Pincushion Question
#1
Pincushion Question
I took a class and the instructor was talking about making pincushions and said to never use batting scraps in them. At the time I didn't ask why but now I am wondering about it. Does it dull the pins? Seems strange to me and I know I have used batting scraps in some of mine....
#2
I use batting in pincushions that will be for a decorative collection. Yes, poly batt will eventually dull the points, but I would imagine it would take a while. Products from the Warm Company are cotton, don't think they will dull points. If you are a purist, use ground walnut shells. I get mine at the pet store, they are sold as bedding material.
#5
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,140
This is one of those things where there is the "gold standard" and then plenty of other methods that are still perfectly decent. Walnut shells will give you the best results. They sharpen & moisturize your pins to keep them lasting extra long.
Cotton batting will add a tiny bit of moisture, but also has the possibility of developing mildew inside if in an area of extra high humidity and not periodically washed/dried ... and it will dull rather than sharpen your pins. Poly batting/fiber fill adds no moisture and will dull pins very slightly more than cotton. But honestly, the difference is small & I've bought, made & used fiber fill pin cushions plenty of times. Honestly, my pins bend well before they ever rust or dull so it's not a factor for me. I use silk pins & they are not very strong so I end up replacing probably them every 2 years anyways.
Cotton batting will add a tiny bit of moisture, but also has the possibility of developing mildew inside if in an area of extra high humidity and not periodically washed/dried ... and it will dull rather than sharpen your pins. Poly batting/fiber fill adds no moisture and will dull pins very slightly more than cotton. But honestly, the difference is small & I've bought, made & used fiber fill pin cushions plenty of times. Honestly, my pins bend well before they ever rust or dull so it's not a factor for me. I use silk pins & they are not very strong so I end up replacing probably them every 2 years anyways.
#7
Pin Cushion fillings
I just made another one last night. I lined it with fusible interfacing and filled it with walnut shells & steel wool. The interfacing prevents the shells from escaping the small holes or loose stitches and the steel wool sharpens the pins.
Last edited by Learner747; 06-19-2016 at 05:03 PM. Reason: grammatical
#8
Pin Cushion fillings
I just made another one last night. I lined it with fusible interfacing and filled it with walnut shells & steel wool. The interfacing prevent the shells from escaping and small holes and the steel wool sharpens the pins.
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