Japanese Pear Pincushions Pattern

How to make an Pear Pin cushion | Sewing Tutorial and Pattern.

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The template does not have a seam allowance added so you need to add ¼ inch all round.
You need to cut 6 pieces of fabric. I have made them with 6 different fabrics or with 3 fabrics or
with 2 fabrics or even with one fabric in the case of the wool ones. If you only used 4 pieces
you would get a thinner pear but I haven’t tried that yet as I like the shape.

I stitch them together in pairs (right sides together), then stitch together until all 6 are joined. I
leave a hole at the top of the last seam, about an inch long. I have made them with the hole
half way down but the top works best for me.

It would be possible to draw round the template on fabric, and stitch before you cut them out
leaving the ¼ inch round with your 3 pairs. This might be more accurate.
 

Turn the pear the right way out. If you decide to clip the curve do so with caution as each clip
makes the fabric give and changes the shape of the pear. I usually now make only one tiny cut
where the pear bulges. My pears are all slightly different and that is due to the tightness of the
weave of the fabric, snipping the seam allowance and how firmly they are stuffed so work out
what you like best. Stuff polyester filler in the bottom. Once you have a nice shape I make a
sort of hollow and add some ceramic baking beans. You can use rice or lentils but you can
often feel them through the pear. My aim is to add some weight but I don’t want to be able to
feel them when I touch the outside of the pear. I then continue to stuff the pincushion – the
more the better as it needs to be really firm to stand upright. Once I am happy, I carefully stitch
up most of the hole though I sometimes add a bit more stuffing as I finish.
 

The felt stalk is a rectangle of felt, rolled up and stitched. I usually use black or brown. This fits
in at the top just before you stitch the pear closed. It usually looks a bit of a mess at the top but
don’t worry, stuff a bit more filling in and the leaf will cover the stitching. I cut the leaf from felt
freehand so they are all different but there is a template on the sheet. Recently I have used 2
pieces of felt and I sometimes embroider both sides. I usually blanket stitch round the outside.
 

I add beads or sequins or leave them as they are – it all depends on the fabric I have used and
when they are for a present I usually add a bit more detail. The leaf is stitched to the bottom of
the stalk at the top of the pear and can cover up bits that don’t look brilliant. You can add
another leaf or make your leaf from 2 colours of felt. It’s up to you to be creative. As you can
see from the photos below, I sometimes add a ring of felt around the stalk and/or a small circle
of felt on the centre of the base. It makes it neater and hides the joins if they’re not perfect!
You can see that on the felted wool pears I stitched crosses on the seams, initially as I wasn’t
happy with the seams but afterwards because everyone preferred them.
 

If your fabric is fine then use lightweight interfacing on each piece of fabric to stabilise it. I did
this on Oakshott fabric and would do so on Liberty. Beware of linen as it frays! With wool, I
shrank the template to 80% on a photocopier. You can enlarge the template and make door
stops. The original photo uses leather for a stalk – the possibilities are endless.
 

The pears seem to be popular with sewers and non sewers as they are very decorative. They
make great Christmas decorations on a mantelpiece or windowsill. Small ones would look great
on a tree. The wool pears were stuffed with wool to ensure that they were 100% wool apart
from the beans and the cotton thread to stitch the pieces.