What to use to fill "pin cushion

Maureen's very first effort at cross-stitch was in 1976 when she made a pin cushion. The course was run by the Royal School of Needlework who recommended stuffing the cushion with cotton wool (as used in medical dressings). The 1976 pin cushion is still in daily use.

Don't use coffeee grounds, they will leach and stain, and be crumbly. You could put potpourri, dried herbs - and have it be like a sachet. If you really want to stick pins, needles into it - you should line/back the aida with somethink like muslin, or plain fabric, then whatever you're filling it with - if other than fiberfill - should be in it's own little sack - even cheesecloth. Back to the if you're going to stick it with pins, I'd put a layer of quilt batting around the inner think before closing it up.

Anyhow - I'd just say not the coffee, peas or sand. But with all your garden stuff you must have some dried flower heads, or herbs. You can look up for what used to go in old pomanders - things like cloves/cinnamon sticks, etc.

Ellice

Hi Cheryl, You could try using your ORTS (you know, all those little pieces of thread you cut off your stitching). If you haven't been saving yours it may take some time but packed tightly they work very well. Sandy

I think coffee grounds would leech through and stain. The traditional stuffer (given you intend to use it as a pin cushion) is emery which keeps the pins and needles sharp and shiny. I would think somewhere like Nordic Needle would carry it, but haven't checked.

I did check

Great suggestion, Sheena. I'm sure that you can get it on-line, we used to get it for the shop from one of the wholesale dist. Comes in a little bag with a cardboard header. I've used it to completely fill a tiny thing, or as the inner filling, wrapped with thin batting so as not to have sooooo much emery - which is a little pricey and heavy.

Ellice

Sheep's fleece, when I was spinning and doing demos I used to sell bags of fleece for pincushions. The lace makers used it a lot since the small amount of lanolin in kept pins from rusting. I used to wash it first in plain water so as not to take all the lanolin out with soap. Shirley

I use emery in mine...you can get regular or white...I go with the white. I order it online..Nordic Needle..I think. Then, besides pin cushions, they make cute little paper weights.

just me, Cathy from KY in CA

Emery is not typical to fill pin cushions. It's usually used in small "strawberries" and is used to sharpen pins and needles should they need it. Pincushions are typically filled with wool batting or sawdust. Poly batting works as well, since wool batting is hard to find.

Dianne

snipped-for-privacy@fl.it wrote:

You and Ellice both love to correct my posts - you could not post to the original post could you.

If you want wool batting, go ask over at RCTQ -- tell em I sent you :-). A bunch of folks over there use wool batting and the might just have some bits & pieces left over that you could use. CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

Hey, I didn't correct you.....I merely suggested wrapping the emery in something as large as a pin-cushion. Geez.

Ellice

Ellice

Nah. Too busy for that game. Your post was the obvious one to make a reply - because it will caution others who think emery is great for a pincushion.

Dianne

I works fine in mine....holds my needles and sharpens them.

just me, Cathy from KY in CA

Please - until condo repairs are done, I'm on a tight budget

Finely chopped up straw or grass will work quite well. Just make sure it is good and dry and packed in good and tight.

BTW, Oak sawdust or any other type of sawdust with a high tannin content will rust your needles in very quickly!

Fred

Will get it out this week - as I just found in the office clean-up, a chart

- w/ linen that I have for you (can you say belated birthday). Will throw in some batting of a couple of kinds.

Ellice