The Sewing Place

searching for a pin cushion

sewingj

searching for a pin cushion
« on: December 12, 2018, 15:46:41 PM »
I have a rather glamorous friend who is going to be 60 next month.  She does sew but hasn`t updated her "kit" for years.  I am going to get her a few things and wanted to find a nice, possibly quirky, pin cushion.
Any ideas?   Please don`t suggest I make one - I just haven`t got the time at the moment.

StitchinTime

Re: searching for a pin cushion
« Reply #1 on: December 12, 2018, 16:19:28 PM »
Beyond Measure have a variety of pin cushions, some of which I'm sure could be classed as quirky.

Efemera

Re: searching for a pin cushion
« Reply #2 on: December 12, 2018, 16:39:22 PM »
I’ve made these this year... you could easily make one

twopence

Re: searching for a pin cushion
« Reply #3 on: December 12, 2018, 16:50:42 PM »
I’ve just come home from our quilt group Christmas lunch and our tutor made us all pincushions in a small cup.  She had spent all year collecting the cups.

Esme866

Re: searching for a pin cushion
« Reply #4 on: December 12, 2018, 17:21:38 PM »
I bought a small ceramic turtle planter a few years ago intending to make a pin cushion and give as a gift. Instead I grabbed a wad of stuffing and placed a pretty piece of jacquard linen around it and stuffed it into the planter - and now its MY pincushion!

If I were looking for something special to buy, I'd search Etsy.

sewingj

Re: searching for a pin cushion
« Reply #5 on: December 12, 2018, 18:48:35 PM »
I’ve made these this year... you could easily make one

I don` t think I could!  But they are fab.

I do like the idea of making a pin cushion in a tea cup though and have found a good Debbie Shore video.  We`ve got a good antique shop nearby which has lots of vintage china and I`m sure I`ve got fabric in my stash that I could use.
Many thanks for the ideas

Lowena

Re: searching for a pin cushion
« Reply #6 on: December 12, 2018, 19:53:22 PM »
I made this one
Triumph of hope over experience :D

Kwaaked

Re: searching for a pin cushion
« Reply #7 on: December 13, 2018, 13:02:33 PM »
I'd take a look at Lacis.com.  I have no idea what the shipping is but they have several antique style pin cushions as well as quirky ones.  And needle holders as well.

Greybird

Re: searching for a pin cushion
« Reply #8 on: December 13, 2018, 14:04:27 PM »
I find a lot of the commercially available pincushions are too soft. I have one I bought from a lady who used to do antique fairs and sold pincushions covered in vintage fabrics (I haven't seen her though for some years). It is filled with sawdust I think and is very firm. Unfortunately the covering is now in shreds and as I can't find one to replace it I think I have to have a go at recovering it. Sorry @sewingj  - this doesn't help you at all!

Marniesews

Re: searching for a pin cushion
« Reply #9 on: December 22, 2018, 01:17:01 AM »
I have the apple pin cushion shown below. You can buy it online from Liberty's and John Lewis stock their pear version which is cheaper presumably because it isn't patchwork so is quicker to make.



Mine's had 4½ years of heavy use and is still lovely and firm. If, like me, you're a little OCD about your pins it's lovely to separate the different types between the different sections.

Hopefully back more regularly! Ballroom sewing may be permanently paused but bag making is the current focus.

Kwaaked

Re: searching for a pin cushion
« Reply #10 on: December 22, 2018, 11:43:27 AM »
And it depends on what I need the pin cushion for, as to what I use.

I personally use a Bohin wrist cushion when I work.  Because so much of what I do is alterations, it's easier to use although they do look cool for that kind of thing.

At home I have an antique sewing box with a velvet pin cushion on top, probably made in the 1910s or 20s, meant as a young girl's sewing kit.  I keep my non-Iris pins in it.  I should recover the cushion, since the velvet is shot though.  I also have a sewing bird with one that is out most of the time.

I also have a chatelaine, mix of antique and new repros I wear and use when I am sewing by hand or doing detail work that has a book style cushion on it.  I also have a dance card pencil on a retractable chain that I have rigged with a brooch to add a mini tape measure (for fishing of all things) and another small pincushion to it that I made.  Both of these get used only when I sew to hold the needles I am sewing with.  I don't wear them at the same time, though.

Which...I make small ones for no reason since I really don't use them.  Mostly I find pictures of antique ones and recreate them.  And I stuff them with hair...both my daughter and I have long hair and shed like dogs.  I've donated a few to the museum here since they are exact replicas for the odd exhibit of stuff.  Some are more quirky ones...just something to do sitting around at home.

Mostly I am big on needle holders.  My daughter got me a religious metal one to wear on a chain for Christmas, which is much prettier and secure then the DMC version.  And I wear one all the time sewing, be it on a chain or on my chatelaine.

There are a number of things you can do for pins, and they don't all have to be cushions.


Sewingsue

Re: searching for a pin cushion
« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2018, 14:58:42 PM »
I am not sure which of those I am most envious of, possibly the chatelaine or the sewing bird.
Where do you find these things?
Bernina Aurora 440QE, Brother BC-2500, Singer 99K (1938), Juki MO-654DE overlocker, Silver Viscount 620D overlocker.

Kwaaked

Re: searching for a pin cushion
« Reply #12 on: December 22, 2018, 18:22:55 PM »
For the most part Lacis. 

I got the Mary Frances second quality bird several years ago, and wasn't worried about the plating being off because I use it.  I paid £15 for it, so it's not expensive.


I assembled the chatelaine myself, I didn't buy it.  I have 10 tools on it, and could not find what I wanted so I went and assembled my own.  I also didn't decide I wanted one one day and had it the next...it took the better part of a year to find all the tools and findings for it I could afford.  All total, I spent about £100 on it.

Most of the chatelaine tools came from there.  Because I wanted a working one I didn't go overboard.  I got the fancier versions for myself, and I think the most I paid for the tools were $12 from there.  The clasp was an old chatelaine base I got on Etsy the seller didn't know what it was, and has a pocket for a hankerchief.  It was sold as a metal wall pocket...the back has a pin and belt clip and a part on the middle that I can tuck small things into.  Right now I have a knock off Turnbridge needle book in the pocket.  The antique tools were a cross of junk shops, ebay and flea markets.  I bought the chains from China, and because I wanted to use the tools, have opening lobster clasps to do so. 

The smaller one I got the dance card pencil on some website where you sell your things.  With shipping it was under £5.  The tape measure came from Bass pro shop.  It was £5, but rang up wrong at the register so I wound up getting it for free.  It really is meant to measure fish and looks like a fly fishing wheel in gold tone.  Biggest problem is it only goes to 39".  The pin cushion is just a small piece of silk I had made into a ball and attached to a fancy bead cap and beading to make it fancy, and added an old broken anklet chain to it to make it usable for me.

Amazon is the measuring tape.  Only thing I think you can't really picture.

Sewingsue

Re: searching for a pin cushion
« Reply #13 on: December 22, 2018, 19:29:51 PM »
Thank you @Kwaaked
What a fascinating project.
Bernina Aurora 440QE, Brother BC-2500, Singer 99K (1938), Juki MO-654DE overlocker, Silver Viscount 620D overlocker.

sewingj

Re: searching for a pin cushion
« Reply #14 on: January 02, 2019, 09:51:06 AM »
Following one or two comments about pin cushions in tea cups this is what I have ended up with:
(I used the Debbie Shore tutorial which recommends stuffing the toe-end of a pop sock first to get the right size and shape before putting on the fabric and this worked really well)

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