Sandra... and at one time an 'etui' was kept by the head housekeeper, often on a special belt. Needles and such were usually expensive and were hand made. When a servant girl required a needle, it would be 'loaned' to her by the housekeeper and carefully noted. Losing a needle probably brought a fine or loss of wages.
I used to make etui out of wood on a lathe...nothing like the ornate ones on your link, but merely a wooden tube with a fitted cap. Since very few people need needle containers, I sold them as pill cases. I still have 4 of my own... one is in my pocket at all times, and when traveling I use 2-3 to sort various pills for morning & evening.