Are you familiar with the little strawberry that comes along with the famous tomato pincushion? Do you know the purpose of that strawberry? Its purpose is to keep your pins and needles sharp. It's filled with a mineral called "emery". Emery resembles fine metal shavings. It's used as an abrasive in industrial applications and on things like emery boards.

I searched high and low for a larger emery pincushion with no luck, so I decided to start making my own. Here's one of them.

This pincushion measures approximately 2 1/2inches (6.35 cm) square.

It’s covered twice. I wanted to be sure that the emery didn't escape through the seams or through pinholes made into the fabric. I first made a little muslin pillow filled with emery, then covered that with the cotton, print fabric.

This is the perfect pincushion...It’s cute, it’s heavy so it won't slide around your work surface, it holds your pins and needles, and they're sharpened with every jab. What more could you want from a pincushion?

Your pincushion won't match the one pictured exactly. The design placement is different for each pincushion.

The last picture shows what the emery looks like. If you'd like to purchase just the emery to make your own pincushions, please check my shop to see it listed.

Please check my shop for a matching Stuffed Pincushion Ring.

I also have other fabric selections for my Emery Pincushions.

Thanks for looking!