The completed pinball! With plenty of time to spare before UTR!
The other side.
From the side with my gorgeous ring from Williamsburg. I want more of these. Sadly, I haven't won the lottery :)
Compared with my first!
Here it is, ready for stuffing. I ended up not using the circles of stiff paper. These are used in the pinballs in Tokens of Love by Erica Uten and I used them in my first pinballs, but I found that they weren't needed with the ring. They do somewhat limit how big the pinball can be made, though I imagine it'd be easier with stiffer paper than what I used.
This is the first pinball I lined.
These are made essentially like covered buttons. I ran a running stitch around, stuffed, and sewed back and forth until everything was nice and tight.
Wool batting! All of this, plus a little more, went in one half of the pinball.
The gathered pinball.
With stuffing!
Though it will never be seen, I still put in the little card with my name and date :)
The two halves, ready to be sewn together.
Pinned and ready for sewing.
Sewn together.
And stuffed into the ring! It's nice and secure. I had planned to sew a stitch or two around the top of the pinball and the stem of the ring, but it's amazingly secure. Wool batting is amazing!
And I'm ready to start my next pinball! I have seven planned as gifts at the moment. I just need to print out the pattern--my thread is ready to go :)
There are more pictures in the Flickr set as well. Just click on any picture.
This is beautiful...I love how your included the note!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely one of the things on my to-do list. It's sweet.
ReplyDeleteVal
Thank you very much for sharing the detailed construction of the pinball!
ReplyDeleteI was already very fond of your former pinball and often wondered how it is constructed (especially the addition of a linen piece to give the knitted piece strength).
Really beautifully made!
Sabine
These are fascinating... Thanks for showing us how they are made! I just wonder - how does it work if you use the paper circles? Are they just inserted between the two halves for sturdiness?
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone :)
ReplyDeleteHana, with the circles, you put them on top of the stuffing before you do the gathers, so each side is stiffened. Right where I put the little card, actually. It works quite well.
Since the next, uh, 7, I'm making will be without rings, I'm sure there'll be pictures!
Thank you again for the explanation. :-)
ReplyDeleteVery lovely work! I'm looking forward to starting one of my own!
ReplyDeleteHow many yards of silk thread did you need to complete one pinball?
I'm not a blogger, but trying to figure out how to contact you...I find your pinball information fascinating- a lovely job, indeed. Can you provide the source/contact for the silver ring, please?
ReplyDeleteElle--I used a little over two skeins of brown thread and one of green and pink. I accidentally tangled the brown pretty badly when I was separating it, so I needed a third skein. Oops :)
ReplyDeleteLynn Kathleen--I bought the ring in Williamsburg. Unfortunately, they don't sell them online. I'm sure they could help you if you emailed-- customerservice@WilliamsburgMarketplace.com or called them-- 1-800-446-9240
I'm not a blogger either, but I also was curious about where you got the silver ring so I called Williamsburg Marketplace. The only item they offered was, what they call, a pinball bracelet. Is that what you used? If so, how did you close the bracelet around the pinball?
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't a bracelet, but an actual closed ring with a loop for hanging it. I bought mine at Mary Dickenson's. They also had them at The Golden Ball and the gift shop at the DeWitt Wallace Museum.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Katherine - Thanks so much for the info and quick response! I was able to find it at The Golden Ball.
ReplyDelete