Not really sure what category this fits into, since it’s just a small container for needles.
My own need to keep my needles organized led me to make this little case for @Bunny1kenobi, who does a lot of needlework herself. I had made a large case for my darning needles, which were always falling to the bottom of the bag I keep my hooks and stitch markers in, and a slightly smaller one for Deanna, who does some lovely cross stitching.
The cases are 3D-printed in wood PLA, from a free file on Thingiverse. Nice and utilitarian. Too plain, IMO. Old timey needlecases were usually very plain and utilitarian, or fancy and enameled or metalwork. Best I can do is paint. So, I gave them each a nice ivory base coat and, then…I realized that I had no idea what I was doing. Pinterest/YouTube to the rescue. Lots of good tutorials on how to paint simple flowers and leaves. My case was the guinea pig, and I just copied what I liked about that attempt onto my swap partner’s case.
Then, I dug out my beads and prettied hers up a bit with some brass findings and Swarovski crystals.
The needle minder was a quick little add-on piece, since it’s also a nice thing to have when stitching (and Deanna had mentioned something about wanting one). I just removed the shank from two cover-it-yourself buttons, covered the buttons with some vintage-y looking fabric from my stash, and glued on some rare earth magnets.
And that needle case is absolutely the bees knees! I’ve been using a decrepit old prescription bottle for decades ago! Thank you so much- they are both beautiful!
No, just a standard nozzle. Whatever came on the printer. It prints pretty much the same as regular PLA, but has a nice matte finish, takes acrylic paint very well, and has a lovely sawdust smell as it prints. It’s definitely my favorite filament.
My favorite is white because it’s more forgiving than some of the fancy metallic, and can be painted or colored with sharpies. I have a kilo of woodgrain AND larger nozzles, but haven’t used either. I also have some of the rubbery PLA, but my printer needs a guide to use it, so I have to find and print that…some time, I’ll want to use the rubber and figure it all out.
Oooh, did you know you can color unprinted filament with sharpies, and it prints in color? I saw a YouTube, then tested it with a short length. You can even print a device that holds sharpies so the filament runs against them as it feeds into the printer.
Thank you! To be perfectly fair, the printing was a matter pushing a couple buttons and trimming off a bit of excess plastic. Someone else did all the hard work of designing the container. The larger one was the result of changing the scale of the file…I pushed a few more buttons.
These are delightful! For needing to look up videos of painting, you have done a gloriously elegant and precise job of it! Although, please excuse me for being vaguely disappointed I couldn’t find the painted guinea pig… smacks forehead Sometimes my brain goes odd places… The sweet, simple needle-minder is a perfect accompaniment.
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Lynx
(In a world where you can be anything, be kind.)
17
The fact that it is 3D printed makes it even cooler! The painting is really pretty.
So, I gave them each a nice ivory base coat and, then…I realized that I had no idea what I was doing. 
Pinterest/YouTube to the rescue. Lots of good tutorials on how to paint simple flowers and leaves. My case was the guinea pig, and I just copied what I liked about that attempt onto my swap partner’s case.
