from the collection of Betty McPheeA small grey commemorative pencil with symbol and name of Needlework Tool Collectors Society of AustraliaNeedlework Tool Collectors Society of Australiadomestic items, writing equipment

Sally Hearn (1932–2018) was a dedicated button collector and a prominent member of the Victoria Button Collectors Club. Her button collection was featured as a primary display in the 'The Melbourne Story' exhibition at the Melbourne Museum, which opened in mid-2008.The Hearn Collection of locally made and international buttons is historically and aesthetically significant as it illustrates the textile and manufacturing history of button making.One button on grey card. Made of glass and brass, depicting a collection of colourful flowers. Made by a B. Stoner in 2000, location unknown.Original caption: "Bought from Dot’s stall at the Needlework Tool Collectors Association Conference, Melbourne."sally hearn, button collections

Workbox fitted for needlework tools as became popular for upper class houses 1840-60's Use of work boxes to store and present sewing tools evolved from the use of embroidered bags and chatelaines by 18th century.Red imitation leather covered wooden box (two pieces) with a silver escutcheon on top, containing tools. (Thimble in box is item T107 which has been placed here)Inscription on cartouche "E.de Gez"needlework box

Elegant example of skilled craftsmanship of Napoleon III era in France - a practical and high class needlework tool. Elegant example of skilled craftsmanship of Napoleon III era in France - a practical and high class needlework tool. Flat tubular french silver gilt needlecaseFrench hall mark. Four dot diaper patterned panels. Three raised bands - near top, middle (at separation point), and base.needle case, french

French port of Dieppe (trading with French colonies in Africa) produced exquisitely carved ivory needlework tools such as this one in late 18th cenury and early 19th century Functional and luxurious needlework tool produced in Dieppe area of France where very beautifully carved ivory became status symbol quality needlework toolsIvory pea pod shaped needle case which separates into two pieaces. Stalk end on pod is intact.ivory pea pod needlecase, ivory needlecase

French port of Dieppe (trading with French colonies in Africa) produced exquisitely carved ivory needlework tools in late 18th cenury and early 19th century and this is one of themFunctional and luxurious needlework tool produced in Dieppe area of France where very beautifully carved ivory became status symbol quality needlework tools Needlebook with carved ivory cover, tan leather hinge, lined and tied with pink-red watered silk. 2 kerrymere leaves with finely clipped edges for needlessilk, flannel, mother of pearl, steel needles

Decorative ivory needlework tools were prized possessions. The style of decoration is similar to and maybe one of the Indian ivory sewing tools produced in Vizagapatam, East India Company factory.Exemplifies the hot needle decoration of madras work created in early 19th century in India and then copied in EnglandIvory tape measure holder. mushroom shape, decorated with black incised border of interlocking circles with matching central motif. Body of case is decorated with 27 parallel lines and a vertical slit to allow tape to pass. Base has a cogged edging. Top is decorated with black border of interlocking circles with matching central motif. (Hot needle decoration)tape measure, ivory

Vegetable ivory became a popular substance to use for needlework tools c 1860, it was very suitable for lathe turning and cheaper than ivory. Combining the cotton reel with a pincushion created a convenient tool to display and use. Presence of the wooden cotton reel dated 1863 tells of an early cotton reel, and that the piece was used.Vegetable ivory was a substitute for elephant ivory, this standing compendium was an useful item for display. Unusual to have a wooden cotton reel with a name and date. Standing thistle shaped carved vegetable ivory combined cotton reel holder and pincushion with bone spindle and worn red velvet pincushion. Cotton reel on it is a replacement and has cotton on it. Base of cotton reel in indian ink: "Gina Pipe, May 15th, 1863"reel, vegetable ivory

In the early 20th century, smocking appears in women’s magazines and sewing manuals on garments, domestic textiles and children’s wear. The 1930s and 1940s were the heyday of patterns and innovative stitch development. Embroidery has always had a great appeal to women, as it needs few tools. Historically the skills were taught within the family or in primary schools. Articles to make or embroider had been available in kits since the 1850s. Fancy work, the opposite of plain sewing, enjoyed great popularity in the 19th and 20th centuries. Companies which manufactured threads often produced instruction guides and patterns. This instruction book has been well-used. A small 30pp book with no cover. It contains instructions for embroidery stitches, including smocking.book-embroidery smocking handcraft needlework

