old spools that had been saved. I have a few - but one to me is a little more precious. I kept it because it was in my mother's sewing cabinet. It is about 1" wide and 1 1/4" tall. It still has thread on it, and is pure silk thread - marked Belding Cortipelli - I think. The price is still on it - 100 yds for 35cents - no telling how old that is. How many more old spool collectors do we have out there?

Yes, I have several of my grandmothers. Many say Coats and Clark 100 yds 10cents. I have a wooden handle flathead screwdriver that came with one of her pedal machines and a silver thimble that is worn thin on the end. BTW I remember in the 60's when I would save the old wooden spools of different sizes and make (Christmas)toy soldiers with them by gluing them in stacks of 3-4 spools and painting the details on them. Fun times. :)

1 comment

by dlonnahawkins 14 Dec 2010

Oh yes we did lots of things with those. LOL

Have a friend who make minature Teddy Heads to go on top of these wooden cotton reels so we collect them if we find for the crafters. Another friend gave me a tiny one also wound with red silk. I have manu Coats Sheen (mercerised cotton) and the quality of the thread is unbelieveable.

I have a tin somewhere here that has several in it i picked up at a yard sale a few years ago. I do have some that was my mothers. I also have a couple of dress patterns that were $.35. Boy you know those are old. I also have some buttons that are still on the card very cheap. But I can't part with any of those.

I have a few around and I know my Mom does. I bought an antique sewing machine in cabinet at a flea market, the machine didn't work but I use it as a stand for my regular machine and in the drawers and bench seat I found a bunch of very old wood spools with thread still unused and the thread is still good! I even used a bit of it on the embroidery machine!

Years ago - I did have alot of these - but not any more - with moves from one end of the US to the other and then back - we downsized both times. I am sure you do treasure the one of your Mother's - I know I would, too. *4U

Oh Heck!!!!!

Another addiction????!!!!!


Yes, I save my old reels, too, but there aren't any wooden ones any more. Still, the plastic ones do come in handy sometimes.

When my first two daughters were babies I made them a wooden swing that had wooden slats, separated by wooden cotton reels for about four slats up from the square wooden seat.
I still have one green slat in my pantry from that swing which became old, worn out and dangerous many, many moons ago.

Of course I do have some old wooden cotton reels buried in my old sewing room that still carry the tomboy stitch efforts of all my children as they worked through that stage in their lives, dreaming great plans of making Mum a teapot stand but never quite reaching that goal.

AlmaG.

yes i have a few of them also .we used to put carpet tacks in them & do corking(round to make rugs or pot holders) carolyn

1 comment

by beatie58 14 Dec 2010

I remember doing this and my kids love it I think it was called french knitting...Sally

I wouldn't exactly call myself a collector, but I will pick up old wooden spools when I find them. They are so beautiful! I've used some as knobs on my sewing room cabinets. I used white glue to hold the threads down, then attached them to the cabinet with a black screw. It looks really cool.

2 comments

by shirlener88 13 Dec 2010

very clever.

by dlonnahawkins 14 Dec 2010

Clever idea - i have seen something similar.