Pottsgrove Manor Hosts ‘Pinball’ Sewing Workshop

POTTSTOWN PA – A two-part sewing workshop on making “An Eighteenth Century Pinball” will be held Feb. 14 and March 28 (2015; Saturday and Sunday, respectively) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days at Montgomery County’s Pottsgrove Manor historic site and museum, 100 W. King St.

No, it’s not the kind of pinball you might see in an arcade. Instead, this pinball is a type of pincushion that was popular in colonial Pennsylvania. It was worn on a a woman’s waistband, suspended from a ribbon or chain. During this hands-on workshop, museum Educator Lynn Symborski will teach students to make a needlepoint pinball.

At the first session, Symborski will give a history of the pincushions and their various forms. Students will choose a needlework pattern to decorate their pinball, and start working the design in colorful wool thread on canvas. Students will complete the needlepoint on their own between the classes. During the workshop’s second session, students will learn how to cut out and assemble their pinball.

This workshop is open to those age 14 and older. A materials fee of $125 will be charged per person, and it covers the cost of materials (including a reproduction sterling silver ring for holding the pinball, made by Ward Oles of “At the Eastern Door,” instructions, and lunch for both sessions.

Participants must attend both sessions. In order to ensure individual instruction, class size is limited to eight people.

Registration and payment are required by Feb. 1. A registration form is available at the museum, and also can be downloaded here. The museum is unable to offer a full refund for cancellations. Cancellations received after Feb. 1 cannot be refunded; those received before Feb. 1 will receive a 60-percent refund of their fee.

For more information, call 610-326-4014.

Illustration from Pottsgrove Manor