I was finishing off a project - and couldn't find my needle case. I think I put it somewhere safe when the grandchildren were here. But in the bottom of my sewing box I spotted a packet. Clearly a card of needles, folded inside a cellophane wrapping. I couldn't recall where it came from. I carefully slid out the card and unfolded the sheet.
A curved Mattress Needle for upholstered furniture repairs.
A fine but strong Glovers' Needle for use with leather and vinyls.
A flat bladed Sail Needle for canvas and awning repairs*.
A bent Sack Needle for repair to hessian and coconut matting*
A big-eyed Couching Needle for heavy wools.
* with flat, triangular points.
I needed to sew two buttons through a lot of layers, so I used the sail needle. It was perfect. But I wondered about housewives in the 1960s - did they really find themselves stitching holes in fine leather gloves, or tears in coconut matting?
I do remember a Teaching Assistant in the 90s angrily stitching up the stack of school sacks- a Probationary Teacher had cut armholes and neckholes in them all, to make 'Roman slave tunics' for his Class Assembly -not realising they were needed for the Sports Day Sack Race!
And in Bavaria, King Ludwig II lived in this splendid castle [allegedly the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle] Buttons like these were used in the mock military jackets popular in the 60s - Sergeant Pepper and all that. Lots of people had them on garments from the popular C&A clothes store.
I don't think my old buttons are very valuable. But they are great fun. Tomorrow I will explain why I needed them.
I'm intrigued! It's good to know what all the strange needles are for as I have a few of those odd-shaped ones and never knew what to do with them.
ReplyDeleteI shall keep mine on the card to remind me
DeleteWhen we were in Budapest we were told that the Fishermans' Bastion was the inspiration for the Disney logo...https://budapestconnection.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Fishermans-Bastion-1.jpg
ReplyDeleteQuite honestly I think your castle is more likely!
I went to the Bastion with Liz in 2005, I don't recall anyone making a Disney connection back then. My vote is for the Bavarian one!
DeleteI love old buttons there's something so much more interesting about them and the things they are made of, so much more tactile than the modern mass produced plastic sort.
ReplyDeleteI have a similar card of needles but with no descriptions of what each is for. I do know that the one with the huge eye is the only one I can thread without my reading glasses on these days :-)
Threading needles is becoming quite a challenge for me too these days
DeleteI picked up a card like that with the same needles in a bundle of stuff from a car boot sale many years ago and probably sold them again later!!
ReplyDeleteI have too much haberdashery [Haber-Stashery?] I must be more ruthless.
DeleteI also have these needles and I also have two 'Wizard Threaders' by Newey which makes it easy to thread tapes and cords through a loop. Invaluable.
ReplyDeleteI have a Wizard Threader too - so useful for threading elastic.
DeleteI've had a card of these needles for decades and I have no idea why I bought them initially. My set includes a smaller curved needle called a lampshade needle, and a tapestry needle and knitters needle.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite needle-like tool is a bodkin, for threading elastic through casings. Even the name "bodkin" delights me!
A "lampshade needle"? That's intriguing. Perhaps we should start a Bodkin Lovers Appreciation Society
DeleteI have a similar packet of needles, myself; mine originally had 7 "home repair" needles with two curved mattress needles (two sizes), a carpet needle, a sail needle, an upholsterer's needle, a packing needle (similar to your sack needle), and a glover's needle.
ReplyDeleteThat is very similar, Bless. Do you have the Millward brand in the USA?
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