For all their wonderful range of bright colours, Dewhurt's also put out an interesting array of rather drab shades too, reflecting some of the more dour colours worn before the Second World War. However dour the colours might be, they are often given the most wonderful names, like this one, which has the most delightful name, "Leaf Mould".
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 one of my Dewhurst's Sylko Leaf Mould reels of cotton which date from between 1938 and 1954. The spool sits on some wonderful Victorian era floral embroidered trim in cream and copper coloured silk. It is accessorised by an Art Nouveau leather needle book with the gilt saying "a stitch in time, saves nine" embossed upon it, two packets of needles, an unusual German sterling silver pincushion which is narrow with a band of green velvet and features a cherub with pet doves tied with ribbons on either side, a sterling silver beehive thimble made by silversmith James Fenton and Company, and a beautiful German Art Deco half-doll.
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 a bare torso and is holding a fan, so she would have been made for a lady’s boudoir and was most likely the topper for a jewellery box or powder bowl. She stands at one and three-quarter inches in height and has been hand painted. When I bought her, she was covered in a rather sticky layer of dust, probably accumulated over many years, however a lovely soak in a soapy bath and a soft toothbrush scrub quickly removed the grime and brought back her pale, gleaming beauty.
The beehive thimble is sterling silver and was made by silversmith James Fenton and Company in Birmingham in 1902. James Fenton and Company was in operation between 1854 and 1956. They were well known for their manufacture of silver and gold thimbles, and later for their silver and enamel jewellery.
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.
Pearsall’s is and English company, with a long history, dating back to 1795 when James Pearsall founded the company in London. In 1816, they established a facility in Taunton, initially processing silk for the lace trade. Originally manufacturing silk cottons, they also made needles, and even fishing line silk! During the 1970s, the company shifted its focus to manufacturing medical devices, specifically suture material. This transition was facilitated by their core competencies of twisting, braiding, dyeing, and coating, which were well-suited for medical applications. Pearsalls Ltd (now Surgical Specialties Taunton, but trading as Pearsalls Ltd) still exists to this day.
