I’ve been collecting for about 35 years and many times I’ve kept the price tags on the pincushion so I can see what I paid originally. Some are elaborate but many are humble and I think those are some of my favorites.
On the left is a fishnet stockinged leg in a high heel with a seam up the back – don’t know what I paid but I saw it on Etsy for sale for the unbelievable amount of $142.00! In the middle is a crocheted piece which looks like a woman’s sundress and if you look closely you’ll see that the top is crocheted around a wishbone. On the right is a very simple hat sachet pincushion with the label still on the bottom, made in St. Paul. MN. I paid $10.00 — too much!
On the top the little gray one is actually the top of a sock – talk about humble! Then there’s the cup and 6 fingered whatever.
On the left a crocheted heart – $.59 – all that work for $.59!! A homemade tomato. A large sawdust filled disc with a hanger. A Red Cross envelope ready to fill which I made because I found those wonderful pins dated 1919.
Top row — pincushion needle box, silk, $28. Thread holder with pincushion center. Victorian hoof pincushion – filled with sawdust – this is an actual animal hoof with a brocade top. I paid $75.
Left – embroidered – says “stick me”, woven basket with wool embroidery on worn maroon fabric, pink velvet heart, crocheted heart
Top row – tomato, very full tomato, Connie’s from 1983, crocheted chicken, small tomato, celluloid $7.50
From left – 2 fabric covered card boards stitched together, pins stuck between, $5. Very old crazy quilt pincushion, initials E.S.. Shoes so full of pins they are all rusted together.
Top row – tomato emery, Gorham sterling #4780. Pink crocheted hat. Tiny crocheted hat $2.00.
From left – homemade from drapery fabric? Very special parrot needle case, silk lined,$32. Hmong turtle.
Top row – pincushion box. Thread holder. Silver plated shoe.
From left – crocheted chicken with thimble holder, $5. Beaded shoe, ? American Indian. Silk and lace, maybe a momento from someone’s wedding? Two pincushion half dolls.
Top row – sand filled basket with needle case and scissors attached, $28. Wooden shoe with upholstery fabric, $25. Pincushion on painted glass base, $20.
And here are 4 simple ones I made thru the years. Now I will clean shelf #1 and put them all back. That was fun but a lot of work. I won’t promise shelf #2 tomorrow – I have 4 extra dogs here. Four shelves to go – what did I tell you? I’ve had 35 years of fun collecting these pincushions and I’ve got a lot of them, don’t I? Ha! Enjoy today’s show and tell.
Absolutely love the pin cushions. Our EGA chapter exchanged them for Christmas. Very imaginative ones were made by the members. Wish I had pictures to share.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this post! I could sit and look at these pin cushions for hours … in fact, I think I WILL! 🙂 Thank you for today’s “Show and Tell”!!
Oh Mary, you brought back such fond memories of my Nana. She didn’t have as many, but I remember crocheted one and the shoes:) Thank you!! PS So glad Millie is keeping watch over them:)
I LOVE this post as I love pincushions too! I am going immediately to dig in my wool-I want to try to make me the Red Cross one and I want to make the flag one for a gentleman in our guild who is in charge of Quilts of Valor-it’s perfect!
The picture with the cat is too funny as I have seen a punched wool pincushion that looks just like your cat!
I have my mothers pin cushion – It sits on my sewing machine cabinet where I see it every day. I can remember her using it when I was a child. Truly is one of my treasures!!!
I have a large pincushion with a crocheted cover that my mom made. The neat thing about it is that she used dried coffee grounds for the stuffing. It is so old that it doesn’t smell like coffee any more.
what a wonderful collection. Thank you so much for sharing. They are amazing….. Lucky you that were smart enough to start years ago when it wasn’t such a popular idea…. Beautiful
What a collection. The hoof pin cushion is creepy.
Melody – and this is just the first of 5 shelves!
Well, I like the cabinet too! All the pin cushions are interesting pieces. I have a few and other sewing related items. Mary and Connie…thanks for all the inspiring ideas. (Sunshine in Texas today)
This is great-like your own talk show!! Some days it is current events (sports!), some days it is sewing, some days it is weather and some days you have guests (animal and human). Your pincushion collection is amazing!
