Pins- Is it just me?
 

I am looking for a better method of holding pins while I pin my quilt to the frame. I have the standard tomato pincushion which works great but doesn't hold nearly enough pins so I end up getting them out of the box the pins came in. My issue is that it drives me batty doing this because the pins are not all in the same direction so I get stuck at least once! Crazy I know haha. I would take the time to sort them but I know I could not put the lid back on the box if I did. I have thought about some of the magnetic ones but don't know if they would hold enough pins in the same direction. I promise this is not a gag post. I'm seriously looking for ideas. Anyone else bothered by this?

Make a bigger pincushion to suit your needs? I made a flat topped one about 4" square. I stuffed it with scrap fabric and batting with a bunch of rice poured in for weight. It's ugly and wonky but it works far better for me than the little plastic container the pins come in. Saves me a lot of fumbling.
Rodney

Several ideas. 1 - switch to Red Snappers and save yourself the aggravation of pins and getting stuck. 2 - get a second, third, and fourth pincushion - as many as needed. 3 - get a larger pincushion. I have one of these that I just love, but I use the pins for piecing, not for pinning the quilt to the frame - http://www.ewesful.com/ewesful.html


Oh yes, the magnetic ones will hold the pins in the same direction if you're very careful, and if you don't overload them with pins, and if the pins themselves don't get magnetized. Then it creates a mess.

Well, I keep mine in my tall empty pill containers, but I get stuck like you do. I don't have a good answer tho'. Just have to "grin and bear it".

The magnetic pin holders never worked well for me. They would spill all the pins all over the place. I would make a larger pin cushion that's large enough to hold all your pins, or hand baste the quilt on the frame.

I went to Harbor Freight and got some 6" magnetic parts bowls. We keep straight pins in one, quilters' safety pins in another. They hold quite a few pins and they stay where I place them. I put the straight pins in the bowl with the sharp end at the center and it works great. The safety pins are still a mess and I do get stuck from time to time.

I made a magnetic wrist cushion. I just threw it together, not pretty but it works. I find that it makes a lot of difference when pinning the quilt parts to the frame. Much easier!

I have this pin cushion too and love it!!! Holds a lot of pins and stays put!

Mary, that's a great idea! I'm going to have to make a wrist pin holder for myself. Thanks for suggesting it.