Vintage Bird Bobbin Windoer - how does it work?
 

My daughter gave me this for my birthday yesterday and I am kerflummoxed. The spool holder spins around (if you push it) but the metal holder in the middle doesn't spin. The bird has a hole at the back of its head which goes straight down to the bottom of its beak, so you can run thread through to the short metal bobbin holder.

But how does it work? How old do you think it is? Was it decorative or functional?

Thanks for looking!

If it winds bobbins it would never have tight enough tension to use in a machine for piecing. It's charming, I've never seen one like that before.

I don't think it's a bobbin winder. It's more related to this:
http://www.nancysnotions.com/product/bob+n+serge.do

Probably allows choice of bobbin for twin needle, or if you just need a small amount of thread for mending, etc.

I don't think it's a bobbin winder either. If you google "wooden vintage bird sewing" images you will see lots of similar products. This page shows some that look very much like yours - http://jdorganizer.blogspot.com/2012...ks-sewing.html

So this is probably a sewing caddy. What a wonderful, thoughtful, and original gift from your daughter. Happy birthday!

That is so cool!

Not sure how it would wind bobbins but it sure would make a cute bobbin holder.

Dunster, you got it!
It looks like an old one and it came with some definitely vintage threads and a tiny thimble. (probably would have fit my mother's slender fingers not mine!)

Thanks!

I'm with dunster -- a little sewing caddy. The wings are probably for pins the spools in the nest type part for spools of thread (or bobbins) and the pin on the back is probably for the current spool and threaded thru the hole poking out ready to snip off the next piece to rethread the needle. Spools way back were small. Enjoy your gift - it's a treasure!

It is exactly like others have said. for holding thread and scissors. My Aunt had one that always sat under her sewing machine. She called it her mending bird. I think a lot of them were made in a first year shop class during the 50's along with the pig cutting boards. The hole in the bird's head is for the scissors.