Showing posts with label pin cushion. Show all posts

The Tomato Pincushion

Think......

Remember back to your mother or grandmother. Do you remember seeing a tomaoto Pin cushion sitting around their home somewhere? I bet you did. I bet you at least have seen one in someones house you know.
I remember my mom had one. In fact, I think she still uses it.

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Back in the middle ages, Pins and needles were costly. Women would use pin cushions not only to store their pins and needles but would also use pin cushions to display these expensive necessities. By the 1700's pin pillows were more for decoration than for use.

Back in the Victorian era, A tomato was placed on the mantels of new homes. It was a folklore that they were used to ward off evil spirits. When they realized that tomatoes were not always in season, people started makeing pillowed tomatoes out of cloth and stuffed them with sand or saw dust. Through out the years, the stuffed tomato became a good luck symbol eventually doubling as a pin cushion. this is why most pin cushions are still round.

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Attached to the top of the tomato pin cushion, is a small stuffed strawberry. This was filled with sand or originally emery which was fine metal shavings. The strawberry was used to sharpen the pins and needles.

Pretty cool huh? So, if your mom had one, it was probably because everyone else had one. If she sewed, It was used a lot, and my moms did just that.

I bet your thinking back or looking around the house right now, huh?.