The darning mushroom would have been an essential tool in an era when women were constantly repairing worn socks.Before the common use of synthetic materials, socks and other items of clothing were in constant need of repair. Darning would have been considered a necessary skill for girls and young women, part of their education as future wives and mothers. The mushroom was used to make repairs to clothing and bed linen.This darning tool was an essential item in 19th and early 20th century household as self-reliant women often had to make and repair all their clothing.A mushroom-shaped piece of smooth wood used to stretch and support material being darned.darning-mushroom needlework handicraft domestic

Wooden mushroom shaped implement for use when darning socks, turned wood with printed name and address on top.Reg Franz Kaaden March 3rd 1893 137 Victoria Street East Brunswickhandcrafts, needlework equipment, darning

Wooden mushroom used for darning socks, stockings, etc, timber turned in shape of a mushroom with removable top.handcrafts, needlework equipment, darning

Rectangular cardboard box containing a brass plate and wire sewing instrument marked Daisy.The Great Western Machine or Daidt Needle V.Coat of arms R. Bourkes (Patent) Bourkeshandcrafts, needlework equipment

Tatting is a form of knotted lace making using thread and a small shuttle. Twisted threads are tied around or through small, pointed shuttles that can be made of bone, mother of pearl, tortoise shell, steel or plastic. This produces a stable, strong lace using simple knots of two half hitches to make rings and chains embellished with picots.The origins of tatting are not clear but early versions of decorative knotting were used by the Egyptians on their ceremonial dress. Tatting also has elements of fishermen's net making techniques and the decorative knotting that was practiced by aristocratic women from the 15th century.Tatting, as we know it today, emerged in the first half of the 19th century. The new availability of mercerised thread from 1835 encouraged a burgeoning of lace crafts of all sorts. It was known in Italy as "occhi" and in France as "la frivolite". Tatting looks fragile but is both strong and durable. An article in a column named "Wives and Daughters" published in the Star newspaper in May 1910 describes the durability of tatting lace - "there is edging and insertion still in existence that have outworn two sets of pillow slips." In the 19th century and well into the 20th century, tatting was used like crochet and knitted lace for decorative edgings, collars, doylies, tray cloths etc. At first, different tatting patterns were passed along by word of mouth from person to person, however in time, patterns regularly appeared in newspapers and magazines well into the 1950's. A shuttle is a small tool that looks like a small boat "sailing" in and out of the thread. Tatting is called "schiffchenarbeit" in German, which means "the work of a little boat". There are two popular types of shuttles. The first has closed ends and a removable bobbin where the thread is wound around - often made from metal or plastic (as is item 8535.1). The second type has a post in the center where the thread is wound (e.g. item 8535.2). The ends of this bobbin are open but snug. Because it is constructed in two pieces, it can be made from materials like bone, ivory or mother of pearl. Shuttles hold a larger amount of thread (as compared with needles) which means fewer ends to weave in. Fishermen in the past are thought to have used large shuttles to weave cord into certain knots whilst making their fishing nets. Their methods were copied by weavers, who innovated by using threads and smaller shuttles to make lace. One type of tatting shuttle produced by "Aero" from the 1930's to the late 1960's was an anodized grey coated aluminium shuttle with a sharp pick at one end. In the 1970's it was superseded by the grey plastic "Aero" which has a removeable bobbin which you can put on the end of the shuttle to make thread winding easier and an embedded crochet hook for joining picots. The "Aero" company developed in Redditch, England - a town renowned as a centre for manufacturing needles. Firms run by Henry Milward and Abel Morrall were based in Redditch and by the 18th century Redditch was manufacturing one million sewing needles per year. Abel Morrall Ltd launched the "Aero" brand in 1936 and greatly expanded the firm's product line to include tatting shuttles and knitting needles. The classic plastic "Aero" tatting shuttle was manufactured in England from the early 1970's until the 1990's. These items are significant as examples of easily accessible handiwork tools that enabled women in the 1930s -1960s to be able to decorate and personalize their household linen and clothing.Shuttle no. 8535.1 is a beige, boat shaped plastic shuttle with enclosed ends, small round central indentations on both sides and an enclosed black removeable bobbin. The shuttle has a grooved point at one end to hold a bobbin and a small metal crochet hook at the other end. Shuttle no. 8535.2 is a beige, boat shaped metal shuttle with pointed ends that are open but snug, small round central indentations and two smaller circular markings (on both sides) and two internal posts with cream thread wound around.Shuttle no. 8535.1 - "AERO" / "ENGLAND" Shuttle no. 8535.2 - "AERO' / "ENGLAND" "39c" (written in ball point pen)flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, tatting shuttle, aero company, handwork, handwork tool, craft, handcraft, needlework, tatting

