Carrie Nelson > Quotes

“As for the tomato, it comes from the belief that placing ripe tomatoes on the mantel of a new home would guarantee future prosperity and ward off evil spirits. When fresh tomatoes were not available, stitchers used a little bit of red fabric, thread, and some sawdust or stuffing to create a substitute. While it hasn’t been proved, I’d bet that using a tomato as a pincushion started when a busy stitcher couldn’t find her needle case and, rather than stopping her stitching to look for it, simply used the tomato on the mantel.”
― Carrie Nelson, Pin Pals: 40 Patchwork Pinnies, Poppets, and Pincushions with Pizzazz