Karin Peirce of Maine found this image (above) of a vintage gunpowder pincushion, and was inspired to make the one below. Nice job! She didn't say if she filled hers with with gunpowder. And like Karin says, you could always throw it into the fireplace if necessary!
I did a quick Google search for a connection between gunpowder and pincushions and didn't find anything.
Some vintage pincushions were filled with crushed walnut shells, straw, sand, rice, human hair or horsehair. Most of the vintage pinucshion ads on eBay don't say what's inside.
Karin also sent this photo of two pincushions from Russia. Thanks, Karin!
8 comments:
Hi!
If the gunpowder contains any kind of metal, it will keep your needles sharp. You can also use that metal material for srubbing pots and pans to fill pincushions etc., because it has the same effect on the needles. With love from Bavaria, Ulrike
We probably don't really want to know what's in some of those vintage pincushions.
This reminds me - my grandmother filled hers with hair. (I wish I had one of hers - very find needlepoint.)
Also egg cups make nice pin cushions.
I don't think pincushions were ever filled with gun powder, but the shape of the individual pieces may be the triangle shape used to package up the gun powder in the old days when that gun might be the ticket to survival - a time before grocery stores. The shooter would bite off the end of the paper container and fill the gun with powder. The housewife seeing the shape thought to make a pincushion like it.
Hugs!
Thank you for posting these, pincushions are definitely going to be my next obsession. The possibiiites are endless...
This is also known as a civil war pincushion. Marcus Brothers fabric has a free pattern for this that you can download, just google it and it pops right up. Smiles...
This is also known as a civil war pincushion. Marcus Brothers fabric has a free pattern for this that you can download, just google it and it pops right up. Smiles...
Hi! I just happened upon your blog while searching for antique pincushion photos. I actually own this very pincushion. It feels like it it stuffed with cotton or wool, but definitely not gunpowder... and not emery powder which was often used for small pincushions and emeries. This has been an interesting post to read along with the comments! :)
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