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Tools and Equipment

Pincushion

Needlework and Sewing Tools

A pincushion, or pin cushion, is a small stuffed cushion, typically three to five centimetres across, used in sewing to store pins or needles with their heads left protruding so they can be taken hold of easily, collected and kept organized. Pincushions are usually packed tightly with stuffing to hold pins rigidly in place; magnetic pin cushions serve the same purpose without technically being cushions at all.

Facts
Introduced When (Circa)
Middle Ages (Europe); earliest specific record 1376 1
Origin
A pin case, an early relative of the pincushion, is recorded in 1376 when Jehanne de Mesnil was bequeathed a silver one in a French text called Testament of Advice, written by a woman known as La Monteure of Rouen. 1
Introduced era (class)
Medieval 1
Connections

Used In

Sewing, Crafts

Pincushion is used in Sewing.

Sources
1. Pincushion (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • History section, opening statement
    The recorded origins of pincushions date back to the Middle Ages of Europe.
  • History section, 1376 pin case bequest
    In 1376, Jehanne de Mesnil was bequeathed a silver pin case in a French text called Testament of Advice written by a woman known as La Monteure, from Rouen.
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