Welcome Sweet Innocent

The birth of a new child was often celebrated during the late eighteenth / early nineteenth century by the giving and receiving of a personalised pin cushion. These were made using steel pins to spell out a welcoming message addressed to the newly born child.

This cream silk satin pin cushion was reputedly made to mark the birth of a little girl named Frances Elizabeth Reynolds. The pins have been arranged in a floral border around the message “Welcome Sweet Innocent”. The pillow is stuffed with straw and edged with fine cord with tasselled corners.

There are a few very small holes to the silk on the reverse and a few missing pins to the front.