Lightning Bug Pincushion

My local quilt shop (Brooklyn General) has a crafty contest each summer. This year the challenge was to honor the bug. All entries have to be 5" or less, and the have to be 3-D. I had this contest in the back of my mind for a little while, and then inspiration struck like a bold of lightening:

Lightening Bug! 

I made a design for a 5" square, traditionally pieced lightning bug. I may enlarge the pattern into a pillow size and share with you later. This small one is awfully fiddly. Suffice it to say, all these teenie tiny pieces were hard to get an accurate seam allowance on, but they are so cute that it doesn't matter (to me)! I ended up adding some hand embroidered embellishments because the wings looked a little odd without definition, and buggy needed some legs and antennae. This is maybe my second time embroidering, and I used 4 different stitches! One of my favorite parts of the pincushion are the sides and bottom in the neon yellow stripe. I got it as a remnant, and am not even sure what kind of fabric it is, but it fit in with the theme perfectly!

Here are a few close ups, pardon the cat hairs!

Head shot. Antennae were stitched using backstitch and french knots. 

Close up of the 'lights' with some mosquito stitching embellishment. 

Here's how he looks as a functioning pincushion. 

Back side of my label. The other side is my initials and the year. 

There's still time to enter the contest, and everyone is welcome to participate (just mail in submissions if you're out of town). They're accepting submissions until July 15th. Everyone can enter up to 3 bugs. I've got an idea for another one, just not sure if I'll be motivated to finish in time! 

Buggy got back!

Linking up to Finish it up Friday with Crazy Mom Quilts.