The Tomato Pin Cushion-A Free Motion Quilt Tutorial

February 24, 2015
Pin Cushion Free Motion Quilting

Tomato Pin cushion TutorialGood morning, Quilters!

Happy Tuesday!  How’s the weather where YOU live?

There’s no tomatoes in my garden right now…just ice. It’s was -17F here in Minnesota for the last few days.  (Good quilting weather!)

Do any of you have one of these tomatoes in your sewing room?

The Tomato Pin Cushion Tutorial

Begin by drawing a rectangle:  3 inches wide by 2 inches tall.

Begin stitching on the top line.  Stitch a flattened oval within the lines.

PinCushion.FMQ.LKennedy002Stitch a smaller oval within the first oval.

PinCushion.FMQ.LKennedy003Stitch several pointed leaves on top of the two ovals.

PinCushion.FMQ.LKennedy004Stitch three smaller pointed leaves on top of the oval.

PinCushion.FMQ.LKennedy005Stitch the pins by stitching a straight line, add a flat top and then stitch right back on the previous line of stitching.  Stitch over several stitches and add another pin.

PinCushion.FMQ.LKennedy006Add a Needle (Tutorial HERE)

PinCushion.FMQ.LKennedy007And a swirl of thread…

Pin Cushion Free Motion QuiltingThe perfect pin cushion!

How do you fix a broken tomato?

Tomato paste!

Hope this brings a warm smile to your face today!

Lori

PS…This tutorial was stitched on my BERNINA 820 with Sulky Rayon 40 wt on top (white) and Superior’s King Tut cotton (green) with Aurifil 50 wt cotton in the bobbin.

Don’t forget to sign up for Superior’s gift certificate Giveaway HERE

PPS…All images, information and tutorials are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only.  Feel free to share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt.  For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com.  Thanks!

 

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26 comments

  • Hi Lori, I’m looking for the sewing machine tutorial and can’t find it….is there one?? Lol I want to put it next to my pincushion on my quilt-along spool quilt. Thanks

  • I have a couple of tomato pincushions, one of which I’ve had since I was little and my mother was teaching me to sew. Now I use it to keep track of my sewing machine needles. (I did not make this up – I read it somewhere.). I used a pigma pen to label each section with the needle type and size, for example, J 80 for Jeans size 80/12, Q 90 for Quilting size 90/14, etc. I keep used needles in their respective sections, and a ball-topped straight pin in the section corresponding to the needle that is in the machine.

    Loved the joke – made me laugh! Looking forward to trying the FMQ a tomato pincushion. Thank you, Lori, for being such a great teacher and an inspiration to us all!

    LK

  • Loved your joke! Appreciate the time you give us and the talent that you have is amazing!!

  • Leslie Schmidt

    Too cute, Lori. I have a vintage tomato pin cushion that I’ve had for all my married life (going on 44 years) and longer. Love the tomato joke.

  • I almost hate to tell you about the weather down here. My heart goes out to you every time you post your thermometer readings. When I left work today, it was still 70 at 6 PM. I’m a Jersey girl, so I know winters. And I don’t think I’ll ever go back!

    I’ve got several tomato pin cushions, and only found out recently that the strawberry that’s usually attached to the tomato can be used to sharpen your needles! Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks!

    LOVE your tutorials!

    • WordPress.com Support

      So jealous! Can’t even remember the color green!

  • Kathy M

    My friend was traveling, using her tomato pin cushion. She lost her needle and thought it was in the tomato. She ended up opening the pin cushion to find her needle and found 32 needles inside her tomato. Who knew that tomatoes ate needles!!

    • WordPress.com Support

      Hilarious! So THAT is where all my needles are?

      • So does anyone else gingerly squeeze there tomato to see if their needle is in there…I have…LOL!

        • WordPress.com Support

          Yes and was shocked by how many needles were inside!!! One of my pin cushions is from my grandmother so I am sure some of the needles are hers!

  • Cathy W.

    I really appreciate your tutorials and have sent a link to those in our guild.
    I really hope they sign up because you are a wealth of knowledge. Thank you for making the tomato simply beautiful and easy.

  • bobbiesews

    Have one and love the sharpener part-for some reason I seem to get many dull pins(maybe I use them too much???) Am really enjoying your blog,thanks for doing it.

  • Great tutorial, Lori…as usual…I do love Tuesdays! We’re having a heat wave here in southern WV today…it was only 6 below this morning….pouring the snow now with anywhere from 12 to 20 inches on the ground….cabin fever and I are close-speaking terms…lol

  • Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy ALL of your posts! Thank you for sharing!

  • Rosemarazzle

    Rosemary B here:
    Hello and Happy Day Lori, I have been reading. No time to comment but I have been reading all of your posts.
    I love this to-MAH-to pin cushion and I will try to make it.
    This looks pretty easy.

  • Susan

    Love the tomato joke. I hadn’t heard this one before 🙂

  • Just love it…and thanks for including the thread you used!

  • gerry

    Thank you so much for, again, a wonderful tutorial!

  • JoyceO

    Tomato paste?, cute!!! I don’t think that any sewing room is complete without a “tomato cushion.” I even have one that once belonged to my Grandmother!!

  • Well you sure made that LOOK easy…and sew cute too!!

  • How did the tomato get to be the universal symbol for a pin cushion?? I have always wondered.

  • Linda Copas

    I just found you thanks to AQS. I have never machine quilted. I hope to try some on tablerunners.

  • blanca rivero - blancher

    gracias por compartir estos hermosos tutoriales de dibujos para acolchar,yo los guardo en mi carpeta de word,traducidos,me es muy didactica tu manera de enseñar.mil gracias.

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