Craft Tip: Did you know...?

Did you know that the strawberry attached to a tomato pincushion is filled with emery?

If you've ever done any sewing at all, you probably have a tomato pincushion somewhere in your craft room. They are bright and easy to find even when buried in a drawer filled with bobbins, seam rippers, scissors, tape measures, etc. More than likely it's got a bunch of pins in it - just as it was meant to.

But did you know that the dangling strawberry has a purpose as well? It is filled with emery which is an abrasive mineral. The strawberry is meant to keep your needles sharp and tarnish free.

Before you begin hand-sewing, poke your needle in and out of the strawberry a couple of times. The emery will remove any burrs, nicks or residue from the needle making your sewing trouble free.