A Lady's white, long, cotton half petticoat with a gathered flounce and lace insert at hem. The petticoat has a placket on the side seam and is fastened with bone buttons, The pioneer families had to be self sufficient making their own tools, clothing, while developing their market gardens, fruit orchards and dairy farms in Moorabbin Shire The pioneer women in Moorabbin Shire had to make and repair the clothes for themselves and their families and were accomplished in dressmaking, needlework , craftwork and knitting A Lady's white, long, cotton half petticoat with a wide flounce lace edging and bone buttons at side seam clothing, brighton, moorabbin, pioneers, dressmaking, market gardeners, early settlers, craftwork , bentleigh, lacework, moorabbin shire blackburn nance, dairy farms, fruit orchards

The women of the pioneer families were very skilled at dressmaking , needlework and lace making. The early settlers had to be self reliant and made and repaired their own clothes, haberdashery , furnishings, tools and equipment. Lacework was a common pastime for 19thC women. , A set of tiny lace making crochet hooks.craftwork, crochetwork, needlework, moorabbin, cheltenham, pioneers, early settlers, clothing, brighton, pioneers, dressmaking, market gardeners, early settlers, craftwork, tools, lacework,

The women of the pioneer families were very skilled at dressmaking , needlework and lace making. The early settlers had to be self reliant and made and repaired their own clothes, haberdashery and furnishings These tools were used to make crochet work doilies, antimacassars, and add decorative work to lingerie, collars, cuffs, baby clothes, bonnets and bibs.5 assorted steel crochet work hookscraftwork, crochetwork, needlework, early settlers, pioneers, moorabbin, bentleigh, cheltenham, steel manufacture

This sampler booklet was made by Rose Plummer. She was born in Albury in 1886. During late 19th and early 20th centuries, women and girls made handicraft samplers as essential educational tools to learn and display needlework skills and record patterns. These embroidered pieces served as both a "textile Curriculum Vitae" for working-class girls and a public declaration of accomplishment and diligence for girls of all backgrounds. Simple samplers were a standard part of a girl's education and often simply recorded the alphabet, numbers, and more advanced stitches through a process of repetition and imitation. The samplers were also a way to record and share decorative patterns and stitches. They demonstrated a young girl's proficiency in needlework and sewing, essential skills for household linen and mending. For working-class girls, samplers acted as a practical "textile Curriculum Vitae," showcasing their sewing abilities to potential employers for domestic service or related employment. This book was donated to the Wodonga & District Historical Society by Nancy Beasley, daughter of Rose Plummer.A book filled with samples of embroidery and crochet work.embroidery skills, women's craft

Tortoiseshell Finger Guard used like a thimblehandcrafts, equipment, needlework

Sewing kit, often referred to as a sewing necessaire, contained items which were seen as necessary to complete basic needlework tasks. They were portable so could easily be carried by a lady when she was travelling away from home. Fitted in a velvet and silk lined box, it included a selection of needles ranging from darning needles to smaller sharps, as well as a button hook, a small pocket knife. The sewing needles in this kit were manufactured by John James Redditch, Worcestershire, England. The business was formed in 1840 and first appeared in the region’s business directory in 1860. John James initially specialised in industrial needles and tools and in particular in sail making needles before branching out into embroidery and domestic use. The brand continues to be manufactured in 2026 by the English Needle and Fishing Tackle Company – ENTACO. This item is significant because it is an example of domestic items used by women in the late 19th and early 20th century throughout the Wodonga district and beyond.A velvet lined wood box containing a range of basic sewing items.domestic items, sewin implements

