Book Review: Pincushions to Sew and Sewing Tuffets & Poufs

I got an email from one of my affiliates, Leisure Arts, asking if I wanted to review some books. When I saw the books up for review, I said – “Yes, please!” Since these books are offered as eBooks or printed books, I assumed I’d be receiving the digital copy of the books. Much to my surprise, they mailed me the printed books! One of the books is about making pincushions and the other is about making tuffets & poufs – in case the title didn’t give it away. There’s a review for both books in this post & some makes from the pincushion book. Alright y’all, let’s see what these books are all about!

Disclaimer:  I received these books in exchange for doing this review post. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a small commission if you buy something through my link or ad. This does not change your cost it just helps keep this blog running. Thanks for your support! See Privacy Policy & Affiliate Deals page for more information.

Before we begin, I thought I’d tell you a little bit about Leisure Arts, for those that aren’t familiar with the website. You will find books on just about anything crafty you want to learn about at Leisure Arts. There are books on paper crafts, sewing, crochet & even coloring. They even have a section for supplies! Find out more about them on their “About Us” page.

Both of the books in this post are priced at $9.99 for the paperback version or $7.99 for the digital eBook.

Sewing Tuffets & Poufs

The first book I’m going to talk about is “Sewing Tuffets & Poufs” by Billie Steward. There are 5 different projects in the book, which do all require some sewing, but only 2 are fully sewn projects. The other 3 require some skills beyond sewing because you are building a base & attaching feet.

The tuffet on the front of the book has a base and legs. On the back of the book you can see the four other tuffets & poufs. The two on top are fully sewn & the two on the bottom have a base & legs. I think all of them are very cute & could be useful in many ways.

There is an extensive shopping list for each project that seems to cover just about anything you might need to make it. Although I haven’t made a project from this book, the instructions seem very detailed. There are lots of helpful diagrams with dimensions & notes with helpful tips to complete the project. I can’t wait to make one!

This little tuffet is probably my favorite. I love the buckle details & contrast fabric in the pleated corners.

My current footstool for my thinking chair is very stiff & not very comfortable to rest my feet on. I had thought about giving it a makeover & adding cushion. Now, I think I may just make me a new one! Plus, it’s much more fun to say “tuffet” than “footstool”!  : D

Pincushions to Sew

As a sewer, I find that I can never have too many pincushions! I think that is directly related to the fact that one can never have too many pins. Ha!

In the book, “Pincushions to Sew” by Edie Eckman, you get patterns & instructions for making 10 different pincushions.

These patterns range from beginner to a little more advanced, so there’s really something for everyone. Pincushions are a great way to use up scraps & they make great gifts!

I decided to give some of these patterns a try to see how they worked out. If you’re a sewer, you probably have everything you need to whip some of these up in no time! The shopping list gives you overall sizes for the fabrics needed, so I would look at the cut sizes to see if you have some scraps that would work.

I used fabric leftovers from a quilt top I recently finished. There were several charm squares leftover & I managed to squeeze out enough for 3 pincushions. Well, really 2 & a half, but I’ll tell you about that below!

The Pincushions

All of these pincushions had fairly easy to follow instructions & also come with a shopping list.

Pincushion #1

The first pincushion is made up of 6 elongated hexagon pieces. I had five charm squares with a rose print & had to add one wordy print in for the 6th. The pattern for these pieces fit diagonally on a 5″ square perfectly.

This went together fairly easily. Just remember to mark your seam intersections included in the pattern to help with the points at the top & bottom. I was pleased to see the layout of the word fabric included the phrase “A needle in a haystack”!  : D

Pincushion #2

The second pincushion I had to make adjustments to, but that’s not because of the pattern. The strips on the side needed to be 5 1/2″, but I was using 5″ squares & strips. I just changed the layout a little so I could still use my fabric.

For some reason, there is a button listed in the shopping supplies for this pincushion. I couldn’t see where the button was used, but I decided to add one just for fun!  This is the back…

Pincushion #3

The last pincushion I “attempted” to make was a hexagon shaped, layered, prairie point pain in my behind, but I digress. This was the last one I worked on & it was rather late in the evening & I was just too tired to be working on this really. I did manage to get the top of the pincushion sewn up even if I couldn’t figure out the rest.

I think I overstuffed the top & it just made it really difficult to try to get the side piece on. The instructions could probably include a diagram or pictures to help figure out how to add the side on. I also noticed it only calls for 1 large hexagon in the instructions when you really need two. Anyway, I’ve decided to add it to an old candle tin & turn it into a sewing kit.  : )

Even though I struggled with the last pattern, the other two went together really easily. I’m probably going to make one of each, so I can fill up my basket! One of these may make it to a quilty friend to help cheer up their day.

I think both of these books have lots of value for the price. I’ll definitely be making more pincushions & trying out the projects in the tuffets & poufs book. Hope y’all enjoyed my review, have a great weekend!

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