Antique
Mauchline Ware Sewing Clamp with Thread Winding Spools Tape & Pincushion
The condition of this unusual piece is exceptional. Mauchline
Ware is English in origin and came in many different forms. It is a very
fragile medium and very susceptible to wear. This example shows almost
none. While this medium was used a lot for needle cases and some other sewing accessories, it was not used very often for sewing clamps and this is the first of this size and complexity that I have seen. The body is decorated around the entire perimeter with a scene of houses and cottages and mountains in the background. On the top is the original red silk pincushion and next to it are three little threaded dome top houses or containers. Two of the houses are thread winders, and one has a pink tape with measurements on it. The tops of each of the small houses unscrew, and the threads in this area are still nice. There are small spools still inside two. The entire top also unscrews to reveal a storage area for thimbles, needles, and other sewing whatnots. Overall it is about 6" tall, and the main box is about a 3" diameter. A very nice piece!!
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Very Good-Excellent ...... $595.00 SOLD!
BS-SCMF-21
Antique
Bone / Ivory Decorated Sewing Clamp with 2 Thread Winding Spools & Pincushion
This unusual sewing clamp is constructed of ivory or bone slabs applied
to a wooden frame. It has a very nice blue silk pincushion on the top.
It is about 6" tall, and the pin cushion is about 3" across. The different
slabs are decorated with carvings and then colored. Some are cutouts
all the way through with colorful decoration behind them. I am not sure
if this is nautical related like scrimshaw, or Oriental, or unrelated to either.
It is not something I have ever encountered before. A very
nice piece!!
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Very Good-Excellent ......... $395.00
BS-SCMF-1
Antique
Sewing Bird /Pincushion w/ Storage Compartment & More
This
is the rarest and one of the earliest of the sewing clamps that was in this
collection. It is much more complex than first glance or impression reveals.
The first picture on the left shows it completely assembled and ready to use as two separate pieces. The bird can be attached to either the clamp, or the top of the box when the top is reversed. It is a great looking piece in whatever configuration it is set up in. It has several other incarnations and forms to utilize as you mix and match. You can unscrew the clamp from the bottom and
use
it as a table top storage box, with or without the bird on top.
Or you can flip it over revealing a large pin cushion that fits back onto the
box that way. You can also unscrew the bird from the top and it fits onto
the clamp, allowing it to be used individually as a sewing bird. The decoration on the bird clamp and box all match, and are a highly decorated mixed metals format of brass and steel depicting garlands of leaves and petals or flowers. The collector found one of these advertised in the Maine Antique Digest some time back for the whopping sum of $4700 in a shop in PA, and it was identified in that ad as being Russian and c.1800. It is interesting to note that that example was missing the entire bottom clamp and was just the box and bird. A very nice piece of early 18 / 19th century craftsmanship!!
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Very Good-Excellent ......... $3950.00
BS-SCMF-4
Antique
Sewing Bird / Clamp with 4 Thread Winding Spools & Pin Cushion
This antique sewing bird is exceptional. Not only does it have
great form, it truly has great function---actually multi-functions---as well.
Once clamped onto the table the seamstress or needle worker could squeeze the
gracefully-shaped tail of the "stylized bird" to open its beak and insert her
handiwork. The red velvet pincushion on top would have been a place to
keep her straight pins and needles within easy reach. Four wooden spools
are incorporated into the design and would have allowed her to have several
different colors of thread wound and ready for use. This sewing bird is exceptionally well made and well thought out, and probably English in origin. It is approx 7" tall and 2 1/2 " wide. The clamp is affixed to the frame using a dovetailed joint. The spring is strong and it holds fabric very well. The pincushion base unscrews and removes from the frame so the cushion could be replaced if needed. The wooden spools remove by unscrewing the rods that go through their centers so they could be taken out and wound. There is fine detailing in the thumbscrew. It is in remarkably good condition and is a very unusual design. It has been cleaned and polished up nicely. One other aspect of note is that there six dots marked on the inside of the main bar of the clamp. Was this the 6th one the maker made? Or does it represent something else? The last one of these we had was marked with Roman numerals in this area. A mystery for The Antique Detectives!
