Brian, I am interested in your comment about bobbins being thinner now. Like Helen, I have a few antique East Midland Bone bobbins and I agree with her that most of mine thinner and shorter than most of my modern ones. I'm happy to try and scan pictures of them if you wish. The exceptions are the two I've identified as Arthur Wright Cranfield ones from the Springett book which are much chunkier. The one or two fruitwood ones are larger but on a par with the modern ones. Perhaps the bone stands up to fine turning better. I have heard comments that in general the early spangled bobbins were thinner and smaller because the thread was finer, mid century Beds were bigger & heavier because of the coarser thread. Of course this all falls down when you consider Buck thumpers... I think today's bobbins have a finer smoother finish for the most part.
A couple months ago our lace society meeting had a visit from a lady who's just acquired a huge number of bobbins at a local auction and knew nothing about them. I have never seen so many at once, we covered a table with bags and bags of them all smelling of turpentine presumably as a woodworm preventative. I wish I'd has a camera with me. They were mostly fruitwood, and a mix of thumpers and other east midlands, most missing their spangles. She had one Honiton dated 1801, but the rest were undated. I wouldn't say that they struck me as being particularly thicker, but probably shorter. And many were lot more ridged from the turned decoration. I have a wide range of bobbins, a mix of decorated, plain, wood and bone. They are for preference smooth finished and on the thinner side. In common with many lacemakers, what I don't like is to have too much of a variation in size and weight on the pillow it interrupts my hard-won rhythm. Louise in foggy cold dank Cambridge, who would love to get back to her pillow soon instead of trying to finish up for year end. >>> Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2010 10:23:29 +1100 From: "Brian Lemin" <[email protected]> Subject: [lace] Lace Lace bobbins and types I am sure in my mind that their are both fashions and personal likes and dislikes. Actually I have written an essay (that is being vetted by a friend) about just this thing. Lace makers talk mostly about "smoothness in handling their bobbins", they also have favourite makers, there is quite a good interest in "square" bobbins. I think it is horses for courses. Certainly the fashions (if I am correct) for bobbins today, differ widely from the fashions that the "antique" bobbins indicate. For a start the diameter (generally speaking) today is much thinner than the old time bobbins. I have been known (with the kindest sympathies for those sufferers and their families of the illness) to call modern day bobbins as "anorexic" compared to to their "elders". <<< - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]
