Preloved Painted Darning Mushroom
These beautifully hand-painted darning mushrooms are a true piece of art.
Suitable for:
- darning most items of clothing.
- mending holes, tears, thread bare areas and covering a stain.
- patching and embroidery.
Each one has a little 'character' - minor chips, surface scratches, dents, tiny holes and marks from their previous life, but are still in usable condition with an authentic vintage feel.
The following mushrooms have a stem that unscrews from the cap with a hollow space for you to store needles: #6 & #10. All the other mushrooms have a fixed cap i.e. the stem does not unscrew.
Measurements:
The smallest mushroom is #5:
Height - approx 10cm/3.9"
Diameter of Cap - approx 6cm/2.3"
The largest mushroom is #6:
Height - approx 13cm/5.1"
Diameter of Cap - approx 6.7cm/2.6"
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!
