Perhaps, like me, your dreams have been crushed. Someone you love has ripped out your heart and thrown it to the wolves, leaving you a burning desire to return the favor. A voodoo doll pincushion is a great way to exorcise a little angst while tidying up the sewing room, and it makes a fetching bracelet, too!
Ankle-deep in white chiffon, I was sewing my heart out when the phone rang: Gaston calling to say, “No, no. Not cold feet, my love, but perhaps we’re rushing things a tad.” A June wedding was not in my future. Through my tears, I could hardly find the seam ripper, much less the needle I’d set down a moment earlier. Why couldn’t manipulating my Cajun cutie be as easy as crafting? Rather than fabricate an alibi, I decided to torture his effigy instead—one worn on my wrist, keeping him close at all times. I added a protective layer of plastic inside the cushion, fashioned from a recycled food container, to make sure my arm was well guarded from vigorous jabs of “He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, loves me, loves ME!” Oh, Gaston, you will be mine.
Heavyweight tracing paper
Empty plastic salad container or other lid larger than 5 x 3 inches
Scissors
Straight pins
2 sheets craft felt in contrasting colors
½-inch-wide elastic, long enough to encircle wrist (about 9 to 12 inches)
Fabric chalk
Sewing needle and heavy-duty thread to match the elastic
Craft glue
Embroidery needle
Embroidery floss in a contrasting color to your felt
Cotton, polyfill, or your favorite stuffing
1. Copy the patterns and enlarge 166 percent.
2. Using the paper template, trace the smaller design onto the scrap plastic container——crafty criminals recycle! Cut out the shape.
3. Pin the larger outline to one of the sheets of felt and cut out two pieces, A and B.
4. Measure and cut the elastic to fit comfortably around your wrist with the ends slightly overlapping; mark the overlap with fabric chalk. Using heavy-duty thread, sew several stitches to tack the elastic together at the chalk line, then sew around the overlap for reinforcement.
5. Stitch the wristband to one side of felt piece A at the elastic seam.
6. Glue the plastic doll shape to the side of felt piece A, opposite the elastic band. Aside from giving your cushion stability, the plastic ensures you won’t be stabbing pins into your wrist during enthusiastic sewing/voodoo curse sessions.
7. From the contrasting colored felt, cut two small circles for eyes.
8. Using six strands of embroidery floss, sew the eyes to one side of felt piece B. Sew X shapes on the eyes if you want to give your dolls that creepy zombie look. Sew a free-form mouth.
9. Use a running stitch to sew felt pieces A and B together with wrong sides facing, leaving a leg open for inserting the stuffing.
10. Stuff the doll with the polyfill and then finish sewing A and B together.
11. Place the doll on your wrist and admire it. Begin your next sewing project, or light candles for cursing incantations——whatever your personal situation might dictate at the time . . .
