First off, I'm jen. I'm a degreed Graphic Designer by trade. I do logos and websites, etc. I live in Western Ohio, I'm married and have two dogs and two cats.

Once had dropped one of those magnetic pincushions on floor and it threw pins everywhere. In picking them up I embedded one in my foot and it broke off, so off to the ER I went. When I started making my bottlecap pincushions I thought it would to be cute little leave behind gifts for my historical re-enactment group about 2006. I thought a bottlecap wasa handy base for a size for any bag, basket or pouch for the small projects we'd all carry with us to work on. Then I got carried away.

I started wanting to see how many forms and motifs I could swing out of a lowly pop bottlecap. Then I started making other sizes and shapes without bottlecaps. And started using other larger bottlecaps. I've been in two books now and very nearly was going to be on Martha Stewart once. I realized HOW you make them in important, they need to HOLD the pins, not just hold them up. When you drop it they need to be securely held in place. That's why I use SO much fiberfill. They nearly crunch when you poke a pin in and they are held firm!

For someone who makes such pretty, feminine and flowery pincushions, you'd think I'm a girly girl. I'm not, I just have a respect for classical motifs and vintage embellishment as a designer I guess. All the same, it made me ask "Why do pincushions always have to be boring, utilitarian tomatoes, or lifeless blah magnets? Can't they be bright, pretty and daring? Why can't they be both pretty AND secure?" Doesn't your sewing desk deserve a sunray?