• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Sponsor

see kate sew

sewing, crafts, tutorials, DIY

  • Patterns
    • Free Patterns
    • Pattern of the Month
  • Tutorials
    • Accessories
    • Bags and Pouches
    • Clothing
    • Costumes
    • Crafts
    • Cricut Projects
    • Holiday
    • Household
    • Kids
    • Maternity
    • Quilting
  • Topics
    • Baby
    • Boy
    • Christmas
    • dog
    • Dolls
    • Easter
    • Girl
    • Halloween
    • Lookbook
    • Party
    • pet
    • Printables
    • Training
    • women
  • No Sew
  • Sewing 101
  • Sew4Good
  • Pet
  • Sewing Room
    • DreamBox
  • Reviews
Home
  • Patterns
    • Free Patterns
    • Pattern of the Month
  • Tutorials
    • Accessories
    • Bags and Pouches
    • Clothing
    • Costumes
    • Crafts
    • Cricut Projects
    • Holiday
    • Household
    • Kids
    • Maternity
    • Quilting
  • Topics
    • Baby
    • Boy
    • Christmas
    • dog
    • Dolls
    • Easter
    • Girl
    • Halloween
    • Lookbook
    • Party
    • pet
    • Printables
    • Training
    • women
  • No Sew
  • Sewing 101
  • Sew4Good
  • Pet
  • Sewing Room
    • DreamBox
  • Reviews

02.17

[pins and tomatoes]

Welcome to See Kate Sew! If you’re new here, sign up for my email newsletter for access to free patterns, tutorials and all the latest sewing news! Tour my sewing room HERE!

[how to keep your pins sharp]
The classic tomato pincushion like this one helps to keep your pins sharp. The strawberry is filled with emery sand, so each time you put your pins in they are refined a little bit, smoothing out the metal and cleaning up the pins. Your pins are kept smooth and sharp, and clean! No more snagging pins.
Emery is a really hard rock, that is used as an abrasive powder in lots of different ways. It’s in some types of sandpaper, too. You can buy these little tomatoes for cheap on amazon. Or you can buy emery sand and make your own cool pincushions!
[Photo above is from Nakpunar.]

12 Comments | Sewing 101

Exclusive Free PatternRuffled Apron

Sign up for my email newsletter and receive my ruffled apron pattern totally FREE!

We take your privacy seriously. See our privacy policy here. Unsubscribe at any time.

You may also like these posts...

sewing 101: alternate fabric sourcesComparing the Explore Air 2 with the Cricut MAKER | See Kate SewCricut Explore Air 2 vs. Cricut Maker (for sewers!)ironing tipsironing tipssewing 101: fabric grain revisited

Reader Interactions

12 Comments

  1. Jami Nato

    02/17 at 3:19 PM

    i did not know pin cushions were filled with that magic. learned something new!

  2. Malory

    02/17 at 4:35 PM

    I never knew they actually sharpened; I just thought they held pins. Thanks for the great tip!

  3. robin

    02/17 at 6:48 PM

    Thank you – I always wondered about this. I guess emery sand is on emery boards for nail filing, too! Duh!

  4. Life with the Websters!

    02/17 at 8:21 PM

    I had no idea! I’m amazed! Thanks for teaching me something new today!

  5. Allison

    02/17 at 8:56 PM

    I had no idea!

  6. Toughie

    02/17 at 9:40 PM

    I didn’t know this until Christmas when I bought a pincushion for my sister, and actually read the label. It also said not to leave your needles in the little strawberry, although I have no idea why.

  7. Naturally Carol

    02/18 at 5:41 AM

    Wow..i had no idea there was such a thing! Thanks for the info.

  8. Jayna Rae

    02/18 at 7:06 AM

    I’ve always wondered what that little strawberry was for.

  9. Jami

    02/19 at 8:04 PM

    I never knew what that strawberry was for! Thanks for letting me in on this secret! :)

  10. Lauren E. Douglas

    10/25 at 2:50 PM

    I actually knew this! I have no idea how, but I did! :)

  11. Elladaya

    02/24 at 5:30 AM

    There is a shop on Etsy that sells the emery sand: http://www.dottyral.etsy.com. I just bought some. Thanks for the good idea!

  12. Glamour Glory

    05/10 at 3:41 AM

    “The most popular design of pin cushion: a tomato with a strawberry attached, was most likely introduced during the Victorian Era. According to folklore, placing a tomato on the mantle of a new home guaranteed prosperity and repelled evil spirits. If tomatoes were out of season, families improvised by using a round ball of red fabric filled with sand or sawdust. The good-luck symbol also served a practical purpose—a place to store pins. Typically, the tomato is filled with wool roving to prevent rust, and the strawberry is filled with an abrasive to clean the pins.”

    Learned this during sewing class. pretty nifty:)

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Email

Exclusive Free PatternRuffled Apron

Sign up for my email newsletter and receive my ruffled apron pattern totally FREE!

We take your privacy seriously. See our privacy policy here. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Don’t miss these popular posts!

easy baby dress pattern for the summertime

easy baby dress pattern for the summertime

modern ombre + b/w triangle quilt tutorial + pattern

modern ombre + b/w triangle quilt tutorial + pattern

Fabric

Quilted Cosmetic Case Kiss Me KateKiss Me, Kate FabricOne Hour Granny Square Quilt Tutorial | See Kate SewModern Granny Square Quilt Whole Cloth

Pattern Hacks

Easy Baby Summer Dressthe EMMA pattern | See Kate SewThe EMMA Dress

Footer

Hello friends!

My name is Kate, a twenty something fashion lover and mother of two. When I’m not chasing kids you can find me at my sewing table or daydreaming up new designs. You can read more about me here. Thank you for visiting!

8a918f8da8e0e69102dc0f33a718de85a99c31a57283e0e3e2

FOLLOW ME HERE

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Sponsor

Copyright © 2023 See Kate Sew  •  All Rights Reserved  •  Privacy Policy  •  Site Design by Emily White Designs