While I was playing around on my Pinterest Boards... I took a peak at my "Hearts" board. You know.. I simply love hearts...especially when used in a sewing project. They rank right up there with "stars" for me! I thought I would share a few of them with you...
Now...this first one is so awesome...it's made from one of my favorite fabric colors - RED! Look at how sweet those little buttons are sewn at the top... but the icing on the cake is that sweet little strawberry that is attached. It's filled with "emery" that keeps your pins/needles sharp! I've just ordered some... and can't wait for it to arrive!
Here are some other interesting facts about pin cushions!
The recorded origins of pincushions date back to the Middle Ages of Europe. In the English language, they became known by many names: "pimpilowes, pimpilos, pimplos, pimploes, pin-pillows, pin-poppets". 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. Other references to pin cases during the Medieval era exist. By the 16th century, these were supplanted by references to "pyn pillows". Some examples from various parts of Europe survive that have elaborate embroidery. Small porcelain baskets with a pin cushion inside were highly popular, as were small cushions such as wedding pillows or maternity pillows, embroidered with messages.
During the 18th century, weighted pincushions became popular among seamstresses. In England, seam clamps attached to a table and designed for holding hems for sewing became common, and were often in the shape of a bird (the tail would be pinched to open and close the "beak" to hold the fabric); attached to the back of the bird was a velvet pin cushion.
The most popular design; 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 and sharpen the pins.
This sweet little heart is just up my alley!!! After all... it has a sheep on it... and those of us in the "B-a-a-a-d Girls Club" (at Cinnamon's Quilt Shoppe in Jacksonville Cinnamon's Quilt Shoppe Website ) LOVE sheep! It is surely our mascot!! Don't you just love this beautiful blue fabric... I would love to use this in my quilts! I wouldn't even mind a cool blouse - to wear with jeans! YES!!
Okay... then...another love of mine is CROSS-STITCH! Now...this is absolutely wonderful! My girlfriends that love to cross-stitch will want one of these too! See... that little strawberry? It's filled with emery! Don't you want to order some too? I think my Thursday Sewing Group should make one of these - don't you? It should go pretty darn fast!
This primitive patchwork heart makes my heart go "pitter patter"! How great would this look in my house!! (I'm just sayin') They've attached it to an old hanger they've made into a stand...that should be pretty easy! Or just make lots of them - then place them in an old wooden bowl! Or... how about one of my ironstone bowls (I love white ironstone also!). Hmmmmm.... I think stained with a walnut spray would be the perfect recipe to making your regular fabric look aged like this one!
Speaking of hearts in bowls... take a look at these sweet things! Of course...they are made with some of my favorite colors! Tan and red...just doesn't get any better. I also adore the wool applique! Then they topped them off with those little "aged" shipping tags and twine! So darn cute!!
Well...those are my fabric hearts for the day!! I think I'll show you my favorite STARS on my next blog post. I'm a big fan of them also! Oh heck....what am I saying? I'm a big fan of a zillion things! Isn't it fun loving different things... it makes my heart skip a beat when I see things like this... it's a good "skip" !!
Have fun exploring your favorite hearts!
Keep Sewing!!
Gloria
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