AboutIrene Schwall Expertise I have been a collector of antique sewing tools and thimbles for over 30 years. I am also a dealer in this field and sell on eBay under the name -- serengeti2.
Please note:
I am NOT, and I repeat NOT an expert on antique or vintage domestic household sewing machines used for everyday home sewing -- I can offer help when it comes to TOY or miniature collectible sewing machines ONLY.
Experience My expertise is in ANTIQUE sewing or needlework tools & thimbles, gold, silver, brass, ivory, bone etc. Modern thimbles are not necessarily my strong point but I may be able to help so don't hesitate to ask. I am also very well versed in the identification of Hallmarks on sewing collectibles.
Organizations Thimble Collectors International
SCTC - Southern California Thimble Club
SDTC - San Diego Thimble Club
OTS - Ohio Thimble Seekers
Priscilla Nutmeggers - CT/MA/NH
Dorset Thimble Society - UK
Rund um den Fingerhut - Germany
www.925/1000.com
Cyberthimble on Yahoo
Publications I belong to Thimble Collectors International & I chair the committee 'Publishing/Grants' and oversee the research and publication of booklets relating to sewing tools and thimbles.
I have also had articles published on needlework related topics.
Hello Irene Please can you give me moreinformation about these three antqiue sewing tools. Bought from an antique dealer many years ago they are made from bone by French Prisoners of War. The first item looks like a spinning top two and a half inches high. There is a thread on the barrel and a hole in the spindle a square hole of a quarter inch has been cut in the barrel. The barrel is empty.The letter N is written in ink on the bottom.
The needlecase contains the tiniest crochet hookwith a pin head top I've ever seen.
The third item is some sort of shuttle. I'd love to hear what these beautiful items were used for.I've enclosed some pictures
Rosie
Answer Hello Rosie,
Thanks you for your query and for including photographs. This is always most helpful.
Your items appear to be bone and would date to the mid to late 1800's. It is difficult to state with 100% accuracy that these tools were made by French Prisoners of War because these same items were also made during the Victorian Era in England and also in China. Bone was used extensively for needlework tools and other novelty items.
I have a few additional questions as well as answers for you:
1. The spinning top ---- does the spinning top open?
2. Is there a space at the bottom of the spindle (on top) where it meets the round cap i.e. a space for thread to protrude out of the spinning top to meet the hole in the spindle?
3. Where is the thread? Can you see it from the square hole in the side? Can you access this thread and could you add additional thread when the thread ran out?
4. The item on the lower left: does the oblong hole go through the bone? This is an awl or punch and if it has a hole that goes all the way through the bone, then it has an added feature which would be a ribbon threader.
5. Item on far right: This is a needlecase. The crochet hook has been added to the item. If the needlecase has a threaded hole on the bottom and if the crochet hook had a threaded top, then these two pieces would have gone together as a crochet set.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Irene
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