Ribbon threader or bodkin is a blade of nickel-plated non-ferrous metal, in a torpedo shape, wide and rounded at one end and tapering to a point at other end. Two slots are cut in wide end for stringing ribbon that needs to be threaded through casings in waistbands, wristbands, etc.
Stamped inscriptions: On one side of tool is "RIBBON THEADER", "REGISTERED", "No. 3", AND "K.B.C.".
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Stiletto or bodkin of turned bone, fitted in a conical basket-weave holder or sheath.
Stiletto (A) has ball-shaped head with hole in it, then narrowing to a neck with additional swells and narrowing until it tapers from midsection down to a sharp point.
Holder (B) is an elongated cone made with a brown reed-like material woven onto ribs like a basket. Handle is a twisted form of the same material, shaped in a double loop configuration.
It is assumed that this pair of otems were originally dwsigned for each other.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Bodkin of bone is a flattened needle with one rounded end and one end with a blunt point. Slot of 5/8" in length is cut into body near rounded end. This tool is used for threading ribbons, etc. through casings, fabric tubes or loops.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Bodkin of steel is a blunt needle used for threading ribbons or other fabric through casings, loops, etc.
Two thin pieces of tapered steel are laminated together through half their length at narrow end. Two pieces at wider end are separated, allowing a ribbon or other material to be fitted into "jaws" and clamped in place via a sliding mechanism fitted into slot that extends lenthwise toward jaws. Inside of jaw ends have 3 pairs of raised barbs or teeth that enable the jaws to hold material without slipping.
Stamped on one side at midsection is "THE DOT." This likely refers to the rounded sliding mechanism fitted in the slot.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Flat tin 6-pointed star pattern or template with1/2" diameter hole at center. Used for creating raised, sculpted plushwork (see Amish Arts by Patricia Herr, pp. 44-55).
Pin cushion with a compressed drum shape having leather-clad fabric of reddish-brown comprising the top and bottom and a band of light red silk or satin covering the sides. About 23 pins inserted into sides, including three that have globular heads. Undetermined stuffing.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Significant losses to leather, particularly at edges where it joins side band. Side band fabric is faded and worn with pin holes and one larger moth? hole of about 1/16".
Object ID
G.05.15.16
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Thimble of miniature but conventional shape, cast, non-ferrous alloy with silvery plating.
Child-sized thimble has very indistinct indentations on domed top and upper 2/3 of sides and a plain band on lower third. Rim at bottom has a pronounced raised edge. Vertical casting seams on opposite sides. Inscriptions: Each side of plain band has raised lettering with "FOR A/ GOOD GIRL."
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Thimble with an open top, made of unknown non-ferrous alloy. German made. Sides are dimpled with tiny hexagons. At top is a very narrow plain band and at bottom is a raised edge. There is no top to cover finger tip.
Inscriptions: On opposite sides of the raised edge at bottom are : "GERMANY" and "9".
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Minimal wear; slight darkening/tarnish at upper half of exterior.
Object ID
G.05.15.44
Notes
See another example of this ring found on internet in this file. Iguala is a town near the renowned silvermaking town of Taxco (near the west coast of Mexico) where William Spratling, in the 1930s, famously reinstituted the silver industry and craftsmanship that had died centuries before.
Place of Origin
Germany
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Needle and pin case in sun bonnet form with off-white finely woven sheer cotton or silk. Rigid visor of light cardboard is covered with fabric and folds at top. Cap section is gathered at neck. Trimmed with four pink satin bows and a strawberry of emory covered with silk and embroidery on short string at crown. Metal snap closure inside visor.
Interior of visor has attached strip of twill wool with sawtooth edge. Pins and needles are inserted and stored in this fabric.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Commercial circular card of glass-head straight pins. Two layers of heavy textured buff-colored paper are pressure-molded around a central disk of unknown solid substance. Pins are anchored into this paper card in a radiating configuration. Top of card has a printed circular orange band reading: "40 FINEST GLASS-HEAD PINS" with adjacent "MADE IN GERMANY" in small print. Card has missing pins; 30 steel pins with multicolored spherical glass heads remain.
