A pincushion is a small cushion

Cushion

A cushion is a soft bag of some ornamental material, stuffed with wool, hair, feathers, polyester staple fiber, non-woven material, or even paper torn into fragments. It may be used for sitting or kneeling upon, or to soften the hardness or angularity of a chair or couch...

, typically 3–5 cm across, which is used in sewing

Sewing

Sewing is the craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era...

 to store pin

Pin

A pin is a device used for fastening objects or material together.Pin may also refer to:* Award pin, a small piece of metal or plastic with a pin attached given as an award for some achievement...

s or needle

Sewing needle

A sewing needle is a long slender tool with a pointed tip. The first needles were made of bone or wood; modern ones are manufactured from high carbon steel wire, nickel- or 18K gold plated for corrosion resistance. The highest quality embroidery needles are plated with two-thirds platinum and...

s with their heads protruding so as to take hold of them easily, collect them, and keep them organized.

Pincushions are typically filled tightly with stuffing, so as to hold pins rigidly once placed. Magnetic pin cushions are also used, though technically they are not "cushions" they serve the same basic function of holding pins neatly.

The most popular design;; a tomato with a strawberry attached was most likely introduced during the Victorian Era

Victorian era

The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...

. According to folklore, placing a tomato on the mantle of a new home guaranteed prosperity and repelled evil spirits. If tomatoes were out of season, families improvised by using a round ball of red fabric filled with sand or sawdust. The good-luck symbol also served a practical purpose—a place to store pins. . Typically, the tomato is filled with wool roving to prevent rust, and the strawberry is filled with an abrasive to clean the pins.

External links

• Layette pincushions (read about pincushions at the V&A Museum of Childhood)