How to Make a Punch Needle Toadstool Cushion

Slot the four sides of the stretcher frame together and stretch the foundation fabric over the frame.

Download and print out the templates.  Attach the toadstool cap template to the back of the fabric using masking tape.  Place the frame in front of a light source, such as a window or a light box, and trace the design using the fabric pen.  Remove the template.

Set the needle to position C.  Pass the wire end of the threader through the outside hole in the tip of the needle and down the shaft until the wire sticks out at the base.  Thread the cream yarn through the threader.  Using the white tab, pull the yarn up through the shaft and the hole in the tip of the needle.  Ensure you have a yarn tail of about 10cm from the tip of the needle.

Hold the needle as you would a pen.  Push the tip of the needle, at a slight angle, all the way through the fabric on the outline of one of the spots.  Make sure you push it so the bottom of the handle shaft touches the fabric.

Lift the needle out gently so the tip of the needle is still touching the fabric. With the hole in the needle tip facing up, skim the surface of the fabric for about 1cm and push the needle in again.  This is your first stitch.  Continue punching the outline using the same technique and then fill the rest of the shape with stitches.  Try to keep your stitches the same length.

On your last stitch, with the needle pushed in, gently ease a small length of yarn up through the needle on the looped side, pull the needle back through so the last stitch remains flush with the rest and snip it off on the back.  This will ensure all your yarn tails remain on the back. 

Repeat this method for all of the toadstool's spots.

Thread your needle with 'Rust'.  Start punching the outline of the cap and gradually work inwards.  Due to the irregular shape of the spots you will need to punch the overall piece in sections by removing your needle, trimming the yarn tail and placing it in the next section until the whole area is complete.

Remove the punched piece from the frame.

Use the tip of your needle or scissors to neaten the stitches where the colours meet.  Put this piece to one side whilst you continue with the other sections.  Trim around this piece leaving 2” of fabric.

To make the stem of the toadstool, stretch another piece of foundation fabric over the frame.  Using the fabric pen, follow the lines created by the holes in the fabric to draw a rectangle 16” x 8”.  Thread the needle with 'Cream' yarn and starting in one corner of the rectangle, punch the outline.  Continue punching into the centre until the whole section is filled with stitches.  On the same piece of fabric, trace the base template and punch the circle starting with the outline and working towards the centre until it is full of stitches.  Remove the fabric from the frame.

Trim around the edge of the stem piece and base leaving 2” of fabric.  With the wrong sides together use a sewing needle and cream thread to over stitch the 2 short sides of the stem together.  This will create a cylinder shape.

Stretch a new piece of fabric and trace the underside section of the toadstool.  Punch 2 rows of 'Cream' around the central circle.  This will act as a guide for your other stitches You will leave the centre circle unpunched.

Punch 2 rows of 'Rust' to create the lines of the gills.  Complete this section by punching the remaining sections, alternating between 'Cream' and 'Mustard'.  Use the tip of your needle to tidy the yarn where the different colours meet.  Trim around this piece leaving 2” of fabric.

Using the fabric pen, mark the underside piece and the stem piece at their quarter points.  Match the quarter marks of both pieces so the stem fits within the unpunched circle of the underside.  Overstitch at all four points where the markers meet.  Then, overstitch between the markers.  The stem will now sit neatly within the underside section.

Thread a yarn needle with 'Rust' and on the cap piece, sew a 1cm running stitch half a centimetre from the edge of the punched stitches.  Keep one end loose.  Using 'Cream' thread, sew the underside piece to the cap, pulling the running stitches as you go, so the cap is gathered to match the size of the underside.  Leave a gap before you reach the end, stuff the cap and sew it closed.

Overstitch the base to the stem leaving a gap before you reach the end.  Stuff the stem and sew the gap closed.  Turn it over and enjoy your toadstool cushion!