Reverse side has "Kiker" hand printed in ink.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Darning egg, classic shape, hardwood, painted black. No handle.
No inscriptions or other markings.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Darning egg of hardwood, classic shape, painted black and set on a hollow handle of silver-plated cast metal with the facr of a woman above a cabochon flanked by C-scrolls, all above floral decoration. Both identical halves of handle were joined with a visible seam and plated with silver.
Woman's hair has whiplash curves, denoting Arts Nouveau influence.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Very good condition with minor scratches on egg. Hndle is breaking at seam where attached to egg; secured with wire. Residue of white silver polish in crevices.
Object ID
G.05.15.2
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Mold-blown amber glass darning egg with fitted aluminum handle in two pieces. Handle is hollow and tapers to a rounded tip. Where affixed to glass there is a knurled grip-ring, under which is a large threading (like the base of a light bulb). A second slightly larger handle of aluminum, with conforming shape, nests over the first and screws onto the first handle.
Glass egg is embossed with "S.C. FLEXON & CO. / WILLIAMSTOWN, N.J." and "PAT. PENDING." On opposite side of egg is "Ideal" in cursive.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Spool holder/dispenser, turned wooden round box with fitted, slightly domed lid. Container is pill-box shape with thin walls. Three holes of graduated size marked "40" "50" and "60" under each. Hole insets of white glass or bakelite. Vertical spindles/dowels meant to hold spools on bottom of inside are missing. Bottom covered with a dark brown, pebbled finish paper.
Fitted lid has painted and/or woodburned design (shells and sea flora?). Box has lacquered natural finish.
Large round paper label pasted to underside depicts three circular medals at center. Above the center one is "NEW YORK 1853."
At top of label is "JOHN CLARK JUNR. & CO./ MILE-END/ GLASGOW." At bottom of label is "BEST SIX CORD SPOOL COTTON/ ON BLACK SPOOLS/ THOMAS RUSSELL/ SOLE AGENT/ FOR THE UNITED STATES."
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Heavy crazing onlid. Small abrasions overall. Hole inset missing for #40 size hole. Three spindles on interior are broken and missing. Interior dark with oxidation. Paper on bottom has old losses from peeling.
Object ID
G.05.15.5
Place of Origin
Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Needle book of printed heavy paper containing 32 needles, folded to resemble a book. Advertising item lists coal business on inside.
White printed covers have four children in 19th c. clothing on the front and four on the back. They are all involved sewing activities. Front cover at top reads "SEWING SOCIETY/ NEEDLE BOOK" and at bottom is "Egg shaped eyes/ -And swelled centre."
Verse on back cover reads "In Your Time Of Need-/ It is Needless to look for Any Thing/ BETTER THAN ME." At the bottom is "OUR NEEDLES/ ARE THE BEST." Donor's sticker with "Kiker" is at bottom corner.
Inside covers printed in red on brown-colored paper. Paper packet of 3/9 needles affixed to left side; pasted to right side is a swatch of dark loose-weave fabric displaying an arrangement of seven variously sized needles.
Near bottom is printed "Manufactured to Order by J.A. COATES & SONS, Limited." and below this is "ORRIN O. WARE./ GENERAL MERCHANDISE."
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Needle book of printed heavy paper containing needles, folded to resemble a book. Advertising item lists coal business on inside.
White printed covers have four children in 19th c. clothing on the front and four on the back. They are all involved in sewing activities. Front cover at top reads "SEWING SOCIETY/ NEEDLE BOOK" and at bottom is "Egg shaped eyes/ -And swelled centre."
Verse on back cover reads "In Your Time Of Need-/ It is Needless to look for Any Thing/ BETTER THAN ME." At the bottom is "OUR NEEDLES/ ARE THE BEST."
