Cupcake-y goodness

For their February Pincushion Club kit, Shabby Fabrics sent the pattern and fabrics to make the "Frosted Cupcake Pincushion" from Maw Bell Designs. Right away, I was all excited about it. Then I read the instructions and found that the pattern also required "1 small (2-1/2" high x 3-1/2" wise) plastic margarine container." Unfortunately, I'm not a margarine eater and it is pretty rare that I buy anything in a container that size. Determined not to run out and buy margarine just for the sake of getting the little plastic tub, I waited. It took a couple of months, but I finally got two containers roughly that size-- one from the aforementioned Greek yogurt and one that actually held paper baking cups (it seems I had to make real cupcakes before I could make pretend ones! Ha!). Finally, I was ready to make my cupcakes!


Overall, the instructions were pretty good-- straightforward, with helpful illustrations throughout, and everything made sense. I do have a couple of comments/hints though for anyone who decides to give the pattern a whirl.

1. After putting the cupcake body together and turning it all right side out, the instruction is to "stuff firmly with fiberfill." I did this and (as Big Bear so kindly pointed out to me) my cupcake looked like an egg. I found that I needed to take out a bunch of the stuffing before it could fit in the little plastic tub and look cupcake-like.


2. When trying to gather the bias strips to make the "frosting," I kept pulling out my basting threads by accident. Gah! On the third time, I figured out that if I took a few normal-length stitches at the beginning, before switching to the longer basting stitch, it anchored the thread just enough so I didn't have that problem.


3. My cupcakes kept slipping out of their plastic tub bases. In order to keep my cupcakes held together, I went ahead and hand stitched the top edge of the completed "baking cup" to the side of the cupcake, thus keeping everything in place.

All-in-all, this was a fun and easy pattern (and pretty quick to make, too!). And now I have a couple of very cute little cupcakes!