If you haven’t discovered this about me, yet, I love learning about old things, researching them, and hunting for just the right thing to add to my collection.  It appeals to the history-love in me, my inquisitive nature, and my love of owning and using beautiful, functional things.  Of course, it does appeal to my collector gene, too.  So, when I learned about these delightful, useful tools, I went about my routine of researching, hunting, and then purchasing an antique Victorian sewing bird.

When you search for “Victorian sewing bird” on or you will find true antiques, reproductions, and ones that have been restored or repaired.  Common restorations include the screw that holds the bird to the table and the fabric pieces that cover the pin cushion(s.)  When I was hunting for one to purchase, I wanted to stay around the $150 price range (or less), and I wanted an original antique without any modern repairs.  That was a tall order, but they do surface.  As with any worthwhile hunt, it just takes patience and persistence.

I finally found a lovely antique Victorian sewing bird that ticked all of my search boxes just a few weeks before we moved out of our house in Minnesota.  Before packing it up again, I clamped it onto the table in my studio and snapped a few pictures.  Isn’t it just a lovely little thing?

The purpose of the Victorian sewing bird is two-fold.  The mouth will open when pressure is put on the tail and it will act as a third hand, helping to hold a piece of fabric taut.  I love how this little Victorian cartoon shows a woman using her sewing bird for the first time.  “The first time she ever helped me was with my wedding dress.”

And here is a girl “spending house in the sewing room” with a sewing bird clipped to her desk.  It looks more like this one is a crow and about ready to nip at her, but the idea is the same!

Sewing birds come in brass and silver and the velvet covering one or two of the pin cushions can be in different colors.  The most common color seems to be a pinkish-red.  Of course, I would’ve preferred a blue one, but if it’s going to be red, this is a very pretty red.  Some of the modern sewing birds have bright red pin cushions and harsh brassy bodies.  As with most things, I prefer the soft patina that comes with age, time, and use.  I just love the details on the wings.  Whoever invented the sewing bird understood that functional things could be beautiful, even works of art in and of themselves.

When I visited my great-aunt’s house in South Carolina, I spotted and immediately recognized a Victorian sewing bird framed in a shadow box and hung on the wall as a unique piece of art.  I bought mine to actually use, but I find it very tempting to put mine in a shadow box as well.  (You can see a full tour of my aunt’s lovely house HERE.)

I am looking forward to getting a new sewing area set up in our next house.  (You can see the sewing room from our MN house HERE.)

If you’re interested in purchasing an antique Victorian sewing bird, I found some lovely ones!  Some of them are at a great price, too (around $65-80.)