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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!

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Pink squares for the Brussels' monument project



Cathy De Greef is the organizer of this monumental project.  For details, see her YouTube video: https://youtu.be/ez-RSEwQvKE  She also has another video showing how to do the pattern. 

I plan to do as many squares as I can for a while, then I'll mail them in. I think this worldwide project is so cool!