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Very Good-Excellent ......... $695.00
BS-SCMF-2
Antique
Stylized Sewing Bird / Clamp with Thread Winding Spool & Shell Pincushion
This is a great looking antique sewing bird. It is about 8" tall,
and 5" or so from the tail to beak. It incorporates great form and function
to meet the needs of the busy seamstress. The red velvet pincushion on
top is fitted into a large spotted sea shell. The wooden spool would have
allowed the sewer to have a ready supply of thread wound and ready for use.
This sewing bird is exceptionally well made and well thought out. There is a lot of areas where file work was done to create the design and chamfers and decoration. There is a front shield that would allow it to be personalized with a name or logo. The thumbscrew has great detail. It is in remarkably good condition and is a very unusual design. The spring is good and stiff and it grips fabric well. It has been cleaned and polished. A very nice example of a one of a kind and unique antique sewing clamp.
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Very Good-Excellent ......... $595.00
SOLD!BS-SCMF-9
Figural
Cast Iron Sewing Clamp w/ Box Pincushion
This sewing clamp
is about 5" tall. It has an interesting design with the critter head and
clamp in front of the cast iron box with a red velvet pincushion on top.
The paint is in very nice condition, and the clamp spring works fine.
It is a great looking antique sewing bird with nice detailing. The pincushion
on top is in super condition. The thumbscrew has an interesting cross
hatch design detail. It is in remarkably good condition and is a very
nice design.
Very Good ......... $395.00
BS-SCMF-7
Patented
1875 Cast Iron Sewing Clamp / Multi Tool
This is the only
one of these I have ever seen. It is very large and a very graphic multi
tool for use in the sewing trades. The condition is exceptional, and the
painted decoration is fabulous. It is approx 6" across the back end where the pincushion and glass jar are. It is made to clamp to the edge of a thick table by tightening the wing nut you see in the picture. The patent date of February 9th 1875 is clearly painted on the the inside of the bottom. There is also an interesting logo there that resembles a Maltese Cross and Heart inside it.
In addition to the swinging clamp in between the pincushion and glass jar there are also two pins on chains that I assume are meant to act as hold downs or a means to tie off work for larger material one would be working on. The chains are fixed on one end and the pins drop into holes to form two loops. The glass jar is for storage or wax, or some other unknown purpose. Very rare, and in super condition.
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Excellent ......... $1250.00
BS-SCMF-8
English
Sewing Clamp w/ Double Spool Holder / Thread Winder Pincushion & Hook
This combination sewing clamp, pincushion and hook is a very unusual
sewing tool. The outside of the pincushion holder is marked. It
is cut steel, English, and dates from the early 19th century. It is stamped
"Joseph Rogers Cutler to Her Majesty Norfolk Street Sheffield".
This was a very famous and distinguished firm that made an array of products
but were most famous for their knives and cut steel products.
The two spool pins are on spreadable accordion like arms, and can increase the width of this to nearly 10" when both are pulled out. The pincushion fabric is original. Below the pincushion there is a hook to hold the work taught. This was probably for what was known as netting which was the art of tying threads into finery like doilies and the like. It is in remarkably good condition and is a very rare piece of sewing memorabilia.
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Excellent ......... $995.00
BS-SCMF-5
Multiple
Tool Brass Sewing Clamp
This combination sewing clamp has
a pincushion, sewing bird clamp, another clamp, rings, a needle case, spool
winder and maybe more. The designer / maker simply ran out of room to
add more. It is a little crude, and a bit rough at the edges, but it is in good
condition and a version I have not seen before.
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Very Good ......... $495.00
BS-SCMF-6
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