My tomato's about 25 years old and probably has a couple of hundred needles in it. I'm so tempted to go right now and cut the old thing open. You're right...your new pincushion is way cuter.

I love that parrot fabric. Would you share where you got it? I'd like to make a round tablecloth for my table at the river. DH and I named our place there Margaritaville, and that fabric would be great.
Oh cute pin cushion too. 55??? Wow.
Leslie

Do it, Eva! We could have a contest, I'll bet you win. I'll even send the winner a new pincushion, of fabric of my choosing!

Leslie, I'll go see if there's a selvege edge on it, I got it in FL on vacation....brb

Whoa, I never ever thought of cutting one open...who knew ;0)

Also I don't have an old tomato, I never bought one until recently ('cause it was so cute) so I'm guessing it hasn't had time to swallow any needles.

I love your new pincushion and thread basket, my thread winds up on the floor ;0)

Leslie, it's made by Blank Textiles, BTR-3609. I got it at Rainbow's End Quilt Shop in Dunedin, FL. Good luck, I hope you find some!

Thanks, Zipper. If you want to make yourself a threadcatcher, I can point to a free tutorial/pattern!

Wow - 55 needles! I never would have guessed that. I like your new one better too. What did you use for stuffing? Is the old one sawdust? Love the fabric. What is a "thread catcher"?
Clare

OMG Flamey, you have more needles in your little tomato (geez, that almost sounds dirty :-) than I've ever owned in my whole life! And that's one for every year I've been alive!

How fun, I love a good mystery especially if you can solve it.

Jodi-

Your new ones are so pretty! I've never heard of a thread catcher either. Do you put little pieces of thread in it and does it suck them up???

I threw away my old tomato. Now I wonder what was in it. I just keep my pins in the plastic container they come in. And my needles in their little purchase package. Of course I don't use mine near as often as you do.

I forget to mention that I found a new use for my condiment holder. I always keep a small package of tissues in my purse and it never fails they get moved around so much that the package tears and I have tissues all over the bottom of my purse. I wind up throwing them away. I just got a new package and put it inside the condiment holder and they fit perfectly.

That's a lot of needles. I've got an old tomato too, wonder how many are in mine? I don't think I'll cut mine open, though. I need it for now.

Oh, that's funny! Guess I'd better not squeeze mine . . .

That looks like a lethal weapon Flamey. I've had my tomato over 30 years. You've got me to wondering now about mine, but it's not ready for surgery yet so my mystery will go on and on.

Linda

I wonder how many I have in mine, too. My son used to poke the needles down into it. I've squeezed it and pulled a few out.

Aren't those thread catchers neat? I used to just throw the thread on the floor of my sewing room and vacuum later. Now, my sewing room is in order. vique.

I have my mom's old tomato pin cushion....I can't bear to tear it apart but I sure won't be squeezing it! Wow...I hate to think how many might be in there. It has to be at least 25 years old! I would however like the link to the thread catcher! Yours are so cute!

If only we had an x-ray machine at our disposal! I was always squeezing on my tomato (JODI! Stop that, you made me choke!) and only rarely got anything to poke back out. That's why I thought I would maybe find 5 or 6 needles, never as many as I did.

I found the threadcatcher pattern/tutorial online, it's a dandy. I really like it and it's very clever. It just sits there instead of a wastebasket, I can move it around to where I need it, it's so portable.

The old tomato was stuffed with sawdust. I've saved the strawberry to use on the new one, I'll just make it a new cover. The new pincushion is stuffed with poly fiberfill. It's not heavy like the tomato, but heck, it doesn't have 55 needles buried inside it, either! lol

Here is a link that might be useful: The threadcatcher...

I'm totally lost after looking at the instructions! Was it hard to figure out, Flamey?

Thank you Flamey that is very cute. I saved it as a favorite and will have to make myself one.

No, MaryAnn, just follow the instructions and it comes together in nothing flat. The worst part is hand-stitching it together. I'm working on a way to avoid that, actually. And I'm glad you're liking the condiment/tissue wallet. Yay!

Zipper, they make cute little hats for pets, too!

We need to take a count on how many of us have one of those maters...lol

I cut my 'mater open about 5 years ago, and didn't even think to count the needles I found in there. I had had that sucker for about 35 years, so as you can guess, there was many, many.

