On a recent trip to Victoria I stopped at one of my favorite antique shops on Fort street. I happened upon this adorable child’s cup from the 1930′s. The cup was made by W.R. Midwinter Ltd, Burslem, England. For those of you who share my love of vintage here is a little info about the manufacturer.

William Midwinter started the factory at Bank Potteries but their success was so big that in 1914 they had to move to a new location, Albion Pottery. The factory excelled in the production of nursery ware, for which they employed designer William Heath Robinson. Roy Midwinter joined the company in 1946. This mark on my cup was in use from 1932 till 1941.

Well after bringing the cup home I decided “Georgie Porgie” looked a little too sad so I am hoping he will feel more useful now that he is a part of my funky new pincushion!

1. Start by heating your glue gun. Fill the bottom of your cup with something heavy – we suggest rice. Using fabric scissors, cut your fabric and sheets of cotton batting into circles which are about 3 times as wide as the opening of your cup.
2. Grab an elastic and your cotton batting and prepare to wrap your styrofoam ball. We suggest using 2-3 layers of the cotton batting to ensure that you’ll have plenty of space for your pins to hold.
3. Next, wrap your styrofoam ball with layers of cotton batting, then secure tightly with an elastic. Finish by adding your layer of fabric on top, securing with a second elastic.
4. Using your glue gun, add a thin layer of glue to the top of the inside of your cup. You want to ensure that the padded pin cushion stays inside the cup when the pins are pulled in and out. Push down, and hold tightly for a minutes until the glue sets.

Simple as that – You’re finished! Fill up your new pin cushion and feel free to add any extra decorations like ribbons or bows to compliment your fabric choice. Enjoy!