'Kay's Practical Embroiderer'. Set of embroidery devices, including a set of metal templates, used for creating a novelty form of ‘pile’ embroidery, English, 1935-40

A boxed set of embroidery devices/metal templates, used for creating a novelty form of ‘pile’ embroidery.

"Kay's Practical Embroiderer, Patent No 466488"

(1)13.6 cm long (folded) 2)7.7 cm long (folded)
(3)6.5 cm long (folded) 4)2.7 cm wide
(5)2.5 cm wide 6,7,8)4.3 cm long
(9)22.6 x 14.5 cm (closed) 10)15.3 x 12.2 x 1.6 cm
(11)15.7 x 12.5 x 1.7 cm

Tin template (1) in the form of a six-petalled flower, composed of three pairs of eliptical petals rivetted together at the centre.
Three of the petals are solid, and three have cut-out centres.
Tin templates (2,3) each in the form of a six-petalled flower composed of three pairs of solid lozenge-shaped petals rivetted together at the centre.
Tin templates (4,5) each in the form of a flat ring.
Tin templates (6-8) each in the form of an eliptical petal.
Printed instruction booklet (9) with soft cover of pale green paper, including photographs and diagrams.
Shallow rectangular box (10) of white card and paper.
Shallow rectangular box lid (11) of white card covered with paper, printed with an abstract design in blue/red/gold.

The booklet states that the set was 'Obtained from H Kay, 55 St Alban's Road, Blackpool'.

References: Post Office Archive Information sheet 10A states that the 2d postage rate quoted on the cover of (9) was discontinued in 1940

Found in museum

The patent was taken out by two brothers, Samuel Kauffman and Harris Kay (formerly also known as Kauffman). The patent was taken out on 23 November 1935. The patent was accepted on 25 May 1937.

'Kay’s Practical Embroiderer' (patent no. 466,488) is a boxed set of tin templates used for creating a novelty form of ‘pile’ embroidery. The templates were intended to be placed on a piece of cloth and then covered with layers of woollen threads worked in a satin stitch. The wool would then cut down through the middle of the stitches and the template removed, resulting in a pile in the outline of the template shape.

B.842:1-1993