Embroidery Library Urban Threads The Study

PURR-chase $3+, Adopt a FREE Cat! 😺

Shop Now

Dragons. Cats. DEALS! - 60% Off Our Most Popular Collections

Mushroom Pincushion

Mushroom Pincushion

Create a charming woodland scene in your home office or sewing room with an adorable stuffed  mushroom pincushion ! Available in two sizes, these happy little fungi are easy to make and oh so charming when complete.

Supplies & Materials:

To craft your mushroom pincushion, you’ll need:

  • Mushroom Pincushion (Stuffed) embroidery design files
  • Cotton or microsuede fabric for the mushroom top
  • Cotton or microsuede fabric for the mushroom bottom
  • 40 wt. rayon thread for your embroidery
  • Tearaway stabilizer
  • Temporary spray adhesive
  • Printed dieline templates (or you can stitch 'em -- here's how)
  • Scissors
  • Hot glue gun and glue sticks
  • Polyfill stuffing
  • Optional: a round magnet or a metal washer (For 5x7 size: 1"- 1 1/4" diameter; For 4x4 size: 3/4"-1" diameter)

The designs used in this tutorial include: 

- Mushroom Pincushion (Stuffed), UTZ2400

Gather Materials:

First, use your dieline templates, labeled with a "DL" in your zipped design files (for example, UTZ2400d_DL), to cut out the mushroom pieces from your chosen fabrics. Pieces "a", "b", and "c" are cut out of a cream cotton fabric, and "d" is cut out of a maroon colored cotton.

Note: Use a little temporary spray adhesive on the back of the paper to adhere it to the fabric before cutting. If you don't have embroidery software to print the dieline templates, follow these instructions for stitching dielines .

Orange-handled scissors next to cut-out white paper shapes with colored sections and fold lines, arranged on a white surface.

Start Embroidering:

To begin your mushroom pincushion embroidery, hoop a piece of tear-away stabilizer, making sure it is taut in the hoop. The first color change of piece "d" (the mushroom cap) will stitch a dieline onto the stabilizer.

Carefully remove the hoop from your machine (do not unhoop the stabilizer), and spray the back of the "d" fabric piece. Carefully place it within the stitched dieline on top of the stabilizer.

Two images show steps in embroidery; top image displays white fabric with a flower-shaped outline stitched in a sewing machine hoop, bottom image shows a hand placing a cut, dark red fabric piece matching the stitched flower shape inside the hoop.

The next color change will stitch a tackdown to hold the fabric dieline in place, and then the inner decoration will sew. The last color stop will stitch a satin border around the shape to finish the embroidery design.

Three side-by-side photos showing stages of machine embroidery on dark red fabric cut in a flower shape with six petals, with stitching outlines and details being added.

Finish the mushroom piece by unhooping the design and tearing away the excess stabilizer around the edges of the embroidered piece. Make sure to leave the stabilizer on the back of the embroidery for stability.

Hand holding a burgundy fabric piece with petal shapes and red stitched embroidery loops on each petal, over a white fabric background.

Repeat the steps to embroider and finish the other three pieces of the mushroom (files "a", "b", and "c"). Keep in mind that not all of the pieces have decorative stitches on them.

Six-piece fabric pattern pieces arranged on a white surface: one dark red flower-shaped piece with stitching outlines, and five off-white pieces including a circle, hexagon, and curved shapes.

Take the stem of the mushroom (piece "a"), and hand sew the two short sides together to make it into a loop. Make sure the right side of the piece is facing out, and use a hand sewing needle and thread matching the embroidery for best results.

Close-up of a hand holding a small white fabric piece shaped like a cone, with a needle and white thread stitched along its edge against a plain white background.

Next take the bottom of the stem (piece "b"), and hot glue the magnet to the stabilizer on the wrong side of the piece. This will help weigh the mushroom down, and allow it to stand easily. You can also use a washer if preferred.

Close-up of a hand holding a small round object with a black center and white border next to a white and blue hot glue gun on a white surface.

Using a hand sewing needle, stitch the bottom of the stem (piece "b") to the wider end of the stem (piece "a"). Make sure the magnet ends up on the inside of the stem, so that you only see fabric from the outside.

Close-up of a hand holding a small beige fabric piece with a sewing needle and clear thread, showing a partially sewn edge against a white background.

Fill the stem up with polyester fiber fill. For best results, stuff the stem densely with the filling so that it is very firm and full.

Hand holding a small beige fabric mushroom cap with white synthetic stuffing being pulled out from the top, plain off-white background.

Then use a hand sewing needle to stitch the open end of the stem to the hexagon shaped mushroom cap bottom (piece "c"). Make sure the right side of the mushroom cap bottom is against the stem, and line the top of the stem up with the embroidered circle.

White fabric pincushion shaped like a mushroom with stitched edge details, sitting on an embroidered hexagonal fabric base, with a needle threaded with white thread.

Now take the mushroom cap (piece "d"), and press two of the outer sections together with the wrong sides touching. Hand sew along the curved edges to create the first dart.

Close-up of a hand holding red fabric with a needle and thread stitching along the edge, showing detailed hand embroidery and sewing in progress.

Repeat to sew each of the six darts on the mushroom top, creating its cute and round shape.

Small maroon fabric pincushion with subtle pink embroidery loops and dark maroon appliqué strips, with a needle and thread attached, on a white background.

Next, hand stitch the mushroom cap onto its hexagon shaped bottom piece (piece "c"). Match up the straight sides and corners, and make sure to leave one side open for stuffing.

Hand holding a fabric mushroom-shaped pincushion with a needle and red thread stitched through the top cap, which is deep red with light embroidery.

Fill the cap up with polyester fiber fill, and then hand sew it closed.

Close-up of a hand holding a partially stitched fabric mushroom pincushion with maroon and white fabric panels and yellow embroidery stitches. A needle with maroon thread is inserted in the pincushion.

Voila! You have a magical woodland mushroom for your sewing room. Make a whole colony and accent with moss and rocks for added appeal!

Close-up of a red fabric pincushion with decorative embroidery, curved purple fabric segments, a threaded needle resting next to it on a white surface.