitable braiding or a pretty ribbon.
This could be either sewn on, or glued, or both, according to your level of perfectionism. ;)

This is the last step in the making of your pincushion.

Go to it, folks!
Have fun, and don't forget to post a photo of your finished beaded pincushion in the Beadwork Photo Gallery here for all to admire and applaud.

[Beadfoxx]

Love this tutorial. It is very well written. I can't wait to make one.

[visiblesoul]

Thanks Quilty. This is very good.