FINISHED SEWING PROJECT: "Wooly Mittens" Pin Drum (unknown designer)

 Pattern: "Wooly Mittens"

Designer: not sure, it was a freebie - maybe Shepherd's Bush

Fabric:  unknown - scrap of acrylic basket weave 16 count (36 thread count).  It has little tweeded bits of grey and gold incorporated into the weave.

Threads:  DMC - own color conversion

 

Stitches:  cross stitch 3 strands over one block

 

Stitching completed in 2013

Finished height of drum is 4 inches (10.9 cm) 

Diameter 3.5 inches (8.9 cm)

Quilting fabric used for top and base is a vintage Debbie Mumm print from my stash.  Tried to match the dark red and teal shaded blue of the threads and a bit of gold to pick up the gold flecks in the fabric

Stuffed with fiber fill and crushed walnut shells

Tutorials used:  Vonna Pfeiffer (Twisted Stitcher) and Helen D

thoughts for the next time I do a drum.   

• You need more stuffing than you think.  This fairly small drum took about a fourth of a 12 oz / 340 g bag of fiberfill and a full cup of walnut shells to provide weight in the base.  
• Give myself an extra 1/16 of an inch / 1.5 mm for the body.  Even though I did my math correctly and cut accurately, the top and bottom of the 'tube' part are pulling in just the merest little bit.   Snug more than tight next time!
• I was going for a 'prim' look to complement the rustic fabric and folk-art vibe of the needlework.   Not sure I really like the exposed stitching, though.   I did the base with an invisible ladder stitch and actually like it better.