Creating my new Scissor Stacks

I would love to tell you that I had this idea and just went ahead and made these. The truth is somewhat different…

If you have looked through my Treasures, you will know that I love to repurpose vintage cotton reels and am always on the lookout for more pretty bobbins. As you can imagine, the obvious hunting grounds (charity and even junkshops) have been closed because of the dreaded virus, so eBay and similar resources have been put to the test. And so it was that I spotted five lovely wooden cotton reels with a red patina and ‘Buy now’ seemed a really good idea. I was puzzled when the seller mentioned putting them in two parcels because of their weight but thought nothing more. I was certainly surprised by the size of the boxes when they arrived and then I opened the boxes and five enormous industrial bobbins presented themselves. I had simply no idea what to do with them. I was too mean to post them back again, so they have sat on a shelf in my office while I considered the situation.

It came to me in the middle of the night – I could see them complete with embroidered middles and a trio of scissors.

I have no idea what wood was used for the manufacture of these beasts, but I can tell you it is a hard wood because it took me all morning and the loan of my neighbour’s new electric drill to make three holes in each one. I had smoke pouring from the drill holes and thought that any minute I may set the house on fire! You can see the mess in the scullery and I cannot describe the noise the drill made – Bill insisted on leaving the house with the dog when I started. After all that drilling, I spent time with the sandpaper, wax polish and a soft duster and was really pleased with the result.

The soft red colour on the bobbins more or less confirmed my decision to create a small section of the Catherine Archer sampler as the decoration and then I dressed three pairs of scissors to match.

Now the hunt is on for other wooden treasures to create more scissor stacks!