Pages

▼

Monday, October 26, 2015

About that Emery

Last month, I shared a Sunday Stash post where I showed you an unusual purchase I'd made - that being a bottle of ground emery. What is emery? "The mineral emery is a hard rock. When pulverized into sand, it is used in many kinds of products, like emery boards and sand paper. Long ago it was discovered that emery makes a great pin cushion filling and has been symbolized by the old-fashioned emery-filled strawberry attached to a tomato pin cushion." [PlumEasy Patterns] The pattern for a sweet little PlumBerry "Sharpen and Shine" Pin Cushion is available on the PlumEasy website by the way.


I opted to make a small patchwork pincushion to fill with the emery. You know, the rummage-through-the-scrap-basket-for-scraps-that-make-you-smile kind of patchwork.
ETA: I forgot to mention that Trisch/hadleystreetquilts let me know that emery will leak through cotton, so it's best to line it with lycra. Trisch kindly sent me some scraps she had, and I basted a piece to each section of my pincushion before constructing. 


I confirmed that patchwork is one thing, but constructing teeny-tiny 3-D objects is not my forte. Imperfect as it is, I'm happy with my little emery pincushion, and I think my needles will be too.

at

9 comments:

  1. KrisOctober 26, 2015 at 5:36 AM

    I think it is sweet! i love those little scrappy things. So what is the cost for the emery and where did you find it easily?

    ReplyDelete
  2. tink's momOctober 26, 2015 at 5:37 AM

    Thanks for the background info. By the way, I love your pincushion.

    ReplyDelete
  3. EllynOctober 26, 2015 at 5:54 AM

    sweet! I have yet to see this for sale, would love to try it too

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sue KaiserOctober 26, 2015 at 6:02 AM

    I love your little pin cushion! Where did you buy the emery?

    ReplyDelete
  5. DebbieOctober 26, 2015 at 6:37 AM

    In answer to the above questions, I purchased the emery at Cloth Carousel in Winters CA (link in my Sunday Stash post), but the emery is also available directly from PlusEasy Patterns: http://www.plumeasypatterns.com/shop/ground-turkish-emery-sand.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnnOctober 27, 2015 at 2:38 AM

    I also love emery for pin cushions and have made several. Emery Rocks and so does your sweet homemade pin cushion.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Serena @ SewgivingOctober 27, 2015 at 5:12 AM

    Very cute! I'm going google emery now :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. www.randomthoughtsdoordi.comOctober 28, 2015 at 8:28 AM

    I remember 7th grade Home Ec and being taught what the little strawberry was for. Cute project.

    ReplyDelete
  9. LeanneOctober 31, 2015 at 6:24 AM

    I need to make one of these too. It is both a way to play with those tiny scraps and have a needle sharpener, I wonder if any of the shops here sell emery?

    ReplyDelete