For this simple pincushion, women would make a small silk “button” out of cardboard and silk. This would decorate the center of the pincushion, giving it a classy look.
Instructions were originally published in 1912.
Novel Pincushion
A very pretty pincushion is shown in the accompanying sketch, made in quite a novel fashion. It is square in shape and the surface of the cover is composed of a number of small rounds of soft silk, arranged in two contrasting colors, such, for instance, as pale pink and green.
To prepare each of these rounds of silk, a piece of thin cardboard should be taken, the size of a shilling, and laid upon a piece of silk which should be cut about half an inch larger than the cardboard. The silk is then drawn up closely in the middle until it takes the form of a large button. On the plain side of this, work along with stitches in silk or tinsel thread in the form of a star in the center.
These buttons are lightly tacked together until the required size is obtained and the whole thing may be mounted on white silk and, when finished, edged with lace.
The underpart of the cover is plain silk to match.
Cushions of various shapes can be made on exactly the same principle, and the little silk buttons may be all of one color or in many shades.
Source: The Denison review. (Denison, Iowa), 28 Aug. 1912.
