I can hardly believe it, Molly and Mama just turned four! Those four years have flown by. To celebrate this little anniversary, I wanted to do something to get the creative juices flowing. I decided to host the first ever Molly and Mama Pin Cushion Swap! I asked others to join me, and was so excited when a whole bunch of clever creatives came onboard. A Facebook group was set up so I could share the details and we could all share ideas, inspiration and our completed pin cushions.

I love pin cushions and I love felt, so I already had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to make.  And I’d been in ‘swaps’ with some of the other contributors before, so I had an idea of their style. But I really had no idea what people had in mind. I left things open for everyone to make whatever they liked. I was just so eager to see what everyone would create, and I was so blown away with the results!

I had always wanted to create a strawberry pin cushion, so decided that was my inspiration for the swap. I stitched a pin cushion, pin topper and a matching needle book too. Pop over HERE to read all about my project.

And now that the swap is over, I’m so excited to show you the other entries! You can see the full album of entries on the Molly and Mama Facebook Page.

We all have different tastes, and areas of expertise. But a swap is a lovely way to get creative and put in your best effort, knowing that the recipient will be appreciative of the time, care and love that has gone in to making your pin cushion. It’s a wonderful feeling being able to show them off to you.

There were some lovely pastel creations, with some clever stitchery! Below we have a hexie and pom pom pin cushion from Eve from Une Petite Princess. The clever floral pin cushion cone with pockets comes from Steph from Me and Leigh Creations.  Cassie from Three Kittens made a mini dresden on her square polka dot pin cushion. And Larissa upcycled some vintage floral fabric for her pin cushion and scissor keep. Aren’t they pretty?

There were quite a few cupcakes showing up for the swap. This top left felt creation comes from Jane at Sweet Tashie. Dianne at Snowdrops stitched a macaroon to go with her cupcake! And Helen’s cupcake design had the added bonus of having storage underneath. They all look good enough to eat!

What really impressed me the most about the swap, was the original use of different techniques and ideas. Peekay from 4Mygirls crocheted these tiny mushrooms to a rock! So whimsical. Look at the crochet flowers on this pretty garden inspired piece from Vanessa at Leviolets Lovelies. I was lucky enough to receive this one! Shannon at Shan Ma cleverly used a photo frame to house her padded pin cushion. And Christie spent lots of time on the cross stitched heart details on her peach pretty!

Do you recognise the pineapple on this patchwork pin cushion from Rachael at Sew Today, Clean Tomorrow? She reduced the Molly and Mama Percy Pineapple pattern down to just 1.5″ high. Crazy? Yes! But also awesome! Rachael from La Emilotte not only adorned a glass jar with flowers and floral, but also added a pretty pastel needle book too. Claire from Rosie Red also used patchwork for her bright pink floral pin cushion. Then she added a special mug cover that makes a handy caddy for sewing supplies. Clever much? Hexie paper piecing is all the rage right now. So Kristina from Harley Barley Designs is right on trend with this little ball!

Animals also made a bit of theme at the swap too, especially mice! Gabrielle’s brown mouse and matching needle book are a clever  combination between florals and felt. Robyn from Obbie Dobbie appliquéd the cover of her needle book. This ‘mouse house’ suits her little mouse pin cushion perfectly. Another mouse comes from Trudi at Bella designs. She added pattern weights to her set too. What a lovely idea! And the beautifully adorned snail was created by Lilly Longstocking Handmade. Annette’s attention to detail here is amazing!

We also had tea cups, trinket boxes, figurines and more. Candice loves her felt! This tea cup pin cushion with felt flower was the Rose Petal Collections entry. Luong from Lil Bubs Couture upcycled this trinket box by sewing her pin cushion under the lid. Such a clever idea. Jess is also known for her upcycling, and this pretty figurine from Lulu & Jess will brighten up any sewing space! And Holly from Zoe’s Pocket made a mini dress form. I’m so impressed.

The last entry to the swap was this little caravan from Sheryl at Sweet Calico. The attention to detail is just lovely! Hosting a swap has been a wonderful chance to meet other creatives online, be introduced to some lovely handmade businesses and be inspired to try new techniques, ideas and styles. It has been so much fun, that I’m even hoping to host another swap soon. This time I’m thinking Christmas! If you’re in Australia or New Zealand and you’d like to join in, feel free to contact me.

Many of the pin cushions have now reached their new homes. And are being lovingly admired and utilised! And I’m so pleased to have had a small hand in bringing creatives together to share their love of sewing.

I hope this little collection of pin cushions has given you some inspiration to sew your own. If you’d like to try making one, the Miss Molly pattern and the Sleepy Cloud design are always popular options for beginners. I have a number of easy to follow tutorials HERE too. I like writing about pin cushions too. There’s more inspiration in this post also!

Thanks for stopping by today. Happy stitching, Lauren x

This post was written by Lauren Wright and appeared first on Molly and Mama http://www.MollyandMama.com.au