changed considerably as textile technology evolved.
Some historical designs were long and narrow, while modern sewing machines typically use smaller bobbins designed to fit a specific bobbin holder or case. Their exact shape and size depend on the machine or textile process they were designed for.
So if you find an unusual old spool in a sewing box, don’t assume it’s simply an obsolete version of today’s bobbin—it may have belonged to a completely different textile process.
The Small Object With a Big History
It’s easy to overlook something as