Inside covers printed in red on brown-colored paper. Paper packet of 1/6 needles affixed to left side; pasted to right side is a swatch of dark loose-weave fabric displaying an arrangement of six variously sized needles (large center on is missing and the 3rd from left is broken).
Near bottom is printed "Manufactured to Order by J.A. COATES & SONS, Limited." and below this is "ORRIN O. WARE./ GENERAL MERCHANDISE."
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Paper slightly buckled with darkening along bottom section or interior. Slight wear at edges with minor dogear damage at bottom corners. Short tear at bottom fold of book. Short fold line extends near top at fold of book. Small dent at middle of right edge of back cover. Center needle missing, one at left of center is broken.
Object ID
G.05.15.12
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Thimble or finger guard. non-ferrous sheet metal in shape of wide finger ring.
Ring formed from sheet metal with soldered seam at bottom. Oval ring resembles a Zulu shield. Outer surface of ring has a slightly oblique ribbing; smooth inner side. Believed to be used as a quilter's thimble.
Crude letters are scratched on ring interior, perhaps "M I(?) A C."
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Darkening overall with some interior dark splotches.
Object ID
G.05.15.35
Notes
See another example of this ring found on internet in this file. Iguala is a town near the renowned silvermaking town of Taxco (near the west coast of Mexico) where William Spratling, in the 1930s, famously reinstituted the silver industry and craftsmanship that had died centuries before.
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Thimble of mold-blown clear glass. Classic cone shape but with a frilly scalloped bottom rim. Slightly domed top is dimpled, but walls are smooth.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
See another example of this ring found on internet in this file. Iguala is a town near the renowned silvermaking town of Taxco (near the west coast of Mexico) where William Spratling, in the 1930s, famously reinstituted the silver industry and craftsmanship that had died centuries before.
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Thimble of Mexican sterling silver (925) in classic shape. Sides have vertical seam and are joined to a barely domed top. Rim is scalloped, with each scallop having an applied C-scroll of flattened wire. Upper portion of sides has vertical rows of hand-struck round dimples in columns of 4. Top has a waffle pattern likely produced by machine.
Struck along inside of rim is "STERLING 925/ JNM(?)/ TAXCO MEXICO." An additional mark lightly struck above C-scrolls on outside is indecipherable.
See another example pictured in this file. Taxco is an important center of silvermaking (near the west coast of Mexico) where William Spratling, in the 1930s, famously reinstituted the silver industry and craftsmanship that had died centuries before.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Darkened with tarnish. Scallops at rim are breaking and/or cracking. Residue of black & white paint on areas of one side.
Object ID
G.05.15.38
Notes
See another example of this ring found on internet in this file. Iguala is a town near the renowned silvermaking town of Taxco (near the west coast of Mexico) where William Spratling, in the 1930s, famously reinstituted the silver industry and craftsmanship that had died centuries before.
Place of Origin
Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Thimble of sterling silver (925) in classic shape, marked by Simons Bros. Co.
Thimble has a wide band at lower half of sides, decorated with a raised, repeating pattern of putti holding flowering plants between them; also stamped foliate decoration. Upper half of sides have a honeycomb pattern of hexagons while domed top has conventional indentations.
Inscriptions: Marked within putti band is "PAT.NOV.21,05." Simons mark is underneath top with a smaller version of the shield. "STERLING" and "10" are above shield. Shown in Simons catalog as #146.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Extreme tarnish, scratches on lower band along with strong wear on all salient point of putti design. Needle scratches on interior as well.
Object ID
G.05.15.41
Notes
See another example of this ring found on internet in this file. Iguala is a town near the renowned silvermaking town of Taxco (near the west coast of Mexico) where William Spratling, in the 1930s, famously reinstituted the silver industry and craftsmanship that had died centuries before.
Place of Origin
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
