General Chat

I'm sorry Camberwell but I have this vision of you on the inside of the window waving a pair of pants about to the outside world.

It is for sewing things which cannot be bent. ( as in have to lay flat to stitch) I have a few in different sizes. I've re upholstered chairs with the stronger ones. and as someone said... sails. funny one to put into a housemaid though. Deanna X

Thanks Bob and Angela. Heather. CB - Re-cycle? - I,m just a poor pensioner. Actually they make good rough and ready gardening gloves for picking up twigs and the like. Best wishes happy days

Harry, Don't bother darning the socks - recycle! Use them as dusters or to apply shoe polish. That's what happens to all the old socks in our house. Old pants are used to polish windows or cars, and old T-shirts are used as dusters or to mop up spills. CB >|< :>) P S Yes, that curved, thick needle is for sewing cushions, etc. I've got one. Never needed to use it, but I've got one.

But sewing sails and upholstering have been traditionally done by men.................. and my dad always used to sit darning his socks in the evening when I was little, using a polished wooden mushroom. Angela

I have a feeling you wished you never asked!

No more. no more. I am a man,s man. What was i doing putting up a sewing thread. thanks for your interest. Happy days

Harry, I think heather is probably right, it sounds like an upholstery needle to me. It would be used for sewing two adjacent angled pieces of fabbric together i.e, as say on a cushion, where you wanted the needle to penetrate down deeper into the fabric, then come up through the opposite angle, hence the 'U' shape. Lin xx

When you darn socks its done on a mushroom shaped thing, so it is impossible to push the needle through.

I have no idea what the bendy ones are meant to be for but I find them useful for running repairs on thick stuff - eg restitching upholstery seams. I've also used them in the past to stitch fabric covered boxes. Angela

Sounds like an upholstery needle. (Used for stitching when the reverse side is not accessable) Amazing what comes from the £ shop!! Merry

Thanks for the replies. Could be for upholstery, but prefer (perhaps wrongly) Bob,s suggestion. (The package was from china of course) Happy days

No, Nell, there is a separate needle threader. My wife said that many moons ago she got some wool and one of these was wrapped up inside the wool and nearly took her hand off. It,s three or four times thicker than a needle, perhaps 5' long. ( and noticeable bent) Happy days

Harry, Is it an uphostery needle? Heather

It is a needle designed on the old sail needle. It save you pushing the straight needle through and pulling the whole length of cotton with it. You just go in and back out in one move. Does this make sense?

Are you sure its a needle and not a needle threader? nell

Unconnected but they have come together. Wore a hole in one of my £3.95 socks. Am I to be scrooge - who darns socks these days? Secondly, I bought a pack of sewing equipment from the pound shop. One unexplained item therein is a large needle (with a hole for cotton or wool) which is very thick and bent in the shape of a smile. What,s that for? Happy days