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Stitching & Crafting Room:  Vintage Wood Bobbins?Info please  |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 15 2013 : 2:48:58 PM
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I was given a bunch of these vintage wooden bobbins,I was told that they are industrial bobbins,I was wondering if any of you ladies here knew anything about them,how they were used,if they are still used in spinning,etc...
I listed them on Etsy after comparing prices but I would love to know more about them and thier uses.
I got them from a lady that does primitive decor and painting and she said they're real popular for decor but didn't know much else about them so I am curious and would love to hear from anyone who could tell me more about them.
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"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut"
Nostalgic Needleworks http://www.etsy.com/shop/NostalgicNeedleworks |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
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TexasJo
True Blue Farmgirl
161 Posts
Jody
Berthoud
CO
USA
161 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2013 : 08:10:53 AM
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Hi Kathryn,
I don't know anything about these either (Sorry) but I have a few myself. I love them. Just cuz they are old. :) I hope someone on here knows more.
Farmgirl Sister #5000
Jo
We can do it! |
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KathyC
True Blue Farmgirl
583 Posts
Kathy
Gastonia
NC
USA
583 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2013 : 01:23:19 AM
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I worked in a cotton mill for a short time back in the early '70's. I was a winder hand. Here is an old photo showing your bobbins in use. http://www.flickr.com/photos/53035820@N02/5180563396/ This is the spinning room. I think the yarn on the top of the frame is called roving. The spinner is responsible for keeping all the ends up and filling the bobbins. The doffer's remove the full bobbins and put on empty bobbins. You can see the large bobbin box in the photo with the empty bobbins. The bobbins then go to the winding room. I was a winder hand. I had to take the thread on the bobbins on wind them onto cones. We were all paid on production. Some nights the yarn ran good and some nights it didn't. It depended on the the yarn, the heat, the humidity....
The yarn had a few more steps before going to the weave room http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Photo-Weaving-room-Laurel-cotton-mill-Laurel-Mississippi-1-/290895993573?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item43bac09ae5 the round thing at the end of each loom is where the bobbins are for the loom. My granny worked in the cotton mills her whole life. Her first job was filling batteries - the round things that held the bobbins for the loom. After that she was a smash hand, repaired major breaks in the threads on the loom and finally she worked her way up to a weaver. My grandpa also worked in the mills as a fixer in the weave room.
Hope that give you some info. Do a search for cotton mills and you can see the conditions the workers (a lot of them children) had to put up with back in the early days.
I only worked there for about a year but it wasn't such a bad job and the pay was pretty good as long a you made production but I would not have wanted to spend my life in a cotton mill.
Kathy |
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TexasJo
True Blue Farmgirl
161 Posts
Jody
Berthoud
CO
USA
161 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2013 : 4:54:56 PM
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Holy Smokes, Kathy! What great pictures! Thank you so much for sharing. Funny names for the positions in the mill. Smash hand doesn't sound like the name came from something pleasant. ouch. :/ It's so cool to see what they were used for. I actually put one of my to use a little while ago when making a beaded strand for my eyeglasses. The line for the beads is so long that I had to wind it on something while I worked with it so I could keep it from tangling. It worked great! I have also used them in table arrangements as candleholders, but you have to get creative with what to put them in that will hold them up. Now if I had a supply of them like that huge binfull!!! What things I could come up with!! WHEWWEEEE!!! Fun! Looks like Kathryn has quite a collection there and could make some fun stuff!! Thanks again for sharing. I love learning about things from the past.
We can do it! |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Apr 18 2013 : 09:13:22 AM
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Wow Kathy!
Thank you so much for sharing the information and pictures and of your own experience working in a cotton mill,I am delighted and love the picture links,very fascinating and I will continue to research oncotton mills.
I got all these bobbins as one long lot,I have about 48 in all,I listed some to sell on Etsy but plan to keep a few as well,just cause they're neat and have some fascinating history.
Thank you so much!
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut"
Nostalgic Needleworks http://www.etsy.com/shop/NostalgicNeedleworks |
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Stitching & Crafting Room: Vintage Wood Bobbins?Info please |
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Vintage Wood Bobbins?Info please
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