"Pincushions reached their heyday in the Victorian Era when women used them as articles of decoration in every room of the house: smart box cushions for the dressing table, large heart or diamond shapes hanging in the kitchen, and patchwork cushions for the bedroom. In their inventive shapes and materials, pincushions reflect the lives of the women, and sometimes men, who made them as gifts, for charity fairs, and as souvenirs of cherished individuals, events or places. Pincushions were sometimes made from the clothing of dear departed ones, old military uniforms, or from old fabric collections....

"Some embroidery books published in the Victorian age describe in detail the design and stuffing of pincushions. They recommend wool, bran, and sawdust for stuffing, the latter especially because "it is better than bran as the mice do not like it." Many women also stuffed their pincushions with hair from loved ones, such as the mother who filled her pincushion with her son's golden curls. When he died in childhood, she kept the pincushion always nearby until she died at the age of 90.

"Victorian society considered pincushions "fancywork," which meant women could make them while paying or receiving social calls or when spending evenings at social gatherings. They were a welcome relief from the tedium of sewing the more practical necessities of everyday life (which could be done only at home)."

© 2007 Theresa Venette. Articles on this site may be reproduced in needlework group newsletters or other handouts with permission of author and proper attribution. Send questions, comments and suggestions to: xspeddler@yahoo.com