A wee while ago I was chatting with my mum about a couple of pincushions I’d recently made and she asked me to make her one (apparently my step-dad doesn’t get amused when she sticks her pins in to the sofa arm or cushion whilst she’s sewing when watching the telly).  Of course I said I would and decided to send it as a Mother’s Day gift.  As I was making my sister an apron for her first Mother’s day (post about that to follow as soon as I get  a photo) I wanted the gift for my mum to be a bit more special than just a pincushion.

To make my mum’s gift more useful I thought I’d add in a small sewing kit.  I’ve been getting quite obsessed with travel sewing kits and which components make up an ideal sewing kit.  Whilst doing some research I stumbled upon an article for a Hussif or Soldier’s Housewife.  I was amused at my sewing hobby colliding with R’s TA weekends and sent him the link, all excited about how soldiers used to have to carry sewing kits with them.  His response was “Used to? We still do!”  Anyway, I decided to make my mum a Hussif so that she can keep her sewing essentials handy.

I’m fairly pleased with the way it turned out (and my mum likes it so that’s all that matters).  It is very much a prototype and I found that I made some of the (many) pockets a little large* because I was afraid they’d be too small to use, however it does work and holds all of my mum’s sewing essentials.  There are three sheets of felt for storing needles, saftey pins and pins, a pen pocket, a pocket for buttons, another for thread, a large pocket for scissors plus room for a seam ripper and a thimble.  And as requested it has a matching pin cushion.

I decided to make the Housewife and pincushion from Heather Ross’s Day on the Beach fabric because whenever I look at this fabric I think of my mum and the many summer holidays we spent playing in the sand and sea on the Normandy coast.  I think we’ve established that I like fabric but it’s rare for a design to evoke such strong happy memories and a feeling of well-being in me.

*After receiving the gift my mum has made a couple of alterations by adding the ribbon ties shown in the picture to secure the scissors etc.