About Eddy Faber Bobbins
Meet the Team
Eddy Faber Bobbins is a team effort between myself and my partner Jo. I am the bobbin turner, and have a bead buying habit. Jo is the lacemaker who tests and critiques the bobbin designs.
We are both archaeologists. I study ancient crafts, which fits well with a love of old bobbins. I’m fascinated by the way they were made, and so you can find the inspiration for many of my designs in the styles and techniques of old bobbin turners.
Our Bobbins
All of our bobbins and lacemaking tools are hand-turned by Eddy. I use both wood and bone to turn a variety of bobbin styles. Each of the different styles takes some inspiration from older bobbins. I often take a small design feature and adapt it to my own style, even if only suggesting the placement for decoration.
I like the challenge of turning different woods, and so usually turn small batches before changing to a different wood. This helps maintain a variation in my offerings. Some woods are perennial favourites of mine, or of customers, and so these show up more frequently than others. If you do not see the wood or style you want, it is worth asking.
Our Spangles
The majority of our spangles are made using semi-precious gemstones, as we think these are really beautiful, and they allow for a massive variety of colours and patterns. As these are natural materials, the colour and pattern may vary slightly from the images. We occasionally veer into spangles made using Tibetan-style beads (combined with semi-precious gemstones) and glass crystal beads.
Our standard spangles use a 10mm central bead, with 4mm side beads and 3mm spacer beads. When this varies, the dimensions should be given in the description.
Antique Bobbins
I absolutely love antique bobbins. They are just small works of art that connect us to the past. The stories behind the bobbins are just wonderful to investigate. You can think of the turners who made them, and the decisions they made while turning unshaped blanks. Then there are countless tales about the lacemakers who have used them, which may be reflected in the inscriptions along the bobbins.
The best comment I have heard about antique bobbins is that they help you to make your lace as they already know what they are doing!
However, I bought (and am still buying) far too many for my own collection. Who knew that was possible? We having a changing selection of antique bobbins for sale. There is only a small selection of these on the website. If you are looking for something in particular, get in touch and we may be able to help.
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