Sewing was a part of the 19th century woman’s life. By the late 19th century, ready-to wear garments were available in local shops and through mail order catalogs, but many women still sewed many of the garments worn by themselves and their family members. In addition, most women made decorative items they embroidered.
The production of fancy work, as the decorative pieces were called, was considered part of a woman’s responsibility. According to historian Beverly Gordon, beautiful objects were considered morally uplifting, and a good home needed morally uplifting objects in order to “ennoble and uplift … both residents and visitors.” A woman’s job, therefore, was to “beautify the walls and enshrine … the kindly arts within them.”
kAm$A64:2=:K65 D49@@=D E2F89E 72?4J D6H:?8 E@ E9@D6 H@>6? H9@ H:D965 E@ :>AC@G6 E96:C D<:==D] rC62E:G6 H@>6? 4C62E65 E96:C @H? 56D:8?D 7@C 6>3C@:56C65 E23=64=@E9D[ ?2A<:?D[ 5C6DD6C D42CG6D[ A:==@H 4@G6CD 2?5 E23=6 46?E6CA:646D] {25:6D’ >282K:?6D AC@G:565 A2EE6C?D 7@C 72?4JH@C<[ H:E9 7=@C2= 56D:8?D 36:?8 6DA64:2==J A@AF=2C] %96 >282K:?6D 2=D@ 6IE@==65 E96 G:CEF6 @7 H@C<:?8\4=2DD H@>6? H9@ H@C<65 E@ 362FE:7J E96:C 9@>6D H:E9 >@56DE A:646D @7 72?4JH@C< 2?5 >:55=6\4=2DD 2?5 FAA6C 4=2DD H@>6? H9@ H@C<65 H:E9 E96:C @H? 92?5D E@ 362FE:7J E96:C 9@>6D]k^Am
kAmx? `h_`[ E96 286?ED @7 E96 q6=5:?8 qC@E96CD 2?5 r@>A2?J $:=< |2?F724EFC6CD @776C65 S`__ WSa[fb_ :? E@52J’D AFC492D:?8 A@H6CX :? AC:K6D 7@C E96 36DE 6>3C@:56CJ 5@?6 H:E9 q6=5:?8 $:=< %9C625 @? H9:E6 =:?6?]k^Am
kAm%96 q6=5:?8 r@>A2?J H2D 2 >2;@C >2?F724EFC6C @7 D:=< E9C625 2?5 723C:4] xE 925 368F? :? `ge_ H96? 3C@E96CD w:C2> 2?5 p=G29 q6=5:?8[ @7 |:49:82?[ 3682? D6==:?8 D:=< E9C625 AC@G:565 3J E96:C 3C@E96C |:=6D[ @7 |2DD249FD6EED[ 7C@> 9@FD6 E@ 9@FD6] x? `gee[ E96 4@>A2?J 6IA2?565 2?5 3682? E@ >2?F724EFC6 E96 E9C625D E96J D@=5] qJ `gh_[ E96 4@>A2?J 925 D:I >:==D[ EH@ :? }6H t?8=2?5 2?5 7@FC :? q6=5:?8[ |:49][ 2?5 D2=6DC@@>D E9C@F89@FE E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 2?5 r2?252]k^Am
kAm(@>6? 7C@> `d DE2E6D 6?E6C65 72?4JH@C< :? E96 4@?E6DE] yF586D[ 56D4C:365 3J E96 $652=:2 s6>@4C2E 2D “6IA6CED” H:E9 ?@ 4@??64E:@? E@ E96 4@?E6DE @C E96 4@>A2?J[ 6G2=F2E65 E96 H@C<] %96 ?2>6D @7 E96 4@?E6DE2?ED H6C6 ?@E 2G2:=23=6 E@ E96 ;F586D[ “:?DFC:?8 E@ 6249 4@?E6DE2?E 23D@=FE6 :>A2CE:2=:EJ]”k^Am
kAm|CD] {F=F wF>2? >2:?E2:?65 2 ?665=6H@C< D49@@= :? $652=:2[ 2?5 D6G6C2= @7 96C DEF56?ED 6?E6C65 :E6>D :? E96 4@?E6DE] %96 s6>@4C2E 56D4C:365 wF>2?’D AFA:=D 2D “AC66>:?6?E 7@C E96 6I4665:?8 362FEJ @7 E96:C H@C<]” %96 4@?E6DE C6DF=ED 56>@?DEC2E65 E92E E96 s6>@4C2E’D AC2:D6 H2D H2CC2?E65[ 2D !6EE:D r@F?EJ H@>6? H@? E9C66 7:CDE AC:K6D 2?5 @?6 D64@?5 AC:K6]k^Am
kAm%96 4@?E6DE H2D 5:G:565 :?E@ 5:G:D:@?D @7 AC@76DD:@?2= 2?5 2>2E6FC ?665=6 H@C<6CD 2?5 3J 286 :?E@ 5:G:D:@?D 7@C 25F=ED 2?5 7@C 8:C=D F?56C `d]k^Am
kAm|CD] r92C=6D (:==:2>D H@? 7:CDE AC:K6 :? E96 AC@76DD:@?2= 4=2DD 7@C 2? 6>3C@:56C65 46?E6CA:646 D9@H:?8 2 32D<6E @7 DEC2H36CC:6D] $96 C646:G65 2 4964< 7@C Sad WSega E@52JX]k^Am
kAm!6EE:D r@F?EJ H@>6? H@? 3@E9 E96 7:CDE 2?5 D64@?5 AC:K6D :? E96 2>2E6FC 4=2DD] |CD] {FE6 #665 @7 v6@C86E@H? H@? 7:CDE AC:K6 @7 S`d WSc_h E@52JX 7@C 2 =F?496@? E23=64=@E9 6>3C@:56C65 H:E9 DEC2H36CC:6D 2?5 3FEE6C7=:6D] |CD] y@9? rF??:?892> @7 $@FE9 vC2?5 pG6?F6 >6C:E65 D64@?5 AC:K6 @7 S`_ WSafb E@52JX 7@C 2 46?E6CA:646 762EFC:?8 |2C492= }6:= C@D6D]k^Am
kAm|:DD t=D:6 w62E@?’D 46?E6CA:646 6>3C@:56C65 H:E9 DH66E A62D H@? 7:CDE AC:K6 7@C E96 36DE H@C< 5@?6 3J 2 8:C= J@F?86C E92? `d] %96 s6>@4C2E 5:5 ?@E :56?E:7J E96 42D9 G2=F6 @7 96C AC:K6]k^Am
kAm%96 s6>@4C2E ?@E65[ “$652=:2 92D =@?8 925 C62D@? E@ 36 AC@F5 @7 E96 D<:== @7 96C 72:C H@>6? H:E9 E96 ?665=6]” %96 C6DF=ED @7 E96 4@?E6DE D9@H65 “E92E $652=:2?D 2C6 ?@E 2=@?6 :? E96 6DE:>2E6 @7 E96:C H@C<]”k^Am
