Summer's Flight - Goodbye summer, hello FREE PATTERN!

I'm not sure what it is about September, but it always makes me a little sad...maybe a leftover from childhood and the end of those long summers when you could do whatever you pleased!

So to fight off the September blues, I thought I'd make everyone happy and share a little freebie! I designed this modern birdie to evoke the colors of late summer and the approach of fall. I love pincushions, so that's what I made out of this chart, but it's the perfect size (3" x 5") to turn into an ornament, a cell-phone case, or you can frame it and add a little burst of color to your desk.

You can download the color chart by clicking HERE

Or if you prefer a black and white chart, click HERE

(If you'd like to make a pincushion as shown, the directions are below.)

In addition to the pattern, I'm excited to be doing a whole month of fun stuff over at the cross stitch forum on Reddit! Throughout the month of September, folks will be doing a stitch-a-long of the new design, I'll be doing a pattern giveaway, an "Ask Me Anything" interview post, and a special discount for Reddit users. You can find the cross stitch community on Reddit here: reddit.com/r/CrossStitch  

I hope you enjoy this little Satsuma summer gift! Please share your photos of finished projects on Instagram by tagging them with #satsumastreet or tag me @craftnik. Or share them in the Reddit forum!

xoxo Jody

Pincushion Directions:

Materials:

- cross stitch fabric for top - 5" x 7" piece of 14 count Aida or 28 count linen

- backing fabric - 5" x 7" piece of any medium weight fabric

- Optional: lining fabric - 10" x 14" piece, similar color to top fabric

- sewing thread

- filling (I use a mix of polyester batting and Polyfil Polypellets stuffing beads)

- pointed stick or knitting needle

1. Stitch the chart on your choice of fabric. 

2. After pressing your stitched piece, trim to 1/2" from the checkered border all the way around. Using that piece as a guide, cut your backing piece to the same size.

3. With open weave fabrics like the linen used in this sample, I like to flat-line the fabric before sewing it up. (If you used Aida, you can probably skip steps 3-4) I use muslin or quilt cotton in the same color as the linen. Cut the lining pieces slightly larger than your top and backing pieces and pin them together, with the right side of the stitching facing up, as shown below:  

4. Using a long basting stitch, either by machine or by hand, baste the fabric and lining together 1/4" from the cross stitch border. As you do this, make sure you are keeping the cross stitch fabric "square"... not distorting the weave in any way. Press your fabric pieces again, and then trim the lining (but not the linen) to just outside the basting stitching (you can see this in the photo below).

5. With the right sides together, stitch the top and back together using a 3/8" seam allowance. Leave an opening of about 2" in one of the sides for turning. Trim your corners close to the stitching as shown:

6. Carefully turn your pincushion right side out. Do this as gently and slowly as possible to avoid pulling any of your cross stitching out!

7. Using a pointed stick or knitting needle, gently push out your corners. Press the whole piece again, this time folding in the seam allowance on the opening.

8. To fill the pincushion, I like a 50/50 mix of polyester batting and Polyfil Polypellets, which are little clear plastic beads. They add weight to the item, which I think is nice with something like a pincushion which you want to sit nicely on your work surface. As you start to add your filling, try to make sure the pellets are mostly sitting on the bottom side of the pincushion and the batting is filling out the top side.

9. Once your pincushion is stuffed, stitch the opening closed by hand. Make sure to use small stitches so those pellets can't escape!

And you're done! Enjoy your new Summer's Flight pincushion, which should keep your craft table happy all year round!