Monday, June 28, 2010

Pincushion

Having been a sewer for years and years, I have had a variety of pincushions, including several of the classic red tomatoes. I once made myself a pincushion in a sake cup, which finally fell off the table and broke. I have needlepointed a pincushion and had one of those magnetic pincushions. Pincushions get ratty after awhile, except for the magnetic ones, but I just didn't like reaching into that mass of  poke-y pins.

My bad habit is that I end up sticking needles into my pincushions. The ones that have no thread quickly disappear into the innards of the pincushion. The ones that have thread make a big mess with the thread tangling through the pins and other threads. Most pincushions are, in my opinion, too small. I've been wanting a nice big, flattish pincushion that won't roll like tomatoes and sake cups do.



The other day I ran across this piece of needlework I had tucked away. It was something I found among my mother-in-laws things after she died. I don't think she made it. Perhaps it was a souvenir of a trip she took or just something that was given to her. I'm not sure of its purpose. Maybe kind of a doily. It is a punched kind of needlework that creates a surface that is somewhat like chenille. I liked the stylized tulip design and thought it might be the beginning of a new pincushion. I stitched a back on it, leaving an opening and stuffed it with little plastic pellets made for adding weight to dolls' feet and bottoms. They are about the size of rice, which I have also used to stuff pincushions in the past. It came out a little misshapen and too round, so I stitched a cord in the center that pulled the middle together a bit and flattened it. I worked the stuffing around to fill it out. The cord makes a loop that I can pick it up by.


I went through my pins and discarded all the bent and dull pins. You just have to do that every so often. I like nice sharp, long, glass headed pins. Those little short pins with the tiny, flat heads are worthless. I throw them away. I'm going to try to keep needles in the magnetic holder and I have thrown away my raggedy old pincushion.

I am loving our summer weather and I took my new pincushion out on the deck this morning and stitched a sleeve on the back of my newest quilt and trimmed off all the loose threads on the back.


Now, that is a useful pincushion.

9 comments:

  1. Looks so pretty with the pins in it. My favorite pins are short and no glass head and very sharp and quite expensive, but they do what I need them to do and don't stick into my hand or arm where they can cause problems.

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  2. Love the pincushion! Very clever of you. I have one of those wool pincushions, and my needles always disappear inside it, too. I love cleaning out my pins, getting rid of the bent ones, and replacing them with new ones. Very nice!

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  3. For years I have been taking all my old pins to Empty Spools Seminars and throwing them out when the week is over. A tablemate asked me what I was doing and I told her that I like nice, new sharp pins and she said she would like my old ones! So, now I ask if anyone wants the old ones and someone always does. I much prefer the new pins and the magnetic pin holder.

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  4. Anonymous6:35 AM

    I have a pincushion made from a felted wool ball cut in 1/2 it is big and it doesn't roll. I have had it for 20 years I think. I bought it at the local Sidewalk Arts sale from the local fiber guild. Probably the best buy I ever got at one of those events.

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  5. Useful and beautiful, too!!! Great idea!

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  6. Can't help but smile at this delightful pin cushion. You are so clever to make that stitched piece functional.

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  7. Michal9:20 PM

    Terry,
    Love the pincushion. It looks perfect! Yahoo! Summer is here at long last! I am in Puyallup, WA. and felt your pain with all the rain.

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  8. This must be the week for tiny tasks; while you were sorting pins, I was sorting pens -- and pencils. How did I manage to accumulate so many of each? The mechanical pencils, especially, are a mystery, since I've never really used them.

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