A few months ago I made a quick stop after work at the Volunteers of America Thrift Store in Pickerington, Ohio. I found many pieces of glass that day including this one…

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It can be challenging to make deep dish pincushions so I left this piece at the store. Fast forward one week later at a different thrift store and I found…

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In my years of glass hunting, this is the first time I remember finding this Indiana lace glass and then finding it twice in a short period of time! The red one was half the price so I figured I would take a chance on it and see if I could make a pincushion out of it. Upon closer inspection of the glass, I noticed that the red coloring was peeling off in various places and I remembered the other one I found was amber. I decided to see if I could clean off the red film.

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I filled a large stainless steel bowl with hot water and dish soap and soaked the dish for 20 minutes. I then used a plastic scraper to remove the film. It came off fairly easily only requiring a little extra work in some of the grooves and around the lace curves. I was happy with the final result.

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Anna Maria Horner’s Echinacea fabric is a favorite and this large piece of glass gave me an opportunity to show off an entire flower.

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One bonus of larger pincushions is the opportunity to make matching pins with bigger glass and crystal beads. The green glass topped pin is long and an antique that I got from Etsy seller West End Market. Their shop has many unique items and I had fun browsing and adding to my pincushion making stash.

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The reason I shied away from the first piece of glass that I found was due to the fact that the dish is really deep and a rectangle and making a pincushion – the way I usually make them – would be a little harder. I decided to try anyway and I am not bothered by the gap that was created when the “fabric pillow” was pulled. As I’ve made pincushions over the years, I’ve tried with many different sizes and shapes of dishes. They do not all work out, but I learn with every attempt. The texture and color of this piece of glass are forgiving and the end product was how I envisioned it.

Happy quilting and sewing! ▶︎ ▶︎ ▶︎

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