Re. Diana's comment re smaller lighter lace bobbins.
I have to say on the odd occasions when I dipped my toes into the waters of
lace making I have usually fallen in and drowned. I have made some terrible
mistakes and made all sorts of assumptions in my quest to solve 'problems"
surrounding bobbins. But here goes...
For some time now I have been trying to trace a timeline of bobbin styles,
and it is a very difficult and possibly unproveable outcome that I might
eventually get to.
We all accept that lace making in the east midlands and even adjoining lace
making areas commenced by using basically French bobbins, problem Bayeux and
Normandy styles but other styles also. (I have not forgotten Flemish but I
chose to omit them at this time... coward!))
They ( The Northern French) bobbins were mostly double necked, Unspangled
and significantly did not have a "bulb" at the end of them.
Oh dear I am writing an article and I did not mean to do that... sorry... I
will now try to be brief.
This is what I have discovered, but yet do not have full information to back
up my case. (Broad sweep approach)
1. We started with the northern France bobbins
2. Then according to the literature (Wright or Whiting, at this time I cant
quote which one) but the bobbins used for older lace were very plain and
very thin. The old maids and dumps.
3. Then wooden, but decoratively turned bobbins were introduced, un
spangled.
4. There seems to have been a transitional stage when bobbins began to be
spangled, at first just one, perhaps two beads. I am calling them
transitional bobbins. They later became fully spangled
We are now up to possibly early 1800s which appears to be the time of the
"Foundling lace" for the want of a better term at this time. These ideas of
mine seem to confirm what Diana has said about the bobbins at that time. I
would suggest somewhere between or around my points 3 and 4 above.
So, ....... yes, I do believe that light, thin bobbins were the ones used at
that time. The only thing I would say is that they were not particularly
short then.
I am currently working on a group of bobbins that I have just learned about
"Cottage Bobbins" to see where they fitted in; also I have a theory that
bone bobbins when they were first introduced were quite short, the theory
being that bone would be heavier than wood and to keep the weight equal
they made them shorter. Turn your mind to the Gloucester bobbin written up
by Carole Morris a few years ago.
I have a lot more of conjecture I could add, but at the moment I am enjoying
the "thrill of the chase" and one day I might be brave enough to put it all
out there. Possibly when I am ready to be "drowned"!
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