Peering into the Past: Antique Wooden Spools

I recently looked into the history of antique wooden spools. I found a few interesting points I wanted to share with you in this video. Be sure to watch the videos listed below to see how a bobbin mill worked. Enjoy!
Videos on Stott Park Bobbin Mills:
Bobbins
• Bobbins
How England Was Made | Episode 4: Stott Park Bobbin Mill
• How England Was Made |...

[@user-nu2jv1lq8f]

I LOVE SPOOLS AND THE HISTORY OF THEM ALSO

[@thesimplequilter7499]

I’m so glad!! I do too!

[@nbc911]

Lovely collection. They are great to keep your binding wrapped around until it is really to go on the quilt.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thank you do much for sharing!

[@helenpeddycord2241]

That’s how I use mine too! Love it🧵

[@GeminiPeg]

I have a jar of wooden spools and several long, narrow ones. Thank you for the great information.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

You are so welcome!

[@annelumsden5775]

I moved to Darvel in the 80's, "a lace town" in the Irvine valley in the west of Scot. There is a display in a local museum "Dick Institute in Kilmarnock just now with full size machines loaded with bobbins to make lace curtains. The factory that made the original lace curtains for the Titanic is still in operation in Newmilns, (the next town about a mile away), they still had the notes and patterns and made the curtains for the Titanic film, they get orders to make lace curtains for lots of films. Coats had a factory in Paisley (near Glasgow), they made their own wooden bobbins. I have kept old Clarks and coats bobbins from passed relatives sewing boxes and still use the thread. I have my antique bobbins in my my sewing room.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

That museum sounds so neat!! That is one I would like to see!!! I didn't realize they made their own bobbins! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@barbaragallagher1996]

Yep….I have a few myself…I’ve used mine to hold some lace and my homespun wool yarn great collecting!

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Love those tips!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@heatherrj9980]

Thank you for this video and the other links to the Bobbin making museum - so interesting! My dad was a textile manufacturer so I've always been interested in the history. I have a few wood spools that my grandmother collected.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@debbiebraatz1919]

I have a box of wooden spools of thread and display them in a large glass container. I think they are neat! I’ve seen people use the wooden bobbins also as decorative pieces.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thanks for sharing!

[@vikkivanveldhuizen2290]

The ones with a hole at the top I have put votives in the hole with a battery operated tea light/candle. The shorter one keep by your sewing machine to hold your scissor for cutting thread from the sewing machine. Display several with a scissor in each one. Cute.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Great tip of using them to hold your scissors!!! Love that tip! Thanks for sharing!

[@wandawalker4191]

I have a bunch of small older ones in a vintage quart canning jar as decor in my sewing room. The larger ones you have are so interesting!!

[@thesimplequilter7499]

They really are! Learning a little more about them was fun!

[@theresamitchel7056]

I have small ones that still have thread. And they are actually quite strong. I use on my slow stitching. I look for them at estate sales, garage sales and second hand stores. I just enjoy them. When I finish the thread I may use them to wrap slow stitch scrolls around. I love old things I have some that were pretty old .12¢ just interesting to think of who else used them.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

I agree!!! Thanks for sharing!

[@connieking9873]

Great collection and enjoyed the video.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video!

[@kattales1108]

I have 3 tall vintage wooden spools with thread still on them. I use them as decor in my sewing room. I bought some reproduction wood spools that I have hand embroidered snippet rolls on them. I read that wooden spools were replaced by plastic ones in the early 70’s.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thanks for sharing!!!

[@jeannehoffman1060]

Very interesting!

[@thesimplequilter7499]

I think so too!

[@delwyngraham4033]

Cool😊

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thank you!

[@livingweirdestherc6644]

What a great collection 😊

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thank you!

[@fransak2723]

I have quite a few different bobbins. Mostly used for decor, some made into lamps, some made into garland with homespun strips. There are some great tips here in the comments. I plan on using one for a needle holder. I could sew a little wrap for it to hold some pins etc.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Great idea!!! Thanks for sharing!

[@cherylbrown4058]

Interesting! Have a few small wooden spools that I have in a jar.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thanks for sharing!

[@user-yc1tf6fc5i]

Very interesting information! I have several of the small wooden spoons.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Thanks for watching!

[@maryjanerossetti8765]

I use my wooden spools to wrap my binding on while I am waiting to quilt my quilts. It keeps the binding neat and it makes it easier to sew onto the quilts as you can unwind the binding as you sew it on.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Great tip! Thanks for sharing!

[@user-zq2pg9np9o]

Very interesting! Glad to know. I have mine displayed in antique sewing cabinet drawers. Bought at antique store. One of mine still have thread wound on it. I like learning history and enjoyed this information. Thank you

[@thesimplequilter7499]

You are most welcome! Thanks for sharing!

[@julieperumean8250]

I have at least 30 bobbins/spools, all similar to yours. With some I have wrapped pieces of laced and have them displayed in one of my sweet mom's wooden oblong handcrafted bowls!❤

[@thesimplequilter7499]

That's a great idea!

[@michelleswistak1389]

Nice collection for display, intetesting video

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@deborah1555]

Would love to have a few myself. Would be very helpful for binding. With the last quilt I finished, I didn't find my pre-made binding until after I made a new one.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Lol! That has happened to me also!!

[@sandraeasley9354]

Loved your video. Thanks for sharing the other 2 videos. It is fun to see how these were made. I have several wooden bobbins and love to just display them or make into items for my quilt guild friends.❤

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Glad you like them! I thought it was neat to see!

[@roseswalls3468]

This was interesting...I hope to get to watch the videos you linked to at some point. I do have a few old wooden spools. I remember when they were all you got. As children we used to make this little toy with them. We would cut little notches in the 'rim' of the spool and run a rubber band through. I don't remember what we looped it around on the one end, but it would be smaller than the circumference of the spool the other end was looped around one end of a match stick. Then we would wind it up and set it on the table, floor--a flat surface and and as the rubber band on wound it rolled the spool forward. The match stick's other end was on the table too...I guess it is what harnessed the force of the rubber band un-twisting. I know this is about as clear as mud...but your video brought back memories.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Sounds like a great toy!!! The videos are worth the watch and they are both pretty short! I love it when something triggers an old memory!!!

[@liselang2676]

I have my moms wooden spools (small ones - no big one like you have) I found a big vase and put them all in it. I mixed the smallest Xmas lights with (dbl AA batteries) throughout and when turning them in in the evening or whenever it looks pretty.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

A very nice way to display them! thanks for sharing!

[@kimimel7488]

I use mine to wrap my binding around until ready to attach.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

I think I am going to start doing that!

[@jackiearagon1268]

I have some of these mine are the tall thin ones.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

It is so interesting how there are so many different looking spools!

[@jackiearagon1268]

@@thesimplequilter7499 that is true, I have tall and short ones. They are fun to have as decor in my home.

[@giovannacasadio9600]

You could use them for lace and twin as well, I do have some of them. It would be great if we still had the refund of the spools. There would be less plastic. Thanks for sharing.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

I agree!

[@veraweeks8534]

I know people use the spools for holding bindings.

[@thesimplequilter7499]

I didn’t know that so thanks for sharing!

[@deborah1555]

Anybody have a craft idea for empty plastic spools?

[@thesimplequilter7499]

Sorry, I do not.