Friday, January 19, 2018

New Clover Bobbin Shuttles and Cases Review

So, want to hear what this die-hard post shuttle fan thinks of the new Clover bobbin shuttles?

They're fantastic!


I'm normally a bobbin shuttle's worst nightmare, since I tat with a very tight tension, and tend to give the shuttle thread a good jerk with each stitch. Many other brands of bobbin shuttles can't take the exertion and the bobbin slips. But, the bobbin in the new Clover shuttle stays put!

UPDATE February 5th, 2018: I've tatted with these shuttles for a few weeks now, and the bobbin is starting to slip. I really am a bobbin shuttle's worst nightmare! If you’re a very tight tatter, you may prefer Clover's post shuttles :)

Here's how it comes packaged:
So far, the color choices are white or brown. The shuttle comes with 2 bobbins and a stopper.

Here's a close-up look at the bobbin, which fits onto the end of the stopper for winding:
The bobbin has a hole to attach the end of your thread to.



The bobbin can hold up to 6 yards of size 20 thread (I measured). There's another handy use for the stopper:
While winding, thread can become all twisted and tangled. By putting the bobbin into the stopper, you can let the bobbin dangle to spin out the excess twist. Then, remove the bobbin to continue winding.

If you prefer to wind your bobbin on a sewing machine, there are washers included in the package to facilitate that, also.

Packages of spare bobbins are also available:
Just like their post shuttle counterparts, the Clover bobbin shuttles have a very nice point for doing joins (also useful for picking out mistakes).
The bobbin stays in place while tatting, yet turns easily with a push of the thumb to advance or retract thread.

More new products - storage cases! 

First, here's the Clover storage case for tatting shuttles:
It holds both small and large sizes of Clover post shuttles.

Next, here's the case for bobbin shuttles. It holds a lot of bobbins, with spaces for a few shuttles and stoppers. The tiny slots are a good place to store the washers.


These products are new to me, so I've only tried them out for a short time, but my impression so far is that they've got the high quality I've come to expect from Clover Needlecraft. I'll keep on playing!

9 comments:

Shanda said...

Wow, holy organization Batman! Will have to look for these at the store. Thanks for the tip

Sewicked said...

Good to know. I have one of the cases, just because it's so handy but I wasn't sure about the shuttles themselves.

Madtatter80 said...

I like your review 💜 I do not use bobbin shuttles for the very reasons you mentioned, but would consider it now.

Heidi H. said...

Exactly the same reason I don't use bobbin shuttles. I don't feel I'm too tight a tatter but apparently it's tight enough to pull the bobbins. Thank you for a wonderful review!

Anonymous said...

I’ve been using these new Clover bobbin shuttles for about 6 months now and have been very happy with them. It’s the best of both worlds: similar to tatting with the Clover post shuttle along with the ease of winding and unwinding that you get with a bobbin. The organization case is an added bonus.

Margarets designer cards said...

I am a post shuttle girl, but they do look interesting, I think that if I use a bobbin they would possibly fall out while tatting that's one reason why I have not tried it, but after reading your piece I think I may try one

Carrie said...

I have the same trouble with bobbin shuttles, but I learned early on that I am a tight tatter. I'll be sticking to my post shuttles for now. That shuttle case does look enticing though. Might have to put that on my wish list.

Marilee Rockley said...

After tatting with the Clover bobbin shuttles for a few weeks, I am starting to notice the bobbin slipping. I’m not disappointed, though. Going back to my Clover post shuttles! It was a good experiment.

staborn said...

Plastic shuttles with bobbins need to be dipped in very hot (not boiling) water for a few minutes, then held in a towel and squeezed for a minute or so, when the bobbins begin to slip. It's not about your tension, it's just the nature of the material. The shuttle will retighten until time to adjust it again. That's why I prefer metal bobbin shuttles. The metal shuttles provide extra weight for greater tension and they don't need to be 'babied' like the plastic ones require
.