How to get needles out of a pincushion

Joy asks:
I can feel that needles have disappeared inside my pincushion. How can I get them back out?

I've had this happen to me too. The bad news is that the eye of the needle isn't sharp enough to make a hole in the fabric of the pincushion so you're not going to get it back out easily. If you used an incredibly strong magnet you might be able to pull it through. Worth a try.

When this happened to me I was not able to get them out so I cut the pincushion open and retrieved them. Then I bought a new pincushion that doesn't allow me to push the needle in too far if I keep the needle at an angle. (It has cardboard sides- it's a teapot.)

To keep from getting in this bind again what I suggest is always leaving some thread in the eye of the needle. Then if it does start to go inside you should be able to pull it back. Makes for a messy pincushion at times but you don't lose needles. Or you could keep your needles in a needle case instead of a pincushion. Even an old medicine bottle.

Hope this helps,
Judi