Samplers served as both a learning tool and a showcase of a young girls skill in needlework, literacy and numeracy.Sampler with floral border surround. Multiple rows of uppercase and lower case letters with numbers 1-11. Separated by rows of geometric and floral patterns. A row of Crowns, each has an initial above to indicate the title eg. K for King, D for Duke. Embroidered in Cross and half cross stitch in greens, browns with a small area of red stitching.Anne Fletcher 1841 " Sigh not for beauty nor languish for wealth But grant me kind providence virtue and health Then richer than kings and more happy than they May my time be spent sweetly and swiftly away"

Samplers served as both a learning tool and a showcase of a young girls skill in needlework, literacy and numeracy.Sampler with floral border surround. Rows of alphabet and numbers embroidered in red four-sided stitch. Brown alphabet embroidered in eyelet stitch. Separated by rows of ornate patterns. Religious verse in dark brown surrounded by vases of flowers and floral motifs.Beathea Jannett Dickenson her work finished in the ninth year of her age 1840 " Jesus permit thy Gracious Name to stand As the First effort of an infants hand And while her fingers oe'r the canvas move engage her tender heart to seek thy love With thy dear children let her share a part And write thy Name thyself upon her heart"

Typical of work boxes made in China for sale to visiting Europeans 1840'sBlack lacquerware work box, hexagonal, with bone or ivory fittints. Black all-over lacquered surfaces decorated with Chinese pavilion scenes and motifs with butterflies. Two inner compartments, upper one fitted with bone/ivory lids to compartments for needlework. Lower compartment is a drawer with missing contents. Two metal carrying handles, two metal key holes (no keys). Front feet gilded wood, back feet wooden blocks. Interior has one removable fitted tray with eleven compartments. Two compartment lids match gold and green lacquerware of exterior. Two have removvable inserts. Third compartment has removable pincushion insert. Four narrow compartments fitted with wooden blocks to contain tools. Lower drawer has folding writing slope decorated and five compartments for writing toolsExterior: Black lacquer with gold and pale green inlaychinese lacquerware, workbox, ivory needlework accessories

Threads were spun at home or sold in skeins prior to the production of thread supplied wound on reels. The threads were often stored on reels and those with decorated tops such as this were made for fitted workboxesDecorative bone reels were made for fitted work boxes which were status needlework possessions. two bone thread reels with carved tops with holes at centre to fit tubular column poles which screw into both endsTops carved with classic circular pattern.Bottoms plainthread, reel

Silver chatelaines were a Victorian delight, a clasp at the waistline and an assortment of tools attached were worn by proud Victorian upper class ladiesAn example of a silver gilt chatelaine which was donated to the Embroiderers Guild by Nerylla Taunton who was a significant Australian antique needlework tools authority and author.Silver plated Chatelaine. Waist clip and five chains linked by brass rings holding needlecase, thimble bucket, book pin cushion, note book and scissors sheath Decorative pattern on clasp, chains and toolschatelaine, victorian', nerylla taunton

Pins are essential sewing tool, the second half of the 19th century saw mass production of them and many 'receptacles' to protect and keep them were made. Disc style pin cushions were very popular, this one has been made with elegantly carved ivory making it a status symbol. Era of improving technology for making pins, growing middle class with a taste for luxury needlework toolsSquare double sided ivory pin cushion with floral covering on one leaf, the other plain. Cushion covered in red velvetLow relief flowers with leaves - possibly lilac on decorated side.pin disc, ivvory

Silver sewing chatelaines were a Victorian delight, an attractive matched silver pin book was very desirable.An example of a silver gilt chatelaine which was donated to the Embroiderers Guild by Nerylla Taunton who was a significant Australian antique needlework tools authority and author.Silver gilt embossed rectangular pin cushionFloral style pattern with four lines to upper corner.chatelaine, victorian', nerylla taunton

Silver sewing chatelaines were a Victorian delight, an attractive matched silver note book - not in itself a sewing tool but a frequent additional appendageAn example of a silver gilt chatelaine which was donated to the Embroiderers Guild by Nerylla Taunton who was a significant Australian antique needlework tools authority and author.Note book with three ivory 'pages' in silver gilt embossed covers with ring to attach to chatelaine chainFloral style pattern with four lines to lower edgechatelaine, victorian', nerylla taunton