I have been admiring the pincushions board members have been making, and have a few questions:

What is your favorite material for filling them? I've seen suggestions of nut shells and poly-fil. Anything else work?

Do you do anything to the bottoms to weight them down or prevent pins and needles from going all the way through?

Would it work to somehow put a magnet in a pincushion to use for picking up pins? (I say this as I look at a magnetized paperclip holder and wondering if it could somehow be incorporated into a pincushion.)

What is your favorite type or pattern to make?

Could you post some pictures here to share what you've made?

Do you have any hints or warnings or things you have tried and just didn't work?

Thanks for any response you post.
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Speaking of pin cushions I saw an English Teapot pin cushion a while back online and thought I had saved the link but now can't find it. Anyone happen to know where I can find it.

I use crushed walnut shells for most of them. If I am making a canning or tuna can top I just use fiberfill. Crushe walnut shells can be found at any pet store.

I've used crushed walnut shells, too.

If you try the magnet inside, let us know how it works. It's an interesting idea.

I use play sand,keeps the pins sharp.Connie in CO

I googled teapot pincushion.I'm looking around somemore.

I love pincusshions and use all kinds of stuffings. Favorite is sand because it sharpens needles and is also heavier so it supports itself. I am watching for the teapot pincushion too.

was wondering about sand, what about rusting needles? I read somewhere about wool???

Do you have to worry about the sand leaking out? Do you double-cover it or anything?

I knit one using wool that helps keep the pins/needles from rusting and helps keep them sharp. I use my wool yarn scraps as filler for pincushions I sew for the same reasons. Plus, no waste.

Once I was given some sheep's wool (lanolin in fur was supposed to be good for needles and pins), but all my pins rusted. Did I do something wrong?

My seamstress sister always swore by human hair to fill her pincushions. She said that the oils from the hair helped to keep the pins fro rusting. So she would ask the family to keep their hair clippings to fill her pincushions.

one I made
David
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-89465-1.htm

I have heard that too. Has anyone on the QB used hair in a pincushion?

Heres some I made

I usually just use fiberfill but I pack it tight. Seems to work just fine.

I use crushed walnut shells, and fiberfill in my pin cushions.
I put fusible interfacing on the back of the fabric pieces to help keep small bits of shells from leaking out. The cr. shells also keep pins sharp. I have never had any of my pins or needles rust either. :)

Hi, I use old wool sweaters (washed to shrink) to stuff and make them. and for bottoms use old CD's, or old canning jar lids inside,and any magnet will do. 8-)

[quote=Baysidegal]I use crushed walnut shells for most of them. If I am making a canning or tuna can top I just use fiberfill. Crushe walnut shells can be found at any pet store.[/quote

Thank you! I bought crushed walnut shells at LQS and they were very expensive......I bet the pet store would be cheaper.

I was just going to askif the crushed shells were expensive?

How finely are the shells crushed? I keep seeing mention of these and keep thinking they would dull the needle...

I made this one from sew mama sew....http://www.sewmamasew.com/store/medi...nOrganizer.pdf It uses a combo of fiberfil and sand bag . :D

The walnut shells would work unless the person using them is allergic to walnuts. I have a friend who can't even touch the shells.

I love those pin cushions that have the sample size threads in them. I used to make them all the time myself. They are particularly great for someone who sews very little and those small spools really great with enough to sew a loose button or such.

I just use fiberfill. I imagine if I made ones for the wrist I'd have to put something in it to keep the pins from poking through. I haven't attempted one of those yet. Here are my favorite ones:

Hi Nancy
I am also from La. I live in Kinder not too far down the road. I am new to quilting and have started with out kind of slow. Just wanted to say Hi. I haven't seen others from our neck of the woods.

Good info and cute cushions...thank you.

I used raw wool for the ones I made. I will take a picture tomorrow & post them; it's late & I'm on the way to bed.

The pincushions are copies of ones from the 1860s.

If the wool hadn't been at least scoured, then your needles may have been in contact with VM, dirt, and possibly fecal matter all of which would draw moisture as they decomposed. Well, not the dirt, since technically dirt doesn't decompose... Lol

I have used cat litter. Also used steel wool to keep pins/needles sharp.

I have a friend who is a woodworker and I had him save me a big bag of sawdust. Works fine. Another friend asked us to save used coffee grounds for pin cushions. She said they worked real good and didn't smell like coffee after they were made.

I haven't made a pin cushion in several years. At that time my mother taught us to use the sawdust Dad collected from using his table saw. I guess if you can crumble up wood shavings ( like the kind used in dog bedding) it would work also. I would put the wood shavings in first and stuff the pincushion about 2/3 full then fill the bottom with poly-fil beads. I would put the beads in a small bag so that they would stay where you want them. Additionally, I do not see why you cannot put in a magnet strip in the bottom to help pick up the pins. Jeanniebelle

Do you clean the sand before you use it? I've heard it has to be baked.

The tail on my Avatar is a pin cushion. The directions said to fill the tail with sand and attach to the cat. Well, "attach to the cat" was a whole nother story. I finally gave up and used fiber fill. I only use it for a few pins because I love my magnetic pin holder. I can toss the pins in that direction and they just go right in!

I am getting ready to make one of the pin cushions with thread catcher attached. But I don't usually make any. I do have a request for those that make the thumb ones - put something hard on the bottom to stop the point of the pin from going thru. (darn things pick)

I LOVE that hamburger. What did you cover to make the bun?

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-51445-1.htm heres one I make, have given many away, I use marbles, make little bag to put them in, put in bottom and add a little stuffing. use fiber fill.

http://boutiquenutmegdesigns.blogspo...-tutorial.html

Here are some of mine that I have made. I have used fiberfill, old batting scraps, wool roving, and play sand.

It just has poly fil in the the top bun the bottom is about an inch smaller than the top peice that is gathered to fit together. The bottom bun is a canning jar lid