How to keep pins and needles sharp?
 

Does anyone know how to keep pins and needles sharp. Someone said to put emery dust in the pin cushions. Sounds dirty and its expenisive. Any ideas? Help.

I use crushed walnut shells in my pin cushions. You can buy the stuff at a pet store. It is used as lizard bedding.

I've used the little strawberries that are filled with emery to sharpen pins and needles, and it does work. The strawberries are a couple of dollars each, but I don't know about the emery dust itself. Sometimes the classic "tomato" pincushions have an emery strawberry attached.

Lizzyq - I had no idea the tiny tomato on a classic pincushion had emery inside for sharpening. Very good to know. Thanks for sharing.

I had heard a long time ago that sand keeps them sharp.

I used steel wool as the filler for a pincushion and it works for me.

The common name for the little strawberries (and other less common shapes) was actually an 'emery.' they used to be made in all sorts of fancy and decorated shapes...

http://store.berryhillheirlooms.com/senopa.html check out the new versions and some of the antique versions... how about a 'thimble pip?' that was discussed on this site and i had never heard of that term... it was apparently to store the thimble in...probably in a time when they were expensive and of course, so small as to be easily lost...

I like long, thin pins and they bend before they're dull. Sewing machine needles are simply replaced on a regular basis.
The idea of steel wool in a pin cushion is intriguing - that stuff works for all kind of things!

I keep my pins and needles sharp by putting them in a bar of soap after I use them. I keep it handy right by my machine, and stick them in that instead of a pin cushion. It really works, I've had my pins for 8 years now.

Interesting - I'll have to check my 'tomato' pin cushion and see if there's something attached.

I was going to say I wrap a piece of steel wool in a piece of batting and when my pin or needles start to get dull I stick them in the steel wool a few times.

Steel wool is very effective in a pincushion and does keep the pins and needles sharp, you have to be careful though the steel wool will rust if it gets wet or is exposed to high humidity. Learnt from experience.

Same here.They work great!

i would love to find some emry powder --can not find any source in aussie

[QUOTE=babindg12200;4701775]I keep my pins and needles sharp by putting them in a bar of soap after I use them. I keep it handy right by my machine, and stick them in that instead of a pin cushion. It really works, I've had my pins for 8 years now.[/QUOTh

This is very interesting. Is it any kind of soap? I would worry about the moisturizer in some soaps

Let us know!!

I bought some emery pincushions on etsy and was very pleased with the results.
Works much better that steel wool and will not rust. Yes, a little pricey but worth it.
Next time I might just buy the emery and make my own pincushion.
The steel wool required a lot of elbow grease to work plus you don't know when
it starts rusting inside.

My favourite pincusion is filled with sand. We have a whole desert of the stuff and it works well. It is especially good in the pincushion attached to the thread catcher because it makes it heavy and stays where you put it. I make an extra little 'pillowcase' which is filled with the sand.

i have several items to sharpen pins and needles. One is a sand filled item and then I have one that my grandmother loved, which was made of a number of extra fine "000" sandpaper...she removed some of the paper backing, then cut the sandpaper into strips layering about and 1" thick, covered with cotton batting, then inserted into a fabric sleeve. She layered the paper back to back in pairs and then stacked them. She told me it was the best.....but don't get it wet.

If you use emery powder you need to be careful there are some health hazards with it when inhaled, and you need to use a certain respiratory mask to use it safely....at least with sand there is no problem,,,and if you want it colorful (though hidden) you can use the sand that children use for sand sculptures in bottles.

HA! I never knew about the little strawberry either!! What an education we get here!!

Pins and needles are the most inexpensive items I use for quilting. I don't think about keeping them sharp, I get a new one. I think that Clover brand pins stay sharp the longest. I seldom use a hand sewing needle again after sewing binding on a big quilt. I like new sharp sewing needles for any hand sewing. It's a cheap treat for myself.

Emery is what is in the strawberry attached to those tomato pincushions. I bought emery to fill some pincushions. Not dusty so much as difficult to buy in smaller quantities (I bought mine from Etsy).

You can hear the pins crunching through the emery and the sand ones and it is really tight in there. I usually throw bad pins away also and I rarely have to buy new pins, because of the strawberry. Soap has been used for many years for pin cushions. I usually throw away pins because they become bent more than dull.