Ok, to those of us who do not own tomatoes and for whom sewing consists of button replacement,this is freakish.
The whole concept of losing 50 needles freaks me out - of course, as a kid I stepped on one and we only found half so I may be a wee bit sensative...

LOL the cat pic!

I will have to check out the threat catcher. The cats usually collect mine and then I end up chasing them around the house to keep them from eating them (already paid to get Elmo "de-stringed"!)

I got a couple of boxes of sewing stuff off the side of the road one day (can you BELIEVE they would throw that away!!!!!). Wonder what would be in that tomato- will have to find it!

I always wondered why I have to keep buying needles. Now I know where (some of) my old ones are! My Mom hates hand sewing. Her eyes are not good. Once, as a gift, I gave her twenty needles that I pre-threaded and tied knots in ,ten with white thread and ten black.

Gosh, that is almost scary!!! I'll bet Freddy Kreuger put a bunch of those needles in there as a Halloween prank! lol

Love the hat on the cat! He looks like a little Russian. hehe..

I've always intended to do that-- what fun!!

WOW...A Cat HAT...Jackie O style no less...geesh Flames...even your cats can make a fashion statement!

I love the new pincushion!!...I have my Mom's old tomato...it's older then dirt...wonder how many pins there are in it?

That cat definately needs a new purse to go with the JackieO Look....get with it Flammey! After all your audience awaits the next unveiling!

Really interesting info thanks for taking apart your "tomato"

I used to make nice pincushions using one of the styrofoam Christmas balls the kind that you can stick pins in. I wish I still had one
Anyway the ball was covered in an attractiv material then glued into the top of an aeresol can (the plastic lid) I'd decorate the lid with some attractive ribbon. I used to sell them for a dollar at different fund raisers.

I also bought one similar to it that was made with an empty tuna can.

I found that putting in a layer of plaster of parie in the bottom of the lid helped to keep it upright when in use.

Wow Flamey,that's a lot of needles.I think i may still have a tomato around here somewhere,but i mostly use the magnetic pin holders these days.I also have several that look like hats that i made.I used to sell those at craft shows.Don't do those anymore.

I use the condiment holder everyday for my propel packets.
Kathi

Wow. That's a lot.

Tell how the thread catcher works...do you tape/attach it to your sewing table or does it go beneath your serger?

I have a magnet pinholder and I hate it. The pins stick together. It's more trouble than it's worth. I have a couple of tomato cushions around. I ought to end their lives too and count my needles 'cause I never can find when when I need it. Supposedly the sawdust/filling sharpens the pins and needles? Take notes for the next fifteen years, Flamey and report your findings, okay? Sawdust vs stuffing? Which is better?

Lori

I think we should have that contest! My tomato must be at least thirty years old and I'm sure it has eaten dozens of needles. Thanks for posting the photos, Flamey! I am intrigued by that cute little thread catcher. I have some southwestern print that will be perfect for one. Thanks again for sharing!

If anyone is willing to sacrifice their tomato and has more than 55 needles inside it, I'll send 'em a new pincushion. And all my hidden needles looked new, shiny and bright and no rust, so apparently sawdust does a great job. The little strawberry full of emory is supposed to sharpen and de-rust needles and pins, but I think the sawdust does, too.

The threadcatcher is just a little independent bag, it goes where ever you need it, like a tiny portable wastebasket. I have a tall urn next to one machine that I use for a wastebasket, but the other machine is alone in the world, so I'll be using the threadcatcher there, mostly. I have a sewing caddy with a removable bag for scraps on the sofa arm so I won't need it there. It'll probably stay upstairs next to the machine. I also have one that slides under the serger to catch trimmings but it doesn't get used much.

Spicey, when I worked for the vet, his wife came in late one afternoon, she had stepped on a needle and the eye portion was stuck in the bone in the ball of her foot. I had seen it all, broken bones, eyeball injuries, surgeries, etc but that one, the needle in the foot, gave me the heebie-jeebies unlike anything other (besides maggots). I guess I was too empathetic, I couldn't stand to watch him numb his wife's foot and pull on that thing, after x-raying it. *shiver, shudder* I never did figure out how she drove herself in. *more shivering and shuddering* So I feel sorry for your little dainty foot!

Sammie will not be modeling any couture for us, it was shocking that he let me put the hat on him in the first place. lol He's a spooky little guy, HATES the sound of a plastic shopping bag, and hides over the least little thing. The trauma of a jacket would just do him in! :)