I had no idea!

About what, nonnie?
I followed the link & it just seemed to be a lot of recipes

Oh dear! When I follow it it takes me to a picture of Gutterman's thread. I just copied it into Google and it did the same. Sorry, don't have a solution

I had no idea about the secret compartment in Gutterman's reels. I just tried one to check and yes it is there! You live and learn.

Secret compartment! - why pray!?

Lucky I doubt it was designed to be secret, just convenient.

What do you put in it? - can't work the link - computer says No.

Needles apparently Luckygirl. Every day is a school day ?

Lucky if you have a reel of Gutterman's thread and pull out the end there is a place to put your sewing needles!

I found it by accident last year. Not that I do much sewing.

Maybe you have to be a member of FB for the link to work.
It's fine for me.
I had no idea what a Gutterman reel was. I only sew when I have too.

Well, who knew! I have been sewing for over 40 years and had no idea. rushes off to check Gutterman reels

I just love the gems that GNetters come up with! I had no idea about this one, it’s a well-kept secret! Thank you Nonnie! ??

I also had no idea, and I have been sewing for 65 years on and off. So must go and investigate now.
Thanks for the info Nonnie

Well I never!
Why wasn't I taught this in needlework classes at school?

I have loads of Gutterman reels (which I have just checked, of course), and am now wondering what wonderful things I could hide in them.
Tell me, do they make an extra large reel that would hide my emergency chocolate stash?

I certainly had no idea either, but when you have a whole boxful of different coloured threads, how would you remember which ones had needles stored in them?

I did always wonder why one end of the reel seemed to have an extra plate to it.....

In the light of this formerly occult knowledge, I dashed to my Gutterman's and just about broke my damned fingers trying to get the needle case off the reel.

In the end I had to use the butter knife to prise it off.
I don't wonder it's a secret!

Another secret to share.
I did an experiment the other day.

Someone gave me a beautiful blouse in deep reds and golds and blacks. It fit me but for the fact the sleeves were a bit snug on my fat upper arms.

It's a summer blouse but has long sleeves; I never wear long sleeves in summer so I chopped them off at the elbow and - here's the experiment - I sewed a triangular piece into the seam of each sleeve using 99% feel and 1% murky sight
And it worked.
I'm quite proud of my persistent old self.

Good for you Bradford, good for the environment. Are we the last generation who remodel things and reuse? I turned some lovely heavyweight curtains into covers for my dining chair seats and am very pleased with the result.

Mamacaz perhaps you could suggest that to them as a marketing ploy Of course you could just hide them in your sewing box, no one every looks in mine.

Well, I didn't know either. I don't sew, but do have some reels of thread for repairs, seeing button on etc.

You could put an emergency £20 note in there, if you folded it very small - but would the reel then fit onto the sewing machine? You might have to use a colour that you were never likely to want to sew with.

Elegran I might do that but then I'd forget where I'd put the emergency £20!

Safer to pin it to the noticeboard in full view. The burglars can find it easily, but so can you.

How exciting! It is good for a tiny travelling sewing set. ...or if I ever become a spy!

Doesn't take much to excite us does it?