Pincushions in the eighteenth century were both functional and decorative items. They had been in general household use from at least the sixteenth century, and were popular as courting and wedding presents, as well as New Year's gifts. The methods used to create them varied. Flat-quilting is where two pieces of cloth are stitched together with no wadding in between. A single or double line of stitching creates the pattern.
Pincushions were also customary presents for a new mother, and frequently filled with pins that enhanced the stitched design or spelled out poignant messages. Wishes of good health were common at a time when infant mortality rates were still high. Such pincushions were presented after the baby arrived, as there was a superstition that if given before, they could increase the pain felt by the mother during birth.