Ask Me Help Desk - What are pin cushions filled with to keep pins & needles sharp

What are pin cushions filled with to keep pins & needles sharp

I want to make pin cushions but don't know what to use for filling them to keep pins & needles sharp. Anyone know?

I've always assumed it's sand. At least that's what it sounds like when I squeeze them.

The tomato shaped pin cushions with the little strawberry hanging off the top?
I was always told the strawberry was for sharpening the pins and needles and it always seemed like it was filled with fine sand. It was also a little less tight (or less filled) than the tomato part.

The tomato part (on mine) seems like a mixture of sand, but more sawdust or maybe all sawdust.:) I've had it forever and it still works great:D

Am I the only person who's ever wondered WHY traditional pincushions are a tomato with a STRWBERRY, of all things, hanging off it? Who decided that tomatoes and strawberries go together?

Quote:

Originally Posted by hheath541

am i the only person who's ever wondered WHY traditional pincushions are a tomato with a STRWBERRY, of all things, hanging off it? who decided that tomatoes and strawberries go together?

I've always wondered, but never questioned:rolleyes:
It's been around for at least 100 years, my Granny had one.:)

Well, I think someone clinically insane got very bored and decided to put those two things together.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hheath541

well, i think someone clinically insane got very bored and decided to put those two things together.

We have one of those here at my place. I've always wondered too. The only logical thing that I could think of was because they were both red. Or maybe it was a cherry tomato?

But I've always assumed it was sand in there as well.

THE ATTACHED STRAWBERRY SHARPNER

CONTAINS ABRASIVE PARTICLES

WHICH WILL RASP OFF TINGS OR RUST

AND SPURS

WHICH AFFECT A PINS PERFORMANCE.

I found this on the eBay site, just copied and pasted. If it remains in all caps I apologize, But I assure you that I'm not yelling at you. :)

Well, I found something that explains the tomato part, but not the strawberry.

"People used to believe that placing a ripe tomato on the mantel when first entering a new home guaranteed future prosperity. Since tomatoes were not available year-round until recently, families moving into new homes often substituted round balls of red fabric stuffed with sawdust or sand. These balls were also used as pincushions, which explains--if you ever wondered--why your grandmother's pincushion looked like a tomato."
Tomatoes

The strawberry is actually filled with emery, which is basically a really fine sand. The tomato is usually filled with sawdust or sand.

" Q. How do I keep my needles sharp?
A. You can use Emery to sharpen your pins and needles. Emery is a mineral used to make an abrasive powder. Most of us are familiar with the emery board or emery cloth. Natural emery has been mined for over 2000 years on Cape Emeri on the Greek island of Naxos. (wikipedia.org) When I think of emery, I remember the strawberry shaped accessory that was filled with emery. Many stitchers use their fob patterns to create matching emery cushions."
Needle News

Quote:

Originally Posted by hheath541

well, i found something that explains the tomato part, but not the strawberry.

"People used to believe that placing a ripe tomato on the mantel when first entering a new home guaranteed future prosperity. Since tomatoes were not available year-round until recently, families moving into new homes often substituted round balls of red fabric stuffed with sawdust or sand. These balls were also used as pincushions, which explains--if you ever wondered--why your grandmother's pincushion looked like a tomato."
Tomatoes

I saw that same thing, and now it's going to drive me nuts until I find out why.

I should be studying psych instead, or sleeping at this time, but NO, now I got to know why the decided on a strawberry.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ohsohappy

i saw that exact same thing, and now it's going to drive me nuts until i find out why.

I should be studying psych instead, or sleeping at this time, but NO, now i gotta know why the decided on a strawberry.

I gave up. Let me know if you find out why. I'm going to ice cookies and wait for my friends to get here.

That little thing is a strawberry? I always thought it was just a smaller tomato that happened to look like a strawberry. Just assumed they weren't very good at making small tomatoes. ;)

This makes no sense, strawberries and tomatoes, not even close other then they're both red.

Great, now I have to know why too. Who brought this up? ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by hheath541

i gave up. let me know if you find out why. i'm going to ice cookies and wait for my friends to get here.

So I Google image searched "Strawberry Tomato" and turns out that they are grown in Germany and look kind of like strawberries except the seeds aren't on the outside.

So I think they put a strawberry tomato on the end, not just a plain old strawberry. Because if it were the regular strawberry then it would have little dot thingers to look like seeds on it, but it doesn't, which leads me to believe that they are in fact Strawberry tomatoes, and not just regular strawberries.

German Red Strawberry Tomato

1 Attachment(s)

I messed up, try again. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ohsohappy

So i google image searched "Strawberry Tomato" and turns out that they are grown in Germany and look kind of like strawberries except the seeds aren't on the outside.

So I think they put a strawberry tomato on the end, not just a plain old strawberry. Because if it were the regular strawberry then it would have little dot thingers to look like seeds on it, but it doesn't, which leads me to believe that they are in fact Strawberry tomatoes, and not just regular strawberries.

I guess that makes a little sense.

Alty, I'm sorry for opening the can and letting the worms out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hheath541

i guess that makes a little sense.

alty, I'm sorry for opening the can and letting the worms out.

I think it makes perfect sense.

I just told my boyfriend what I'd been investigating for the past five minutes, and he said "Haha what's wrong with you?" He thinks I'm silly. :)

I've eaten strawberry tomatoes, why didn't I think of that?

They're really yummy. :)

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Altenweg agrees: Did you tell him that we have the same afliction? ;)
Hheath541 agrees: and that I started it?

Lol what affliction are you talking about specifically Alty?

And no I didn't tell him who started it, but he thought it was funny. :)