Women of the nineteenth century made pin cushions out of a seemingly endless assortment of items. We can find them made of scrap fabrics, ribbon, shells, dolls, baskets, metal rings, walnut shells, and so many other endless bits.
Children’s and girls’ books are specked with directions on how to pin cushions from found items. This seashell pin cushion is one example.
We also find pin cushions in lady’s magazines. (be sure not to confuse toilet pin cushions with sewing pin cushions.) This emery cushion in a walnut shell is one example. Emery was used to remove the build up on needles. 
Every sewing case needs a pin cushion, at least one pin cushion, that suits the sewers needs. Finding the right pin cushion takes some self analysis and potentially some trial and error.
Depending on my project, I am ‘pluck and plopper’. I am also a pin sorter who is particular on which pins I want for what. When I am ‘plucking and plopping’, I need a pin cushion that is not going to move and lots of surface space I don’t need to look at. A heavy bottom helps as well since I am not always working on a flat surface or able to pay much attention to my pin cushion as my work needs my attention. A large, weighted cushion is very helpful in these situations. When I am working on something that I want particular pins for, be it fine, sharp pins or silk or color pins for marking, I like pin cushions with sorting areas or segments. This could be color sections of the fabric or sides of a cushion. The metal pin cushion to the right in the photo is good for this for me. In the modern world, it is my tomato stuck inside a small piece of pottery. When I am on the go, I want a little pin cushion I can deeply sink my pins into so they don’t go astray. The two ribbon pin cushions in the left of the photo are good for this.
*** For the upcoming Domestic Skill Conference at Genesee Country Village, I will be offering a pin cushion sampler class. ***
Looking for your own copy of Fanciful Utility?
Click HERE to go ESC Publishing.
Remember to check out the special Anniversary kits on Etsy
Yes. I offer exclusive workshop projects that build on the Fanciful Utility projects. Current workshop options include a work pocket filled with pockets, that I call a “Pockets of Pockets”, the favorite French Sewing Boxes and a pin cushion sampler.
I’ve had a pink and green hat stuck in my head for weeks. I kept putting it off because I thought I was nuts to want to line the underside of the brim with a multi-color silk. Well, I couldn’t shake it. So, here it is.
The pink and green silk taffeta wraps around the brim edge and lines the underside. To be happy, I had to get the stripes as lined up as possible.
If I Had My Own Blue Box: 