Oh no! I had one of those hoof pincushions but I didn’t know that was what it was used for. I gave it to my brother! Darn!
Thanks for giving my one homemade latte a day time something fun to view. I think the Spring Cleaning Bug has arrived. I took classes in Tole painting when living in CT and I painted small tins with tole designs, stuffed tin with fiber and added fabric and sold them as pin cushions. Wish I had saved one for myself. If only your pin cushions could tell their own stories…..
Thank you for doing all the work so we too cold enjoy your unbelievable collections of pin cushions.
Dorothy Sheldrake
Love the pictures of the pincushions. Thank you.
Carolyn B from VA
Hi Mary, every pincushion is priceless. Anxious to see what is on the next shelf.
Mary, I hope you email all your posts to your Rick, so he can see what he misses while on the road.
LJP
PS When we we see the one you made to sell to get the Grand Piano? LJP
what a wonderful collection. I have one of your pincushions and i love it!
an’t wait for the next showing. ML
Love the pincushions but love the black fur showing in one of them even better! Love pets and am looking forward to seeing you in Sac City in June!!
Love the wooden shoe and the parrot! What a collection. If I put all my pincushions in one place, it wouldn’t be too impressive! If I knew how to attach a photo I would post my favorites.
Carol – if you know how to send a picture to an email, send it to marye@ncn.net
Thanks for sharing today..
I have made some and gifted them,…love your sharing
Thank you for sharing your collections! Enjoy them very much & certainly remember the “style” of many of them. Thank you also for your visits to the Care Center in Garner. My precious Aunt Margreete was there for many years. I miss her very, very much…she had such a delicious sense of humor and she loved her home crafts. I, too, wish we could hear the stories the pincushions could tell.
I enjoyed show and tell very much. Thanks for the effort🍅🍅🍅
Those are wonderful. I never though about collecting pin cushions. I bet there aren’t to many around now. But I’m going to look for them. I love your post. They are a daily dose of fun and humor with all your fur baby’s. Now to get to see your collection is amazing. Thank You,
Bobbie
If I didn’t see the collection (this part), I would never have believed it!!! Amazing!!! You should take (some of ) them and go give talks to church ladies groups and quilt clubs. As far as I’m concerned, you could leave the hoof at home. I like all the rest of them. Thank you for sharing. We will wait for the next round.
This is great! What an interesting collection! Thanks for sharing. I really enjoy your blog!
What an amazing collection, well one shelf. looking forward to seeing more. wish you were here, I need a dog setter. Thanks for your posts.
I read all the Comments & they are Right-On except I LOVE the Hoof !!! Pincushions have always been one on my Loves! In fact everything you do… is things I love. Wish I had the musical ear (am Tone Deaf) to Play the Piano & Sing! Thank You for the time you spend sending us your PIC’s; we love seeing everything !!! It is 38 at 11:00 am in Mid Alabama today, so no tornadoes! The Sun is Shinning so the rain & clouds are gone!
Freda – thank you – more pincushions to come!
Thank you so much for the wonderful display of pincushions. I have a similar display case that I purchased many moons ago. It’s been sitting on the floor of a spare bedroom gathering dust because while I loved the case I never knew what to put in it. Now thanks to you and your awesome collection, I will use it to store my meager collection of pincushions. Don’t have even a smidget of what you have, but I have a few. Will now be on the lookout in earnest. It is amazing what simple (and not so simple) things bring us pleasure.
When purchasing “homemade” items, I always wonder who made the item and how long it took to make it and factor in how long it would take me to make it versus the price. Thanks for sharing.
Terry in So. Calif.
Terry – having the display case will be the incentive to shop for sewing “stuff” to fill it, doesn’t have to be just pincushions
thank you for ALL the work in showing your pin cushions, all I can say is wow. They are all so wonderful. What fun I had looking at them. And love the pics of your pups!
What a fun “show & tell” of all your pin cushions, that comes with fond memories.
And also chuckling that whenever you share a picture…there is always a fur-baby thinking it’s a perfect time for a “photo op”. HA