Currently on display in the small gallery of the London Museum of Fashion and Textiles (until 13th September 2026) are two private collections of 'Pin Stuck Cushions' made by soldiers for loved ones waiting at home. Known as ‘sweetheart pin cushions,’ the cushions were mostly made for mothers, often as Christmas gifts, by soldiers serving on the front line during their leisure time.
The heart forms were available as kits and decorated with pins, along with military insignia, images of the monarchy, tiny objects, photographs and embroidered designs, some with deeply personal and symbolic meanings. Some Victorian cushions, made in various shapes, were crafted from red uniform cloth. Many would become treasured memorial objects.
The ones exhibited were passionately collected by Simon Costin, the Director of the Museum of British Folklore and the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic and subject specialist Alessandra Curtis a British-Italian folklorist.
No comments:
Post a Comment