Topper Tats scours St. Edward’s University to bring you the stories behind the most creative, the most meaningful and the most what-was-I-thinking tattoos inked on our students.

Last month, freshman Trinity Montgomery received a tattoo very close to her heart, physically and metaphorically. Located on her left collarbone area is the image of a tomato pincushion.

Montgomery chose the tattoo in honor of her grandmother.

“I was adopted by my grandparents when I was six,” Montgomery said. “My grandmother was my maternal figure from then on.”

Montgomery’s grandmother was a fashion designer and taught young Montgomery to sew.

“That was our bonding, we would make things together,” Montgomery said.

They made things like purses and dresses for her dolls.

The pincushion represents her grandmother’s love for sewing, while the pins symbolize the hardships they went through.

“Things weren’t always great between us,” Montgomery said. “Once I got older we fought.”

“I’m really appreciative of the fact that she adopted me when she didn’t have to,” Montgomery said. “[The pincushion] has enough meaning to be worthy to go on my body.”

Montgomery had been planning to get the tattoo for a year.

“The image had been in my life since I was six,” said Montgomery. “I got the idea at age 17.”

In addition to the tomato pincushion, Montgomery has four other tattoos: a ladybug, a sun, the Hindu “Om” symbol and the words “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”

Montgomery has grown up her whole life around the tattoo industry. Her father was a tattoo artist and is covered in tattoos, except for his face, and her mother has nine tattoos. Montgomery even aspires to be a tattoo artist herself some day.