Tomato Pin Cushion, January 2021 Beginners kit

12" square January kit What is the story of the whimsical tomato pincushion everyone seems to have in his or hew sewing box? The story goes back hundreds of years. We know Egyptians used pincushion, little sewn poppers that were simple and inelegant. We know Europeans used pincushions for sewing and as a vehicle for showing off pins, which were expensive and showed off one's status. Early Americans were suspicious of tomatoes; they were known as 'love apples' and thought to be poisonous. Of course, Italians eventually arrived and showed everyone just how fabulous tomatoes are. Nonetheless, it was believed that putting a tomato on your mantle, particularly in a new home, would bring you good fortune and wardrobe off evil spirits. In seasons when producing a fresh tomato was not a possibility, woman would fashion a tomato out of red cloth and sawdust. The tradition of a stuffed tomato on the parlor mantle was a widespread tradition, and one that was carried down through the generations.