Are you familiar with the little strawberry that comes along with the classic tomato pincushion? Do you know the purpose of that strawberry? Its purpose is to keep your pins and needles sharp. It's filled with a mineral called "emery". Emery resembles fine metal shavings. It's used as an abrasive in industrial applications and on things like emery boards - perfect for keeping your pins in top shape.
The part of this pincushion that's filled with emery measures approximately 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) square. There's a little more fabric and a lace trim along two sides which brings the total size to approximately 3 inches (7.6 cm) square.
I adore vintage handkerchiefs - ever since the day my grandmother gave me some of hers when I was just a little girl. That's the inspiration behind my Vintage Handkerchief Emery Pincushion line.
The handkerchief used for this pincushion features embroidered pink daisies with green leaves and stems. Beautiful!
Usually, I cover my emery pincushions twice. This one's covered three times! That's because the handkerchief fabric is very thin. I wanted to be sure that the emery didn't escape through the seams or through pinholes made into the fabric. I first made a little muslin pillow filled with emery, then covered that with white felt, then covered it with the handkerchief.
This is the perfect pincushion...It’s cute, it’s heavy so it won't slide around your work surface, it holds your pins and needles, and they're sharpened with every jab. What more could you want from a pincushion?
You will not receive the exact pincushion in the photos. That one sold. The one you will receive is practically identical. I used the same handkerchief for both.
The back looks just like the front. The same embroidery is on both sides.
The handkerchief used is vintage so you may see some imperfections - just part of the charm in my opinion.
The last picture shows what emery looks like. If you'd like to purchase just the emery to make your own pincushions, please check my shop to see it listed.
Please check my shop for many more emery pincushions!
http://dottyral.etsy.com
Thanks for looking!
Have any questions?
Contact the shop owner.
