Have you ever wondered what’s inside a tomato pin cushion strawberry?
You have come into the right place! We just cut a tomato pincushion in half so you can see what’s inside in a very cool video!
This classic and timeless pincushion design has been in our lives for a long time. And I bet most of you, like us, have to wonder what’s inside it.
And not only what but also why that stuff is in there? Because, yes, the little tomato pincushion strawberry does something!
We will talk about all that, plus a little bit of the history of this sewing statement piece here.
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Something that can not be missing in any home is a sewing kit. And in that sewing kit, most likely than not, there will be a pincushion with the shape of a tomato.
You MUST have a pincushion if you sew in any form, whether you make sewing projects or clothes for yourself or only have a kit for emergencies.
You will find it in every essential sewing tools list.
And in a lot of different shapes and styles too.
Pincushions can be made of fabric and as an accessory for your table, wrist, and even to be worn as a ring!
These tools are essential to keep our pins together, ready to grab and sight. You undoubtedly know how slippery and easy to lose pins are.
Table of contents:
- The Tomato Pincushion
- Where does the Tomato Pincushion come from?
- How do you make a tomato pincushion?
- What is the Tomato Pincushion Strawberry for?
- Video! What’s inside of a Tomato Pincushion? We cut it open for you!
The Tomato Pincushion. A timeless classic.
Despite all the options out there, at least once in our sewing journey, we’ve all had a tomato pincushion with a little strawberry on the top.
Pincushions have actually existed for many years now, but the one style that has stuck around without a doubt is our little red friend.
And it has a pretty cool background story too! One you must know because this is a pretty cool fact to share among friends and family and all history-curious minds.
Not only seamstresses!
Think about it.
Have you ever just gone to the house of your granny, aunt, maybe a neighbor as a kid and spotted one of these cool pincushions?
You must have wondered what the heck was that even for and what’s even doing inside a can of cookies and all those other sewing things.
Well. Like us, these people probably didn’t know that this pincushion is more than just something to hold your pins in.
We are just part of a new generation that keeps a piece of history alive in our sewing kits.
The great tradition of a tomato-shaped pin has a great and rich past with a deep meaning.
It all started in the middle age when women of all statuses started making fabric tomatoes for reasons of faith and superstition.
They would have dozens of pincushions, but the tomato-shaped one with the small strawberry on top was the most important of them all.
Life or death important!
Where does the tomato pincushion come from?
The tomato pincushion was born during the Victorian era when people believed that the tomato was a sign of prosperity.
Every time people move to a new home. They had to put a tomato in the center of their tables.
This assured them that they would have prosperity and good fortune in their new life.
The tomato also had the ability to ward the house from evil spirits.
They believed in this to such an extent that they had to improvise when it was a low season on tomatoes.
They would take red fabric pieces and fill them with sand or sawdust, tying them with a green string.
But how does this fabric tomato replacement turn into a pincushion?
Nowadays, we see pins as something pretty expendable and cheap.
But there was a time when pins were costly and hard to get for the average housewife. People even used to store them in special boxes to avoid getting lost or rusted.
As soon as they became more common and economical, this changed.
People could get tons of pins, and they would be carelessly left around the home.
There wasn’t much time until women realized that the good luck symbol next to them at the table could also be used to hold and store their pins as they were sewing.
Isn’t history fun? If you liked that you might want to read the history of the peter pan collar too!
How do you make a strawberry pin cushion?
Making a strawberry pincushion is very simple. You only need a few materials. Make a circle of fabric and fill it with craft filling or wool.
That’s to make a home version of it. Because actually, the filling the strawberry needs is something you probably don’t have at home already.
Get some red scraps of fabric, a green ribbon, a piece of green felt, and stuffing material.
To sew the strawberry, cut a small triangle of red fabric, round the corners, and sew the sides. Turn it inside out and fill it, then close it with a hand stitch around the opening.
The strawberry is done! Just cut a leaf for it.
Now cut out the leaf shapes on the green felt, fold it in two and secure it to the thought with a few basic hand stitches.
Simply cut a circle and make a basting stitch on the edge to make the tomato. Pull a bit the basting stitch to gather and form a sphere.
Use the string to wrap the tomato shape two times.
Finally, fill the tomato and pull the threads to close the ball. Attach the strawberry to the tomato and then attach the leaves. For a more visual tutorial on sewing a strawberry pincushion, go to the tutorial from Down Grapevine Lane.
Where can I get a tomato pincushion?
As we know, the tomato pincushion is known by many, making it a very easy item to get in dedicated sewing stores.
But of course, if any reasons you do not have the opportunity to go and physically buy it, here are some links to tomato pincushions with better quality and well recommended by seamstresses all over the globe.
- Dritz 4″ Large Tomato Strawberry Pincushion
- 6 Pieces Tomato Pin Cushions for Sewing
- Tomato Bulk Pin Cushion 24 pack.
- Dritz 4″ PURPLE Tomato Strawberry Pincushion
What is the tomato pincushion Strawberry for?
The strawberry attached to the tomato is an innovative accessory that the Victorian era women decided to add to clean and sharpen needles and pins.
What is inside of a tomato pincushion and strawberry?
The inside of a strawberry on a tomato pincushion is sand or wool.
This helps to sharpen the needles or the pins every time we stick them there. But the main purpose of these materials is to prevent dirt and rust.
That’s the reason why pins last so much and why this classic accessory has endured so many years in the sewing world.
Ps. If you can’t visualize the video above click on our youtube video of the inside of a tomato pincushion.
The origin of things is something that will never cease to amaze me. How did you enjoy this piece of history? Write your thoughts in the comments, please, so we can talk about it.
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My mother sewed allot of our clothes growing up. I sewed allot my summer clothes & my sister’s. Mum had the tomato & pin cushion – it was always there to hold our pins and the little strawberry was used to sharpen dull or odd edges on our pins. Her tomato definitely didn’t have compressed styrofoam. I think it had tightly compressed real cotton wadding as you could kind of squeeze it…lol. Anyhow, I loved that old thing. Mum must have taken it to heaven with her, as I couldn’t find it when she left us 😉
What a wonderful story! Thank you so much for sharing it with us!
Yes, originally, tomato pin cushions had wool inside! And honestly, I wish they still did. I love to get vintage tools to get as close as possible as it was meant to be at the beginning. But some items like the tomato pincushion are just not made the same anymore.
I’m SHOCKED at what I saw inside your tomato pincushion. I always thought it was that gritty sandpapery stuff inside. I just can’t believe what I saw.
Pretty cool right?
This is really interesting. I love to learn this kind of sewing history and tradition. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for letting me know. I love learning about history. Should I make more of these posts?