16th to 19th Century Pin Pillows | Historic Pin Cushions Revisited

Learn about how pin cushions evolved over the centuries. In which centuries did women wear their pincushions and why? What were pin pillows filled with in the 18th century? What is up with the tomato in the Victorian era?

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Join me as I explore various historical paintings with examples of different types of pin pillows. Did you know that Queen Elizabeth I of England was gifted an embroidered pin pillow in 1561 as a New Year's gift?

In Tudor times, pins were used to help hold clothing items, such as sleeves and women's headwear, together with other items (like sleeves being pinned to a kirtle). In modern times, pin cushions are used to hold pins for sewing.

I originally recorded this video about 3 years ago. I have added some more information to this video.

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Picture Credit:
- V&A Museum

For anyone curious about what exactly the 'SCA' is -- The Society for Creative Anachronism is an international, non-profit educational organization that studies and recreates the medieval and Renaissance years of 600-1600AD.

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Music credit:
"Greensleeves / What Child is this?" Music by JuliusH.

[savvygood]

I watch a man who walks the river Thames to find what may have washed up on the shore. He finds pins a lot, most of them from the 1500-1700s. In Appalachia, walnut shells were commonly used to stuff pin cushions. My grandma thought they keep the pins sharp.