Pincushions

I have a pincushion made out of one of those scouring pads with a sponge underneath covered in fabric - scouring side up so the pins get sharpened every time I push them in. I also have a tin where I keep all the cheap pins but if I'm not careful I get skewered by pins when I grab (well it is an alternative way of picking them up!)

"René" wrote in news:pR3Bh.111$B42.100@attbi_s22:

I"ve recently made a few pin cushions. I had some left over four patches and made these:

I filled one with cotton and the other with poly-fill that you buy for stuffing dolls. The cotton pin cushion is very annoying as it is much to difficult to put the pins in. It poly filled one is great. Pins go right in & I can keep working. If I have to stop & grab the pin cushion with two hands to get one pin in I'm going to get annoyed. So, the cotton filled one became a doggy toy....

The only problem I have with the square one is that it is very squat so the pins go through the bottom. this is not a problem with the soda bottle cap ones I made. see here:

For my next pin cushion experiement, I'm going to put steel wool at the bottom & poly fill at the top....

I use an Altoids tin and put a magnet on the bottom of the outside. Just enough magnatism comes through to hold the pins, but not so much as to "weld" them into the tin so I can't easily remove them. The box (has a top) keeps the pins safe when I'm not using them.

I have a pin box for quilting pins, safety pins, sewing pins, applique pins, double edged pins, etc.......

I prefer wool, though I use pincushions mainly for needles, not pins. When I pre-wash wool yardage for garment sewing, I save the wool dryer fluff until I have enough. It's more stuffing-like than wool scraps, and it recycles (she said smugly). Lee

Howdy!

Emery powder is an abrasive containing aluminum oxide and iron oxide; add every day ordinary moisture while the emery is just sitting there in that little strawberry, and it will rust, then the needles & pins left stuck in it get rusty, too. But (usually) the tiny bit of moisture doesn't make a big old knot of rust in there; it gets dislodged when the pins are poked in the berry, breaks up the spot of rust. Btw: iron rusts. I love my emery strawberry for sharpening. But it's not a pincushion. ;-D

Pincushion contents -- I like the sawdust, and wool-- lanolin is supposed to be good for the needles, cotton batting, sand is okay but I don't like that gritty feeling when I put the pin in the chicken pincushion (maybe it's the chicken and not the sand making me cringe), hair (natural oil, again). I like the magnetic pin holders, too. And whatever they use to wrap the arm of my chair and the back of the sofa, my 2 favorite pincushions.

R/Sandy

I couldn't stand it anymore, I HAD to figure out what I had for my pincushion........First of all what I wrote was confusing, I was even more confused when I reread it this morning...HUH! I have the big round "tomato" pincushion that is used for my sewing machine needle keeper, not a strawberry......both red, I'm old, forgive me. That big tomato I've had for

I had a little kit to make a needlepoint pincushion. Actually finished it! The kit included a baggie of sawdust for stuffing. Works great. Heavier than fiber stuffing, so the cushion doesn't just blow away. But I have to say I use the pin magnet for "real" work. Roberta in D

"René" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:pR3Bh.111$B42.100@attbi_s22...

Many of the commercial ones are filled with sawdust. Someone here suggested walnut (?) shells that are sold in pet stores as lizard bedding. Natural/raw wool is also great, especially if you are in a high humidity area (the oils in the wool help keep pins/needles from rusting and also help them penetrate the fabric more easily.) I have used poly batting, and cotton batting, sometimes, depending on the size, with a bit of heavy sand/new kitty litter in the center base for stability.

Pati, > I'm wondering about what to use to fill a pincushion. Any suggestions? I

LOL Only if you have the humidity to cause rust. Here in the desert the usual humidity is under 10% so rust is generally not an issue. And sawdust should absorb a lot of moisture, which is why the tomato style pincushions are usually filled with it.

BTW, don't hold pins in your mouth and then used them in something that will be pinned for a loooooonnnnnnnngggggggg time. And don't do it if you are wearing lipstick....... don't ask.

Pati, > Val, those tomato/strawberry pin cushions do cause needles to rust if

I use a prescription medicine container to hold discarded needles/pins. DH wants the sewing machine needles.... evidently they make good blanks for tiny tools used in jewelry making and woodworking.

Pati, > I have several of the magnetic dishes too Val, and still have to sweep the

You are very, very welcome.

I used scraps of wool batting to suff those pincusions. Seems to work pretty well.

marcella

I used to give all the sewers an old film cannister for their needles but my friend in the photo shop retired and I ran out.

So now we have a cute little metal mini bin in the sewing room for classes. It has a swing lid and it sits on the big table. The label reads "Sharpy Pointy Thingies" and that's where all the old/damaged pins/needles/blades go.

My name is Pauline & I am a pin cushion addict! I've made several pin cushions & my understanding is that wool is preferable. However, as Pati mentioned & which has also been recommended to me Lizard Litter, which is ground up walnut shells works well also. You can mix a bit of polyester stuffing in for filler, but I fill them mostly with the ground walnut shells. They are cheap in the pet stores - not so cheap in the quilt shops! I've also mixed some plain kitty litter gravel in to weigh them down.

Is there a Pin Cushion Anonymous chapter anywhere around?

Howdy!

Cross pollination.

Ragmop/Sandy--beekeeper's daughter ;-D

I love pin cushions. I guess I collect them. I also make them. I don't like fiberfill, I want something heavier than that. I bought a bag of this crunchy stuff at my LQS that they said could be used as filler. It kind of looks like dk red lava rock or something. It crushes up finer if you want. It works great. I also use sand if I run out the other stuff.

Cindy

I LOVE Etsy. Such neat things.

Cindy