Embroider my World Reseda
For all their wonderful range of bright colours, Dewhurt's also put our a fantastic array of more subtle shades too. This shade, I feel falls in between the two, and has the most delightful names: "Reseda". The name Reseda derives from the colour of the leaves of Reseda odorata, commonly known as mignonette.
When it was my birthday two years ago, a very dear friend who enjoys photography as much as I do, and knows that I collect beautiful and vintage pieces, gave me a wonderful selection of antique ribbons, buttons, buckles, lace and other fine notions. She also gave me three follow up tins of similar delightful gifts for Christmas.
Those wonderful gifts are what has inspired me to create this series of "Embroider my World" images featuring examples from my vintage bobbin collection. In this case I am using three of my Dewhurst's Sylko Reseda reels of cotton which date from between 1938 and 1954. The three spools sit on some antique lace which is Reseda in colour. The spools are also accesorised by two clear glass buttons, a silver and Bakelite button where the Bakeline is dyed Reseda, a dainty Victorian double ended crochet hook made out of mother-of-pearl, a floral sterling silver thimble made by Henry Griffith and Sons in 1897, a French sterling silver étui with Art Nouveau patterns from 1912, and a beautiful German Art Deco half-doll accented with Reseda which I acquired recently from a curios and collectables shop.
The "half-doll" is a dainty porcelain or bisque figurine, fashionable in the early Twentieth Century with an upper body, head, arms, but no legs. These dolls were produced in the thousands at the height of their popularity by German factories such as Dressel and Kister, Heubach, Goebel and Kestner. Later they were produced in France, America and later still, in Japan. They commonly served as handles and toppers for fabric covers made for powder boxes on ladies’ dressing tables and small brushes, however they were also made for jewellery boxes, pincushions, tea cosies and other covers. In this case, my German half-doll has romantic Eighteenth Century outfit, a fan clutched to her breast and a high powdered wig. I imagine that she would have been made for a lady’s boudoir and was most likely the topper for a powder puff, as she is only two inches in height. She has been hand painted.
The floral thimble is sterling silver and was made by silversmiths Henry Griffith and Sons in Birmingham in 1897. Henry Griffith and Sons commenced in 1850, was continued as Henry Griffith & Sons (until 1898) and later as Henry Griffith & Sons Ltd. They were well known for their manufacture of silver thimbles, and later for their silver and gold jewellery. They closed their doors in 1982. Thimble making was part of the Griffith family heritage. The father of Henry Griffith was a thimble maker and was put in charge of the thimbles departments at the beginning of his son's activity. The Griffiths became one of the leading producers of silver thimbles and were one of the only silversmiths who marked some of their thimbles with 'Sterling Silver' instead of having them hallmarked.
Belle Vue Mill, commonly known as Dewhurst’s, was built by Thomas Dewhurst in 1828. It opened in 1829 as John Dewhurst & Sons and was one of Skipton’s largest spinning and weaving mills. The mill’s position next to the Leeds Liverpool Canal meant that raw cotton could be shipped in by boats from Liverpool. Finished goods would then be sent back the same way ready for distribution. Coal to power the machine’s steam engines was also delivered by barge. In 1897 Dewhurst’s was bought by the English Sewing Cotton Co. It continued to produce Sylko, one of the mill’s most famous products. It was produced in over 500 colours and sold throughout the world. Sylko cottons are still available at haberdashers today.
Embroider my World Reseda
For all their wonderful range of bright colours, Dewhurt's also put our a fantastic array of more subtle shades too. This shade, I feel falls in between the two, and has the most delightful names: "Reseda". The name Reseda derives from the colour of the leaves of Reseda odorata, commonly known as mignonette.
When it was my birthday two years ago, a very dear friend who enjoys photography as much as I do, and knows that I collect beautiful and vintage pieces, gave me a wonderful selection of antique ribbons, buttons, buckles, lace and other fine notions. She also gave me three follow up tins of similar delightful gifts for Christmas.
Those wonderful gifts are what has inspired me to create this series of "Embroider my World" images featuring examples from my vintage bobbin collection. In this case I am using three of my Dewhurst's Sylko Reseda reels of cotton which date from between 1938 and 1954. The three spools sit on some antique lace which is Reseda in colour. The spools are also accesorised by two clear glass buttons, a silver and Bakelite button where the Bakeline is dyed Reseda, a dainty Victorian double ended crochet hook made out of mother-of-pearl, a floral sterling silver thimble made by Henry Griffith and Sons in 1897, a French sterling silver étui with Art Nouveau patterns from 1912, and a beautiful German Art Deco half-doll accented with Reseda which I acquired recently from a curios and collectables shop.
The "half-doll" is a dainty porcelain or bisque figurine, fashionable in the early Twentieth Century with an upper body, head, arms, but no legs. These dolls were produced in the thousands at the height of their popularity by German factories such as Dressel and Kister, Heubach, Goebel and Kestner. Later they were produced in France, America and later still, in Japan. They commonly served as handles and toppers for fabric covers made for powder boxes on ladies’ dressing tables and small brushes, however they were also made for jewellery boxes, pincushions, tea cosies and other covers. In this case, my German half-doll has romantic Eighteenth Century outfit, a fan clutched to her breast and a high powdered wig. I imagine that she would have been made for a lady’s boudoir and was most likely the topper for a powder puff, as she is only two inches in height. She has been hand painted.
The floral thimble is sterling silver and was made by silversmiths Henry Griffith and Sons in Birmingham in 1897. Henry Griffith and Sons commenced in 1850, was continued as Henry Griffith & Sons (until 1898) and later as Henry Griffith & Sons Ltd. They were well known for their manufacture of silver thimbles, and later for their silver and gold jewellery. They closed their doors in 1982. Thimble making was part of the Griffith family heritage. The father of Henry Griffith was a thimble maker and was put in charge of the thimbles departments at the beginning of his son's activity. The Griffiths became one of the leading producers of silver thimbles and were one of the only silversmiths who marked some of their thimbles with 'Sterling Silver' instead of having them hallmarked.
Belle Vue Mill, commonly known as Dewhurst’s, was built by Thomas Dewhurst in 1828. It opened in 1829 as John Dewhurst & Sons and was one of Skipton’s largest spinning and weaving mills. The mill’s position next to the Leeds Liverpool Canal meant that raw cotton could be shipped in by boats from Liverpool. Finished goods would then be sent back the same way ready for distribution. Coal to power the machine’s steam engines was also delivered by barge. In 1897 Dewhurst’s was bought by the English Sewing Cotton Co. It continued to produce Sylko, one of the mill’s most famous products. It was produced in over 500 colours and sold throughout the world. Sylko cottons are still available at haberdashers today.