Melbourne auction a tribute to antique sewing tools collection

How many people these days use a needle and thread to make or repair their own clothes? In this modern, disposable world, it is a lot easier to throw items away and simply replace them with new ones when they wear out or are no longer fashionable.

Which is why the Margaret Frecker Collection of sewing tools is so unusual and is bound to attract massive interest when offered for sale as part of Melbourne-based Leski Auctions Decorative Arts & Collectables sale from 10am Saturday and Sunday March 14 and 15 at 727-729 High Street, Armadale.

Not everyone devotes much of their time to making and designing clothes – but the late Margaret Frecker (1935-2025) was never happier than when she had a needle thread in hand.

Seamstress, tailor, dressmaker, couturier, designer and patternmaker, Margaret worked as a high-end atelier in Melbourne’s historic Block Arcade – experimenting and mastering many fabric arts during her life, enabling her to not only dress her family but also decorate their home with creations that had a timely quality.

At the same time, she was both fascinated by and appreciated the importance of the tools used in her trade and, in later life, spent considerable effort in finding and preserving as many as she could.

Having spent many years tracking down these iconic reflections of her trade both in Australia and overseas, Margaret’s collection is combination of practicality, beauty, quirkiness and rarity.

One of her major aims was to preserve the heritage of sewing tools and, as such, she was an active member of Needlework Tool Collectors Society of Australia.

Comprising almost 80 lots (279-358), it is a fascinating history of sewing development throughout history, typified by an antique French Napoleon carousel sewing box thread dispenser (lot 279) and featuring items such as an antique 19^th century nine-carat gold thimble in an attractive tortoiseshell and ivory fitted case (lot 284) and a 19^th century Continental 925 silver and guilloche enamel needle case (lot 285).

Other items in the collection include a 19^th/20^th century American cast metal spool holder with pin cushion top (lot 288) and a 19^th century Chinese export ware lacquered sewing box with chinoiserie decoration (lot 309).

Among the enormous range of clocks at the auction is a possibly unique circa 1770 George III world time spring table clock made by James Tregent of London.

The striking feature about this clock is its unique enamel 24-hour dial with Roman numerals minute tracking. The minute and cluster world time hands cover relevant times for the cities of London, Vienna, Jerusalem, St Petersburg, Bengal, Peking (Beijing), Boston and possibly New York.

Extremely collectable are many of the pocket watches such as the 19^th century French 18-carat gold full hunter case with crown wind and engraved monogram (lot 460) and the 19^th/20^th century Waltham nine-carat version with Roman numerals (lot 463).

The sterling silver section contains some interesting pieces (lots 1-278) including a Georgian silver shoe form pocket snuffbox (lot 13) and a circa 1823 Georgian three-piece English tea service (lot 36).

There are attractive porcelain pieces including a pair of 19^th century German figural candlesticks (lot 884) and a late 19^th century Mintons pate-sur-pate English vase (lot 891).

Among the artworks on offer is contemporary South African painter John Meyer’s Next to Leon’s (lot 1243) and Scottish artist Robert Gemmell Hutchison’s (1855-1936) Father and Child on Beach (lot 1219).