Re: [lace] Really small thin bobbins. Why?
Lorri wrote: > The pillow is also quite small. It is shaped like a 'D' (on its side). It > is 30 cm wide x 24 cm front-to-back, and sits on a slanted box. The pillow > is on hinges and forms the box lid. A cut-out in the pillow holds a bolster > 14 cm long and 7 cm in diameter. The padding on this pillow and bolster is > very dense (but I can not tell what it is, it 'feels' to be a foam of some > sort). It is totally covered with a green fabric and I would have to take it > apart to determine the material. Sounds like a Bucks Bobbins (Tony Brown) pillow. I have one but use normal size bobbins, 20 plus pairs is fine. He stopped making them in the early 90s (I think) but they are one of the most comfortable roller pillows to work on. The angle of the apron is 'just right'. They were very popular and often quite hard to get hold of. I had one of my own, as did Malvary, but I lent mine to a student in an emergency (a garter for a wedding that I think never took place), she was in an accident and couldn't get to class, term ended, I split up with my ex and one way and another during moving, I lost her contact details and my pillow. When Mum died and hers was looking for a home, Malvary was kind enough to say I could keep it. Only trouble is, it still has on it the piece of lace Mum was making and while there's thread on the bobbins I don't feel like cutting it off, even though I don't like the lace and don't think I'll ever use it for anything! Jacquie in Lincolnshire, enjoying the thought of half-term week ahead. - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] Really small thin bobbins. Why?
Brian and all, I have recently received the pillows and bobbins from an American woman, now deceased, who lived in Bucks during the 1980's. On one of the pillows, there are 2 bobbins that look like what you are describing. They are part of a set of small bobbins on a small pillow (traveling pillow?). The bone bobbins are 9 cm long and the heads and shanks are only 5 mm. wide. This pair is very smooth, no real decorative curves, ridges, etc. All the rest of the bobbins on the pillow are also small; the longest is less than 10 cm. The remainder of the bobbins are wood and slightly wider/thicker with turned ridges and curves, etc. All are spangled. In all I have 32 pr. of these small bobbins, although the pillow seems too small to use that many at once. It could be done but one would have to 'stack them' to do it. The pillow is also quite small. It is shaped like a 'D' (on its side). It is 30 cm wide x 24 cm front-to-back, and sits on a slanted box. The pillow is on hinges and forms the box lid. A cut-out in the pillow holds a bolster 14 cm long and 7 cm in diameter. The padding on this pillow and bolster is very dense (but I can not tell what it is, it 'feels' to be a foam of some sort). It is totally covered with a green fabric and I would have to take it apart to determine the material. Obviously these are not really very old. This woman lived in Bucks for several years because her husband was employed by the Boeing Co. and was part of their 'customer relations' staff. She had lots of time on her hands and took up lacemaking, very excitedly is seems. There are 10 different pillows (some do not seem to have been used), and lots of books. She was also involved in other needlework media, needlepoint and embroidery. If any of our readers in Bucks were active in lace at that time I would like to know if they knew her. Her name was Daphne Ayling. If anyone knew her please write and let me know, I have some other questions about her and patterns in her collection. I hope this sheds some light on your question. Lorri Today I poured them out on to the table to just see what I had and I separated out about 6 very short, very thin, bone bobbins. They had been spangled. I have always thought that they were very old (whatever that means) but then as I looked at them, they had clearly been used a lot (warn smooth, spangle holes very large etc) I began to wonder if they might have had a special role in lace making. Why would historic lace makers want such small bobbins, (just because they had them?) or did they have a special role in lace making? Thanks Brian and Jean from Cooranbong, Australia - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] Really small thin bobbins. Why?
I have one very, very thin bone bobbin - it has obviously been well used and is very worn. Perhaps they started off thinner because of the amount of bone available to use - better to make a thin bobbin than no bobbin at all. Mine is of average length, but I do have a couple of very short wood bobbins also very worn but where the spangle has obviously worn through and broken the end and a new hole has been drilled on the body of the bobbin. On one it is very obvious that this has happened because the remains of the damage is still there to see, but on another, I think that the damage has been cleaned off and a new hole drilled. Malvary in Ottawa - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [lace] Really small thin bobbins. Why?
Brian, I have about 6 which sound similar to yours. I have always tended to regard them as my oldest bone bobbins, simply because of the amount of ware. A couple are almost worn half away on the shaft. Each also seemed to have very simple spangles, of say, just one bead and a button. But of course, that could have been done at any time, David in Ballarat Today I poured them out on to the table to just see what I had and I separated out about 6 very short, very thin, bone bobbins. They had been spangled. I have always thought that they were very old (whatever that means) but then as I looked at them, they had clearly been used a lot (warn smooth, spangle holes very large etc) I began to wonder if they might have had a special role in lace making. Why would historic lace makers want such small bobbins, (just because they had them?) or did they have a special role in lace making? - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[lace] Really small thin bobbins. Why?
It may surprise many of you to know that my collection of bobbins is "very" junky! I got them because they had degraded pewter, sealing wax heads, they were bent, beaten up or anything that would help me "get inside" bobbins and their makers. Today I poured them out on to the table to just see what I had and I separated out about 6 very short, very thin, bone bobbins. They had been spangled. I have always thought that they were very old (whatever that means) but then as I looked at them, they had clearly been used a lot (warn smooth, spangle holes very large etc) I began to wonder if they might have had a special role in lace making. Why would historic lace makers want such small bobbins, (just because they had them?) or did they have a special role in lace making? Thanks Brian and Jean from Cooranbong, Australia -- I am using the free version of SPAMfighter. We are a community of 5.5 million users fighting spam. SPAMfighter has removed 3844 of my spam emails to date. Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len The Professional version does not have this message - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
