Sunday, June 26, 2011

What are these things?

These things were given to me by a woman who may have used a treadle machine. She was over 95 a few years ago. The first item says 9-S. (My photo skills are D+.)

Can anyone tell me what they are? Are they usable for an old sewing machine? The two wood cylindrical boxes both say $2.75, and "Boyle". I also have several more containers with sewing machine needles in them - (flat on one side.)


14 comments:

  1. I don't have a clue what the metal items are, but my mother had several of the wooden cases - they held needles. Good luck

    ReplyDelete
  2. The silver pointy tube is a bobbin casing for a treadle sewing machine. I found a video on youtube that shows how it works. I, personally, have never used one.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9tkZrYP5fU&NR=1

    Linda in Southern Illinois

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think the metal things are bobbin cases for a treadle machine that used the long, skinny bobbins. I once found one among some of my grandmother's old things & didn't know what it was either. Just saw it identified on a blog somewhere a couple weeks or so ago.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The last picture is the long bobbins that get used in the pointy bobbin holder. All you need is the machine they go with and you're all set to start treadling.

    ReplyDelete
  5. These look exactly like the bobbins & shuttle (that holds the bobbin for the hand crank Singer that I blogged about a few days ago. I ordered new bobbins and the machine is working much better now. I didn't know they were used in treadle machines as well.

    ReplyDelete
  6. From Elaine Adair ... my goal was to declutter a bit - of courese I started with the smallest of stuff! LOL Next it trying to decide what to do with them. 8-)) I have a bunch of needles in those little wood cylinders, as well. Thanks everyone for solving the mystery. I have NO intention of finding a treadle to go with them!

    ReplyDelete
  7. The things in the last picture (10-cents) are indeed the bobbins. The other things are shuttles. You wind thread on the bobbins (via the treadle sewing machine) and insert the bobbin in the shuttle. The shuttle goes in the machine. The numbers on the tubes signify what brand/variety of machine it goes into. You can look up something like "Boye sewing machine shuttle #19R" on ebay & see if you can match it to a machine. These are highly sought after by treadle machine afficionados (of which I am one).

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am sure you could find happy new owners by visiting "Treadle On." It is a site about old machines. I don't know if there is a place to post items. Someone would love to have them.
    I have had treadle machines and used the bobbin cases and the long bobbins. They work just fine. I don't have a treadle anymore. I gave it away on FreeCycle.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The Boyle wooden boxes may well be needle boxes. The pointed metal thing is a shuttle for a treadle or hand crank machine. I can't tell size from the photo, but the things in the black case look like bobbins for the treadle/hand crank. A previous comment mentioned Treadle On, and that would be a great source of info and for identification. Also check the yahoo group 'vintage Singer', even if the items are not from a Singer, someone there might know.
    Good luck, those old people powered machines are terrific.

    ReplyDelete
  10. http://www.ismacs.net/boye/home.html

    ReplyDelete
  11. Lacey got a treadle machine and the wooden container is needle storage, I believe. She had several with needles in them. I love the prices of things and compare them to now!?!?

    ReplyDelete
  12. What everyone has told you is right on. That number could be used to know what machine the shuttle fits. There is also a blog called Sew Classic. Another good site to check is NeedleBar. It is basically an online sewing machine museum. There is a public area and then there are private forums which require membership.I am a member. If you would like for me to post a question I can for you. Those shuttles are sometimes called a bullet type shuttle. I am a member of

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have my mother's portable electric sewing machine that she bought, used,in 1954. It takes these same bobbins and I have a shuttle. It's a great machine, she sewed clothes and quilts and everything else on it all my life, until she died in '95.
    I learned to sew on this machine, one of Singer's first portables. It weighs about 30 pounds, is the black with gold scrolls type and has a hardwood case.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Elaine,
    I was surfing your blog (came over from quiltville-yahoo group) and saw this post. I have several treadles, a hand crank and even some electric sewing machines that use those long shuttles and bobbins. If you still have them, I would be very interested in helping you "declutter" by giving them a new home. Cheers, Cathy von Jess in MA

    ReplyDelete

I no longer will accept Anonymous comments. I hope my adjustments to Comments do not cause anyone hardships.