Do you use pincushions?
 

Do you use pincushions when you are quilting/sewing?

Do you like and/or make them?

Since joining in the secret pal swaps I have received a
several homemade pincushions and have developed a
HUGE liking for them; not to use when I am sewing but
as a sewing room decoration. I hang them up so I can
look at them when I take breaks from cutting, ironing or
sewing.

When I am sewing I tend to either drop my pins back in
the jar where I keep them, or I use a magnetic holder to
lay them on until I am done sewing then I put them all back
into the jar (I use wide mouth short 1/2 pint jars).

I have 4 cats and the 2 youngest (my avatar pic) loves to
go "exploring" in my sewing room (which is the dining room)
so to keep them safe I don't leave any pins, needles or small
sharp objects around that they can get too.

In the sewing room I have one, old pincushion that I got at a museum store about 40 years ago. (has little Asian men all around it).
In the living room where I sew, I have a basket with a hand made pincushion attached. About 1.5" x 3". I hand quilt and use very small needles. Once I unattached the pincushion, took all the pins out, and started squeezing it to find lost needles. Do you know I found FIFTY needles in that pincushion - 30 quilting and 20 larger.

I love pin cushions I use them and have some just to look at. I understand about your fur babies. We must keep them safe! Luann

I could not sew without a pincushion. I have worn out several in my sewing life time.

I do use a pin cushion all the time...actually it is a basket with a cushion top....I bought it on a trip in 1977....and i still use it everytime i sew.....keeps all my pins and needles in one place, but it does look like a mess...ha ha ha... I never use the basket part but i should....it could contain a lot of thread....

Holy cow!!!!! I don't use a pin cushion. I just drop them back into their plastic box. I have a couple with pins in them but they are the pins that I don't like. I only use them if I can't find the ones I like.

I have several pincushions in my sewing room - actually I collect them. I have one or two by my sewing machine, one on my cutting table and one by the ironing board. And a few other sitting around on the shelves for decoration. I like having them scattered around because then I'm not reaching for one behiind me when I need. I pin long seams on my cutting table and then remove the pins as I sew. If I have pin cushions everywhere, there's always one near when I need it. I also have a magnetic bowl of larger pins on my quilting frame which is nice because it doesn't spill, but I'm always sticking myself when I reach into it.

I love the few pincushions I have. My favorite one has a little story behind it. Ya see, since we live close to a couple of nice family friendly Mardi Gras parades here, one of the throws are stuffed animals. The one I'm talking about is a real "inexpensive" fabric doggie. Well, it was upstairs in the garage storage and one day I see Belle (brown Lab) walking around the yard with it in her mouth. She had just gone upstairs to get it. Well, it ended up being a great pincushion because I can separate different pins on the different parts of the dog. Belle has long since passed but I get to hold on to the fond memories of her.

I have 2 pin cushions but wish I had a 3rd for my LA room, the kind with an elastic band you can stick on your wrist like tailors use. I hate using the little plastic box. To me it is so much easier to grab one pin at a time from a cushion.

I use the pincushions that are attached to my thread catcher bag. I collect pincushions and make a lot of them. I have over 50 and keep them on shelves made for them.

Yes, I use pin cushions consistently, couldn't sew without them.

I am like you in that I have cats that like to play with the pins if they are out so I keep them in a plastic box with a snap lid (the one they actually came in) and that is where I put them back as I take them out. Pincushions are adorable and I have thought about attempting to make one but I know I would not use it so I haven't.

I have two magnet "pincushions" , I have two types of basic pins, plus a regular pincushion for really fine pins. I tried to use the magnet for my superfine pins but it was hard to get them off. My fingers just found that a regular pincushion works best for the superfine pins.
I have seen some pretty amazing pincushions,and love them, some are more arty than functional, but still think they are pretty.

I love pincushions and have alot of them - a wide range, some handmade, some store bought and a couple very expensive (for a pincushion)
The two I always seem to use are handmade - one badly as a attendance gift many yrs back at a regional show and the other beautifully made by a friend,
My favorite is a mouse made by another friend; the tail is curved and stiff, holds bobbins. I never use it but it makes me smile when I look at it.

I do. I have a pincushion beside the sewing machine all the time. Of course they only have about 3 to 5 pins and a couple needels in them as I usually keep all my pins and needles in a plastic resealable tubs (like tupperware only cheaper). I am forever dropping or knocking things over and that is why I keep the pins in a resealable tub. Just call me klucksy.

I have two pin cushions that are quite old -- one that I made with my hair, mom's hair and grandma's hair when I was a kid (it has counted cross stitch decoration) and the other is a little leather shoe with a pincushion on top. I love them, and use them for my hand sewing needles. I have a red tomato for my sewing machine needles. For my pins, I use the magnetic bowl things -- I have two. I don't use the wrist ones now, though I did when I had kids and I was sewing clothes.

here is a thread that pays homage to the pincushion. they are wonderful things to have whether you use them or not. a recently completed pincushion swap showcased some fun creative pincushions. some will never see a pin.:)

oh louise i am so sorry we (pincushion swappers) contributed to your collecting habit. who knew?:D

I use and collect pin cushions. I use a reproduction Shaker (Made at Canterbury Shaker Village, in NH where i was a tour guide years ago) by my sewing machine. A couple of vintage tomato cushions are above my cutting, ironing table, down stairs where I hand piece and quilt I use a combo thread, cushion, scissor, thimble wood holder that I got years ago at keepsake quilting in Center Harbor NH. Here is a pic of my cusion shelf.

