Piggy Pincushion

In patriotic red, white and blue, with a sweet curly tail and a ribbon bow, our little Sewing Bee piggy pincushion will make a handsome addition to your workspace.

Essentials

Blue print fabric, 25cm x 30cm
Red print fabric, 20cm x 25cm
Matching sewing thread • Toy filling
Button, 1.7cm
Pipe cleaner
Air-erasable pen

Print the templates. Cut two bodies and two ears from blue fabric, reversing one of each. Cut two bellies, two ears and a nose from red, again reversing one. Mark the stitch lines, letters and leg darts with an air-erasable pen. Fold back each leg along the centre of the dart line, then stitch along the curve; these stop the legs splaying out.
Pin the bodies together with right sides facing and stitch the back from A to B. Pin the bellies together, along the straight edge, with right sides facing and join together from C to D, leaving a gap in the centre where marked. Press the seam allowance open.
Open out the body. With right sides facing, pin and then tack the top edge of the belly in place, matching the snout and legs up carefully. Machine stitch from E to F. Join the other edge in the same way. Clip the seam allowance at the inside corners of the legs and along the curves. Tack back a 6mm turning around the snout.
Turn right side out through the gap and ease out the seams. Stuff with small tufts of toy filling, using a pencil to push it down the legs. Pin and slip stitch the gap. Pin the red and blue ears together in pairs and stitch from G to H. Trim the seams to 3mm and press back a 6mm turning around the opening. Turn out and press. Fold slightly and stitch securely on the head, where marked
Sew a line of running stitches around the circular nose and pull up. Insert a button, then draw up the thread tightly and fasten off. Slip the covered button into the gap at the snout and stitch in place. Cut a 2cm x 10cm bias strip of fabric. Fold in half and stitch 6mm from the edge. Turn through and insert a length of pipe cleaner. Close up the ends securely. Twist the tail round a pencil to make it curly. Sew in place. Add a ribbon bow.