What name do these little pillow things go by?

[bibe]

Ok, there must be a formal name that these things go by besides 'little pillow thingy'.




I did not make these, they are very random pictures I found while searching the web for something else.

Does anyone know what their actual name is? I know I've seen people post some here before, but golly, I cannot recall what they are called. They normally have a weird-ish shape to them, and I've often seen them beaded.

[HistoricalNeedle]

They are called Biscornu.
Here is a link to show you how to do them too...must scroll down a bit
http://focusonfinishing.wordpress.com/tutorial-links/

[bibe]

Ah, yes, thank you! I knew they had a special name.
Would these be normally used as pincushions? Anything else they are used as?

[HistoricalNeedle]

You can do them all christmas like for a tree decoration.
Not sure what people use them for- I guess pin cushions.
I think they are too pretty to stick needles into!!
Could stitch alot of them and put them into a bowl for decoration too!!

[Archangeldecker]

It's called a biscornu. A biscornu is a small, 8-sided, stuffed ornamental pincushion, usually made out of Aida cloth or linen. Embroidery or cross-stitch is used to decorate the top and bottom of the cushion. A button is typically secured in the center of the cushion to give a small depression on the top. Beads, tassels  and other objects can decorate the biscornu. They are typically able to fit in the palm of your hand. The name is derived from a French adjective, meaning skewed, quirky or irregular.  It's basically just another way to show off your hard work without having to frame it.


Here are some websites that may help:


http://www.prettyimpressivestuff.com/biscornu.htm


http://own-two-hands.livejournal.com/4186.html


http://lhfinishingschool.wordpress.com/biscornu-class/


HTH!




Edited to add: The one that is pictured is by The Sweetheart Tree and it is called Spring Blossoms Biscornu (http://thesweethearttree.com/cgi-bin/detail.pl?BP-09-). It can be purchased here: http://www.123stitch.com/cgi-perl/itemdetail.pl?item=SV-BP9