Velvet pincushion

I was looking for something the other day and came across a bag of velvet scraps and small pieces. I had seen the gals making the pincushions but had never made one. Now I can say I have. I jumped in with all three feet not knowing what I was doing and now that I am finished I do know things I should have known before. All in all it doesn't look too bad. After gathering it up I glued it into a small candleholder that was just about the right size.

What I learned was you do not need to do your best stitching all the way down because where the part that is gathered the stitching disappears and actually distorts some of the stitching above it. I did a gathering stitch along the bottom on the machine but should have done 2 rows and with buttonhole twist. I gathered the other one and when I was sewing back and forth to pull it together the gathering stitch broke so had to do some more gathering by hand. I have just put together another one using a slightly larger plate so will see if what I have learned will make a difference. I looked at a little trim to go around the glass top where it meets the pincushion and the only one I liked was in a blue. Thought when I got home that I should have bought it and died it a darker color. Oh well I like going to JoAnns. Had a 50% coupon so had to use it. Bought another book. I will review it for you after I have read all the way through.