The Star of the Show

I have a great little spool holder/thread caddy that shows up in lots of my posts and often becomes the topic of discussion in my comments box, as was the case this past Sunday, so I thought it might be time to give it a little more viz.

This little beauty has been in use for at least 20 years and is barely showing its age. The stamp on the bottom says it was made by Carol Armstrong Quilts in Shingleton, MI. I ordered it from Keepsake Quilting and bought a few for gifts as well. Had I known that the supplier would go out of business I would have bought a ton more because most everyone who sees one wants one. It could have funded my retirement, I'm sure!

It is brilliantly simple and beautifully functional - just the perfect little sewing accessory - and fits a small spool of YLI quilting thread nicely (that's what I like to use for my hand piecing as well as my hand quilting). Did I mention that it is very well made?

A piece of dowel fits through one sidearm, then your spool, and into the other sidearm.

And the little pincushion on one end is just big enough to hold several pins and needles.

Small enough to fit into my 'little black bag' or a project box when I'm travelling, it keeps everything neatly in one place.

If you know a woodworker they might be able to create a reasonable facsimile; here are a few basic dimensions:

base:  4 5/8" long  x  2 1/2" wide
sidearms:  2" high x  1 7/8" wide
total height at sidearm:  2 5/8" high
dowel to hold spool: 4 1/4" long
base and sidearms:  3/4" thick

If you don't know a carpenter, Barnett's makes one called Thread Magic which includes a thread cutter. This is the same company that I bought Anne's quilting hoop from and she has been more than impressed with its quality.

There's another one called Sew Darn Handy Original Organizer that might suit as well.

And just for old time's sake, anyone that grew up in our household will recognize this model that I found online. Dad was a talented carpenter and could turn his hand to projects large or small so we had a few similar to this in the house.....M