A Short History of the Pin Cushion

Ever since I was a little girl I've been fascinated by pin cushions. As a child I was particularly, fond of my grandmother's pin cushions. They held some sort of magic sway over me and I loved playing with the handmade balls of fabric-covered stuffing. I remember how squishy the stuffing (old nylon stockings in my grandmother's case) felt when I squeezed it and how pretty all the colored pinheads looked in their casual arrangement in the pin cushion. I have one of the last pin cushions my grandmother ever made. It has a place of honor in my sewing room now and each time I take a pin out or put one back in I think of her and all the beautiful objects she made using her pin cushion.

My Grandmother's Pincushion looking pretty shabby

New Holder dresses it up

I decided to do a little research into the history of the lowly and not-so-lowly pin cushion and discovered that some sort of pin holder has been around since as early as the 1300's when they were carried around in a metal pouch.

Metal pins were very costly and hard to find so a special container was important. By the 1400's Pin Carriers had become quite the fashion and were made of ivory, bone or silver. During that time in history they were called such things as Pin Case, Pin Poppet, Pin Keeper and Tuffet (as in Little Miss Muffet's Tuffet). By the beginning of the 1700's Pin Pillows had come into use by the gentile ladies of the aristocracy. They were delicately embroidered and usually made from finer fabrics...linen, canvas or satin. Hanging ball pin cushions were found in many parlors.

Pin cushions, or pincushions, only became a true necessity once sewing implements were mass produced during the middle of the 19th century. While pin pillows and un-mounted cushions emerged in 15th-century England, it wasn’t until pins were widely affordable during the 1800's that cushions were commonly sold as trinkets or commemorative gifts.

Like other decorative elements of the Victorian boudoir, pin cushions gradually moved out of the private realm and into the larger household. Designed in fanciful shapes adorned with embroidery and glass beading, these pin cushions were crafted from every material imaginable, including precious metals, bone, celluloid, wood, ivory, porcelain, fabric, and paper.

Cast Iron Victorian Pin Cushion and Thread Holder

Novelty cushions resembling miniature boots and shoes were very popular, as were those modeled after various animals with velvet pinning-fabric mounted on their backs or in their mouths.

More uncommon designs ranged from miniature furniture, like pianos and bassinets, to vegetables, like silk corncobs studded with kernels made from pearl-headed pins. Particularly elaborate pin cushions were shaped like tiny dolls or doll-busts, with painted porcelain faces, lace trimmings, and soft fabric bodices to be filled with needles.

 One such product incorporated a celluloid doll face on a fabric cushion head, packaged with a tagline reading “Miss Dottie Dimple Emery has come to visit you and keep your needle polished bright and o-o-o just as good as new.”

Cushions were also frequently mounted onto other sewing tool like clamps, boxes, and baskets. Though generally containing available materials like cotton, wool, horsehair, or sawdust, some pin cushions were filled with emery to help keep needle points sharp and prevent rusting.

The bright red tomato shape, one of the most common modern pin cushion designs, evolved from a specific Victorian-era tradition. By the end of the 19th century, widespread superstition called for placing a tomato on your mantle to ward off evil spirits. Since tomatoes were not available year round, fabric or paper replicas with detailed vines and leaves were created to do the trick instead, and soon served a second function for pin and needle storage.

And today we can find pin cushions in every imaginable shape, size and color(s) but their function is still to keep all those little pins safely within reach of the modern-day sewer or quilter and to do it in the most appealing way possible.

If you'd like to try your hand at making a new pin cushion like this cute little Caravan, here's the address where you can find a free template to download. http://www.crafts-beautiful.com/free-downloads/caravan-patchwork-pincushion-and-card-set

Have a Lovely and Blessed Resurrection Sunday! (Luke 24: 1-12)
Grammy

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