Meeker's
Mechanical
Nature Antiques
Larry and Carole
Meeker

Purveyors of Americana
Patented & Mechanical Antiques
www.Patented-Antiques.com

LCM@Patented-Antiques.com

530-620-7019


Antique & Vintage
Rare & Unusual
Multi Function Sewing Clamps

Sewing birds / sewing clamps make for a great antique collectible.  

Most of the antique sewing birds / sewing clamps listed on these pages originate from two different long time / old time collections of antique and vintage sewing clamps and antique sewing accessories.  There is a near endless variety and no one collection could ever have them all.  There is a collection of sewing clamps in Lincroft, NJ at Brookdale Community College that numbers over 400 and another larger one that the Smithsonian has. 

Sewing clamps / birds can be utilitarian and very plain and simple, or figural, very complex and decorative, or all manner of forms and combinations in between.  Each of the sale pages we have is focused on a different form or style, from figural birds, to other animals, to those made of ivory, or those with just simple clamps  and more. 

Please be sure to visit all the different pages as there are many to see and we have broken them up into different categories.




Antique Bone / Ivory Decorated Sewing ClampAntique Bone / Ivory Decorated Sewing Clamp with 2 Thread Winding Spools & Pincushion  This unusual sewing clamp is constructed of ivory or bone slabs applied to a wooden frame.  It has a very nice blue silk pincushion on the top.  It is about 6" tall, and the pin cushion is about 3" across.  The different slabs are decorated with carvings and then colored.   Some are cutouts all the way through with colorful decoration behind them.  I am not sure if this is nautical related like scrimshaw, or Oriental, or unrelated to either.  It is not something I have ever encountered before.    A very nice piece!!

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Very Good-Excellent . . . . . .  $275.00

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Antique Sewing Bird /Pincushion w/ Storage CompartmentAntique Sewing Bird /Pincushion w/ Storage Compartment & More  This is the rarest and one of the earliest of the sewing clamps that was in this collection.  It is much more complex than first glance or impression reveals. 

The first picture on the left shows it completely assembled and ready to use as two separate pieces.  The bird can be attached to either the clamp, or the top of the box when the top is reversed.   It is a great looking piece in whatever configuration it is set up in.  It has several other incarnations and forms to utilize as you mix and match.  You can unscrew the clamp from the bottom and  use it as a table top storage box, with or without  the bird on top.  Or you can flip it over revealing a large pin cushion that fits back onto the box that way.  You can also unscrew the bird from the top and it fits onto the clamp, allowing it to beAntique Sewing Bird /Pincushion w/ Storage Compartment used individually as a sewing bird. 

The decoration on the bird clamp and box all match, and are a highly decorated mixed metals format of brass and steel depicting garlands of leaves and petals or flowers.  The collector found one of these advertised in the Maine Antique Digest some time back for the whopping sum of $4700 in a shop in PA, and it was identified in that ad as being Russian and c.1800.  It is interesting to note that that example was missing the entire bottom clamp and was just the box and bird.   A very nice piece of early 18 / 19th century craftsmanship!!

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Very Good-Excellent . . . . . .  $4500.00          SPECIAL SALE $3795.00

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Figural Cast Iron Sewing Clamp w/ Box Pincushion Figural Cast Iron Sewing Clamp w/ Box Pincushion  This sewing clamp is about 5" tall.  It has an interesting design with the critter head and clamp in front of the cast iron box with a red velvet pincushion on top.  The paint is in very nice condition, and the clamp spring works fine.  It is a great looking antique sewing bird with nice detailing.  The pincushion on top is in super condition.  The thumbscrew has an interesting cross hatch design detail.  It is in remarkably good condition and is a very nice design.

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Very Good . . . . . .  $275.00

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Patented 1875 Cast Iron Sewing Clamp / Multi ToolPatented 1875 Cast Iron Sewing Clamp / Multi Tool  This is the only one of these I have ever seen.  It is very large and a very graphic multi tool for use in the sewing trades.  The condition is exceptional, and the painted decoration is fabulous. 

It is approx 6" across the back end where the pincushion and glass jar are.  It is made to clamp to the edge of a thick table by tightening the wing nut you see in the picture.  The patent date of February 9th 1875 is clearly painted on the the inside of the bottom. There is also an interesting logo there that resembles a Maltese Cross and Heart inside it. 

In addition to the swinging clamp in between the pincushion and glass jar there are also two pins on chains that I assume are meant to act as hold downs or a means to tie off work for larger material one would be working on.  The chains are fixed on one end and the pins drop into holes to form two loops.  The glass jar is for storage or wax, or some other unknown purpose.  Very rare, and in super condition. 

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Excellent . . . . . . $975.00

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English Sewing Clamp w/ Double Spool Holder / Thread WinderEnglish Sewing Clamp w/ Double Spool Holder / Thread Winder Pincushion & Hook    This combination sewing clamp,  pincushion and hook is a very unusual sewing tool.  The outside of the pincushion holder is marked.  It is cut steel, English, and dates from the early 19th century.  It is stamped "Joseph Rogers Cutler to Her Majesty  Norfolk Street Sheffield".  This was a very famous and distinguished firm that made an array of products but were most famous for their knives and cut steel products.  

The two spool pins are on spreadable accordion like arms, and can increase the width of this to nearly 10" when both are pulled out.  The pincushion fabric is original.  Below the pincushion there is a hook to hold the work taught. This was probably for what was known as netting which was the art of tying threads into finery like doilies and the like.   It is in remarkably good condition and is a very rare piece of sewing memorabilia.

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Excellent . . . . . .  $495.00

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We can help you sell your quality Antiques in this and other categories of Antiques.

If you have similar antiques or collectibles you want to sell please see our
FAQ Page, the Appraisal / Selling Page, and the Selling Your Collection Pages for further info about selling with us.

To view examples of the types of antiques and collectibles we have previously sold and are always interested in helping you sell please visit our Past Sales Archive Pages at our sister website www.AntiqBuyer.com.


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(1998 - 2012)
Larry & Carole Meeker