scrimper Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 (This might be a bit boring to you, I wanted to share the picture but felt I ought to explain the story behind it. I apologise in advance if this is not the place to post this.) My grandfather was a very keen Fretworker, he actually taught Fretwork in his local town to youngsters who wanted to learn what was a craze in those days. He made lots of items inc the exquisite Handicrafts Lords Prayer design and a huge model of Nelsons column, all of these have disappeared and I only have one small item that he made which is illustrated below. This small item was made by my grandfather around 100 years ago using a treadle fretsaw, it was kept hidden away by my father for over 60+ years who gave it to me to keep just before he died at the age of 93. I only knew my grandfather in his older years, he suffered badly in WW1, he suffered with shell shock and fever whilst fighting on the Somme, my dad who also did fretwork served 5 years in WW2, so in comparison I feel I have been lucky not to have been sent away to fight. I know it's not much but it is very precious to me and hopefully my grandson will treasure this one day. Doug, Scrolling Steve, lawson56 and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappile Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 I can certainly understand how much that means to you. It is a wonderful piece and knowing the history behind it makes mighty special. Thanks for sharing it and the history, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Docupton Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 what a lovely piece of work, a real treasure/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryEA Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 Yes I hear you also, It's more than a scroll piece, it's a soul piece also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWSUDEKUM Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 Very nice piece. That is a remembrance for sure. If you have not done it you might want to put down on paper all information you remember about it and tape it to the back, that way when your kids or grandkids come across it you will have the information handy. DW amazingkevin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobscroll Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 John, That is a lovely piece of work your Grandfather made all them years ago, And thank you for telling us your story behind it! Very interesting, Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Multifasited Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 Like the fly on the wall .if it could talk the stories it could tell!( Wonderful keep sake !!) I'll let you just imagine what all it heard and saw ,good bad and indifferent ,family secrets ,a few skelitons ,world events ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Scroller Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 (edited) John. Looks like they have clogs on I wonder where the pattern came from, do you have any of his old patterns from Granddad because that would be good to look through all the old patterns and perhaps cut a few. lovely cut thanks for sharing that. Roly Edited November 4, 2014 by Phantom Scroller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrolling Steve Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 Yes I hear you also, It's more than a scroll piece, it's a soul piece also. Well said , Larry...............A family Treasure for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilson's Woodworking Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 I would say bragging rights is defiantly the place to post this one! It is a very special piece and the history behind it would make it priceless to your family. Make sure if it goes in storage to put your favorite cutting that you make with it so your great grandson or daughter will know just what a treasure they have got when they read and admire it. :thumbs: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchscroller Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 i love it, and it seems Dutch to me, was he Dutch?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrimper Posted November 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 John. Looks like they have clogs on I wonder where the pattern came from, do you have any of his old patterns from Granddad because that would be good to look through all the old patterns and perhaps cut a few. lovely cut thanks for sharing that. Roly The design came from either Hobbies or Handicrafts it was sold as a wooden greetings card. Annoyingly only a few days ago I was browsing through my old magazines and I saw a page with this and other similar designs on, I don't mean the actual design but a page advertising them. I can't remember whether it was a Hobbies or handicrafts magazine. I will find it again in due course. I have hundreds of old patterns some of which are in very poor condition that I am trying to resurrect and save. My ambition is to put them on-line so that others can save them too and the patterns won't die. We have to remember that in those days they did not have copiers or anything and patterns were often pasted on the wood for cutting thus sacrificing the original pattern, My father always used carbon paper and traced the pattern on the wood to keep the pattern but some designs were so complex that was not feasible. I imagine too a lot of patterns were probably destroyed in the two world wars or perhaps a young fretworker went off to fight and never returned thus his patterns might have been scrapped by relatives with little interest in fretwork. Some of the old patterns I have may be the only ones? What is needed is some sort of online pattern library where patterns could be saved for posterity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrimper Posted November 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 i love it, and it seems Dutch to me, was he Dutch?? Lol no he wasn't Dutch, for some reason (I have no idea why) both Hobbies and Handicrafts often offered patterns with a Dutch theme, perhaps their designers liked windmills! Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 He did some great work! It would be nice to be able to see other things he did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazingkevin Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Nice find! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrimper Posted November 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 He did some great work! It would be nice to be able to see other things he did. Sadly this is the only piece of fretwork that my grandfather did that remains but I know of other things he made. I have the picture below that shows my father using my grandfathers Hobbies Imperial Fretsaw, I don't know the exact date but estimate it to be between 1924-1927. Fish and Wilson's Woodworking 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatie Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 That is a beautiful story. I am just sorry that his other work is lost. The other photo of your father scrolling is intriguing, the scrolled items on the board, were they scrolled by your father or grandfather? I love the moon, top left. Marg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrimper Posted November 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 The other photo of your father scrolling is intriguing, the scrolled items on the board, were they scrolled by your father or grandfather? I love the moon, top left. Marg That is one question we can never be sure about, He passed away in 2006 and I can't remember whether I asked him nor if I did what his reply was. I know my grandfather gave fretwork lessons and I know my dad was a really accomplished fretworker so it's likely he made them all but I can not say for sure. When my dad was a lad there was not much to do in your spare time so I imagine he spent many hours with the fretsaw. Wilson's Woodworking and wombatie 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankorona Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Thanks for sharing your feelings and part of family life. You have a piece of priceless, congratulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Scroller Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 John a great story and you are privileged to be part of the scrolling family, if you want to put patterns anywhere here's a good place to start if you need any help I have access to a A3 & A4 scanner on my desk at work and a A4 at home which can turn paper patterns into JPEG's for you computer for free and you can put them on a mobile hard drive and take them with you everywhere and pass them on to the next lucky scroller in the family, so don't be afraid to ask if you need my help. Roly Wilson's Woodworking 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrimper Posted November 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 John a great story and you are privileged to be part of the scrolling family, if you want to put patterns anywhere here's a good place to start if you need any help I have access to a A3 & A4 scanner on my desk at work and a A4 at home which can turn paper patterns into JPEG's for you computer for free and you can put them on a mobile hard drive and take them with you everywhere and pass them on to the next lucky scroller in the family, so don't be afraid to ask if you need my help. Roly Roly, Thanks for the offer however I recently bought myself an Epson A3 WF-7610DWF scanner/printer for just that purpose, it seems brilliant and ideal for what I want. I am in the process of scanning and repairing some of the old patterns using Photoshop, some of the patterns are in a bad way with the paper fragile and crumbling but I actually enjoy restoring them. I want to save them before they deteriorate further. Below is part of one early Handicrafts pattern I am working on at the moment (now) This is just one of 8 sections of the pattern and is in A3 format! As you cab see from the second scan it is getting better.It was in small A5 sections from where it perished on the folds. wombatie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Scroller Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Roly, Thanks for the offer however I recently bought myself an Epson A3 WF-7610DWF scanner/printer for just that purpose, it seems brilliant and ideal for what I want. I am in the process of scanning and repairing some of the old patterns using Photoshop, some of the patterns are in a bad way with the paper fragile and crumbling but I actually enjoy restoring them. I want to save them before they deteriorate further. Below is part of one early Handicrafts pattern I am working on at the moment (now) This is just one of 8 sections of the pattern and is in A3 format! As you cab see from the second scan it is getting better.It was in small A5 sections from where it perished on the folds. Brilliant can't beat the old photoshop, nice scanner as well. Have fun. Roly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawson56 Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Now this is one piece that is a Treasure.The History behind it.The fact that it is still here.You have Honored us with the pic.It is Awesome.Thank you. :thumbs: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ike Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Great fretwork and a great story. Cherish it for life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heppnerguy Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 I love this story, I hope that some of the things that I give to friends and family member are around long after I am gone and then my grandkids can tell their children. " That was made especially for me, by your great grandfather" They too might cherish my poor talents in a way similar to the way you cherish the piece your grandfather made. Lots of talent, like your grandfather or little talent like mine, it is 'who' made it that makes it a cherished item to our future family Dick heppnerguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.