Hi Everyone! Welcome to the topic Sewing Pretty Little Pincushions! This will be a great opportunity to practice many of the skills and techniques we've demonstrated in prior SWC topics. We can put them into practice as we work together to create beautiful keepsake pincushions! What I love about pincushions is that they are not just practical, but frequently a special keepsake, something passed down from a grandmother or sewing mentor.
During this topic we will have Shari Fuller and Donna Kinley joining us to share their favorite pincushion tutorials too! In this first installment, Shari will be sharing the classic tomato pincushion, with a twist! later this month, Donna will be sharing how she's transformed a special keepsake from her daughter into a charming pinchsion that allows her to use and enjoy it everyday! I'll be sharing a few of my favorite pincushions too! I have some beautiful ribbons from Renaissance Ribbons that I have incorporated into some simple pincushion designs making them uniques and special. The ribbon really pops and add that uniques element of personality to something this isn't just functional, but enjoyable too!
I'm really excited to invite you to follow along as we make some pretty little pincushions together!
In Part 1, Shari is here to give us a little background on the classic tomato pincushion and to demonstrate how to make one not just for you, but for your doll too!
You can find the printable pattern pieces HERE, in the Sewing With Cinnamon Bonuses Section.
The full set of instructions will be included in the PDF download at the end of the month as well.
The History of Pincushions
My mom had one, my grandma had one, and even my great grandma had one. A pincushion in the shape of a tomato seemed only natural to me, so I wasn't at all surprised to find one in the little sewing box my mother gave me when I was a young girl. Still, I often wondered why, of all the shapes a pincushion could
take, was the tomato the classic shape for pincushions?
Long ago, before machines that could mass produce pins and needles were invented, pins and needles were very expensive, and hence, very valuable. As treasured household items, pins and needles were used with great care and often stored in elaborately fashioned needle cases to keep them safe. During the Middle Ages, pincushions – more whimsically referred to as pin pillows or pin poppets – first came into use as a way to showcase one's collection of pins and needles. By the early 1700s, pin cushions had become a popular piece of home décor, often made from delicately embroidered fine fabrics mounted on ornate stands. During the Victorian Era however, machines were developed that made pins and needles inexpensive to produce. As pins and needles became more commonplace, collections were removed from their pedestals and relegated to sewing baskets where they were handy, if not admired.
Although the Victorian Era was known for its lavishness, it was during this time that a simple tomato displaced all the ornate pincushions as the classic design.
According to tradition, a fresh tomato had the power to ward off evil spirits and during the Victorian Era, it became the custom for neighbors to place a fresh tomato on the mantle of a new family's home to bring prosperity to the new homeowners. Since tomatoes weren't always readily available, the good-luck symbol was frequently fashioned from fabric stuffed with wool or sawdust instead. These tomatoes turned out to be the ideal thing for storing pins and needles; not only were they a handy size and shape, but the wool and sawdust stuffing helped prevent them from getting dull and rusting. As pins and needles found their way into ladies sewing baskets, ladies of the Victorian Era began displaying beautiful collections of antique pincushions.
The Tomato Pincushion Tutorial
Supplies Needed:
- Fabric: Medium weight cotton, linen, or wool
- Tomato Body - 10-inch x 12-inch piece of fabric
- Tomato Top - 3.5-inch square of fabric
- Notions:
- Thread, Embroidery Floss, polyester fiberfill or wool stuffing, two 4-hole buttons (1-inch for full-size pincushion and 1/2-inch for doll-size)
- Alternative fillers such as steel wool, walnut shells, emery sand, sawdust, lavender, or stuffing beads can be combined with the stuffing to keep your pins sharp, add weight, or add a pleasant scent too!
- A fabric marker, scissors, pins, and a tapestry needle
Here's a breakdown of the instructions. You can find the pattern pieces in the Sewing With Cinnamon Bonuses section.
- Tomato ~ Turn the top and bottom edges under along the fold lines and press to crease. Stitch 1/4” from the edge for the full size and 1/8” from the edge for the doll size to form casings.
- Fold the tomato right sides together, matching the dots and notches. Pin along the notched edge to secure. Stitch between the dots.
- Finger-press the seam allowance open and turn the tomato right side out. Cut two 1 yard lengths of em- broidery floss (4 to 6 strands for the full-size tomato and 2 to 3 strands for the doll-size tomato).
- Use a tapestry needle to draw one length of floss through the bottom casing, adjusting the ends of the floss so they are even. If the needle is too long to draw through the doll-size casing, poke it through the fabric as far as it will go and then reinsert it again to continue.
- Draw the ends of the floss to cinch the casing snugly and tie in a knot to secure.
- Use a tapestry needle to draw the remaining length of embroidery floss through the top casing, as in Step 4. Step 7: Firmly stuff the tomato with stuffing. Draw the ends of the floss to cinch the top casing snugly and tie in a knot to secure.
- Working from the bottom of the tomato, thread one end of the floss onto a tapestry needle. Wrap the floss around the outside of the tomato and bring it down through the center top.
- Wrap the floss around the opposite side of the tomato and bring it down through the center top again to complete a figure eight.
- Arrange the floss so it splits the tomato in half and draw the thread snugly to the desired shape. Tie the ends of the floss together to secure. Repeat with the other end of the floss to split the tomato in quarters.
- Use a tapestry needle to draw the floss from the top casing down through the bottom opening of the tomato.
- Tomato Top ~ If using felt fabric skip to Step 13. If using woven fabric, clip the inside corners of the tomato top up to the fold line. Turn the edges of each point under along the fold lines and press to crease.
- With the right sides facing up, center the tomato top on the top of the tomato and push pins in each point to secure.
- Thread a needle with 2 to 3 strands of embroidery floss. Secure the edges of the tomato top to the tomato with a blanket stitch.
- Draw each end of the floss at the bottom of the tomato through a hole at the back of a button and then back through the front and up through the center openings to the top of the tomato.
- Draw each end of the floss through a hole at the back of the remaining button. Divide the floss into two sections and draw them snugly to finish shaping the tomato. Knot the ends with a square not to secure, then knot the ends together in a basic knot to form a stem.
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Marcy Mahle
October 29, 2021
I truly do love pincushions, especially the ones for sweet dolls. I love all your different topics each month and always look forward to learning something new, even about topics or sewing equipment I do not own. Who knows, I might be inspired to buy and learn more about my unknowns. Thank you Cinnamon for all you and Jason do for all of us and the schools in Africa. You both are truly good people. Good luck on your move.