Mary - HAHAHAHA it was because of an adorable owl pincushion
I got in February that got me so hooked on wanting to collect them
and then to start thinking about making my own (someday soon I hope).

Here is where I have mine hanging (for now) until I figure something
else that works better (and keep them out of cats reach).

[ATTACH=CONFIG]338857[/ATTACH]

Yes, I love pincushions and always searching online for more cool free patterns for pincushions

just found this one for coffee cup as you can download the free pdf pattern

http://www.joann.com/cup-saucer-pin-cushion/prod311107/

that one is really kewl crafybear.

I do not use a pincushion, but rather a magnetic pin "dish". I don't like pin cushions as they are too much work and take too long when I just need to drop off the pins (rather than put in my mouth....LOL).

I, too, love pin cushions. I have one of the wrist pin cushions that I bought from JoAnn's and to make it fit better I replaced the plastic wrist band with elastic. I have also made a couple of pin cushions to match some sewing mats with pockets that I made. I used steel wool and raw wool as stuffing (I couldn't find the crushed walnut shells that some folks use). My cats love to play with the pins, so my pin cushions are put away when I'm not using them. Naughty cats will remove every pin with their little paws and leave them all over the cutting table.

I have one of the giant tomato pincushions sitting next to the right side of my sewing machine. I use pins more often while sewing clothing, but I still need it there while piecing. A big pincushion is preferred so I can find it without looking-- just jab the pin in the cushion without slowing down the machine. The magnetic pin dishes never worked as well for me, sometimes the pins would fall off or I would miss it altogether.

My newest pin-tomato is extra large, but isn't very flat on the the bottom, so I started resting it on a china ramekin dish. I fill the dish with extra pins and my tailor's chalk.

you can find the crushed walnuts at most pet stores. it's sold with the bird stuff i believe.

and what is it about cats and quilting stuff? one of my feline boys is always looking for stuff to knock off my sewing table and swatting things off my design wall or laying across my sewing stuff on my table or pulling pins outta my pincushions or swatting down the push pins i have on my design wall holding up stuff. i have made them kitty mats and lay them all over the place but they like being around my stuff.:)

cats and quilts just go together.:D

My golden retriever likes to lay under the sewing table and let the chain pieced parts fall down on her head! She hasn't messed with my fabric or notions since she was a puppy and ran around the house with my box of silk pins.

I guess I am one of the few that uses the plastic container they come in.

Thank You Craftybear. I just went and look at the joanns site. It is so cute and I have that fabric. Think I will get busy and make a few.

I use pincushions alll the time, and I make them to. I feel they are a must as my dogs get anything droped on the floor!!!

Oh thank you for the link!!


I found MANY pincushions posted in pinterest that I repinned
because they were just to darn cute NOT to repin them.

I use pin cushions but have to put them away in a drawer when I am finished sewing as the felines will play with it and pull all the pins out of it. It is amazing they still do it you would think they have gotten stuck with one. I also have a magnetic dish on my treadle as they sometimes get knocked off and also plastic cases to take to classes. There are some really cute ones out there.

I use pin cushions, but I'm a bit of a pin cushion snob I suppose, since the only cushions I will use are made locally from 100% hand dyed wool. The lady who makes them raises sheep for the wool - she makes the cushions from the 'ground up' so to speak. :) Because of the lanolin in the wool my pins glide right into the fabric.

I use a magnetic "pincushion". I love it.

I know I have a couple of pincushions somewhere in my sewing closet but I never use them anymore. But I think I am lazy, LOL, I use the magnetic ones. You will often see me crawling around the floor under my sewing table with my magnetic one picking up lost pins.

I don't use my pin cushions for pins, but I do keep needles in them. I have several magnetic holders which I use on my cutting table, ironing board, and by my hand sewing chair. I have a pin box velcrowed to my sewing machine table. I use lots of pins when sewing.

I have both the regular and magnetic. I have a wrist one that I made. A tomato one that I keep mostly needles in and three magnetic ones that I use all the time. One I keep my 1 in. T-pins in that I use to pin a quilt on my LA. The others I use for my ball head pins. Extra pins I keep in plastic jars. I printed off the coffee cup and saucer one and I think I'll make one....it's really cute!

Ditto. But when I say "pincushion", I mean the old-fashioned kind. I don't care for the magnetic kind or Pin Keepers or whatever they're called. I like the kind that you stick your pins in, like the old tomato kinds. My favorite one right now is a Dresden Plate I got from Fons & Porter. I've been eying some cuties on Etsy & think I may drop some hints for them as gifts...

That is something I want to do, could you tell me how you stuffed the pin cushion with the hair????

WOW! Now I would love to find someone that raises sheep to make the pin cushions, that is one problem I have, pins not going smooth into the fabric. I guess it is the humidity in our area??? I had heard that lanolin was good to use, couldn't figure out how to put in the pin cushion. lol

I am a user and a collector. I use the magnetic ones beside my sewing machines (easier to use, just throw the pin in the general direction and it usually lands in the dish). But I have others scattered all over the house for hand sewing, and for decoration.