This dutch china figure is unbranded. There is something very charming about his subtle smile and side-glance. His color is brilliant given his age. He holds a tiny bundle of flowers; one might think he is out to court his lady fair? In any case, something must be done about his attached cushion for I cannot use it properly in the state it is in...
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| The china head on this old pincushion is where it's value is at. I cleaned it with a soft cloth and rubbing alcohol after removing and washing the outer fabric original to this unique half doll. |
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| Left and Center the original appearance of the pincushion and feel of this pincushion is not correct. Right, after unstuffing it, I find a bag with pellets inside. |
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| The finished result. |
These pellets are plastic and although they were inserted inside the doll to keep it upright, they made it impossible to use this little man as a pin cushion. Not to mention pellets like these will dull delicate needles and pins. I suspect that he was sold to hold hat pins, not sewing notions, because of the hole in his head.
Needles will indeed work their way into the inner fibers of old pincushions, this is how the pincushion should look when you open it up. As old as this pincushion was, I found absolutely no needles inside of it! In it's given state it is only good for holding hat pins.
If you do know how to clean needles properly, the interior of a pincushion can be a treasure house if it is of your own making. However, if it was used by someone else, no amount of cleaning will convince me to recycle the old needles. Throw them away properly without handling them, if you find these and dispose of the old filler promptly.
3 good reasons to dismantle old pincushions...
- It is stuffed too loosely. Pincushions like the one shown above are not always assembled properly. Although it is lovely and old there are more important reasons for it to be upcycled. If it is stuffed loosely, it will not 'grip' needles and pins properly. The pins will 'pop' out and the danger of stepping on them will increase.
- Needles inside could be contaminated. One should also keep in mind that prickly pins and needles, when used, need to be discarded or cleaned properly before using again. There are many types of bacteria etc... that can live on the tip of a needle that has pricked and drawn blood.
- The outer fabric is torn and tattered. If the pin cushion has been used so much that it is falling apart, then it's time to ensure it may be used again!
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| Left, insert a thick narrow tube inside the pincushion to support the china doll's head. Center cover a cardboard bottom with cotton batting sheet to give the pincushion a base. Right, twist cotton batting around the tube to create cushion between the china head and stuffed body too. |
Above you can see the new pincushion properly stuffed and bound to cushion the doll's head. It looks too generous, I know, but it will provide a very stiff lower body that is needed to collect needles and pins. I was able to recycle the original outer fabric and sew it firmly back in place for this cushion in the end.
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