Original 1950's 'Jay-Brand' Plastic Darning Mushroom
An original vintage darning mushroom produced by 'Jay-Brand' in the 1950s/60s.
These cute little mushrooms have a detachable stem which makes it easier to store them in your sewing basket.
The added bonus is the stem is hollow allowing you to store needles and a bit of thread in there too!
Suitable for:
- darning most items of clothing.
- mending holes, tears, thread bare areas and covering a stain.
All of these preloved mushrooms are lovingly sourced from vintage markets and charity shops.
Each mushroom has 'character' - surface scratches or marks from it's previous life, but all are still in usable conditon with an authentic vintage feel.
Various colour options are available - please see the drop-down box to make your selection.
Dimensions:
Height - 10cm (approx)
Diameter of Cap - 6.3cm (approx)
History of the Darning Mushroom
This darning tool was an essential item in 19th and early 20th century household as self-reliant women often had to make and repair all their clothing. They were commonly made using wood as it was widely availiable and not too expensive, but following the invention of early plastic many were made using Bakelite.
They made it much easier to stitch a repair: not too tight and not too slack. The top part of the mushroom was placed behind the hole to hold the darning area taut for working. Its 'stalk' with the rest of the fabric around it, was held in one hand and the darning needle was worked with the other hand.
There are various types besides the basic darning mushroom. A darning egg (for socks and tights), and a darning stick (for gloves). Some are made with detachable handles so you can store a few needles and a small amount of thread which is easily to hand an emergency!