Sewing Box?

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

My fiancee's birthday is coming up and I would like to put together a period sewing kit for her. I am in need of ideas of what to put into it, and where to purchase some of these items.

Paul B. Boulden Jr.

[KKS]

Re: Sewing Box?

The 1860 "Beadle's Dime Guide to Dressmaking," written by Mrs. Marion M. Pullan and reprinted by Sullivan Press, has a chapter listing Work Materials and Implements. It's also a great little reference source, so it also might be a good addition to the work-box or basket.

"The Workwoman's Guide", an 1838 British book by "A Lady" and available from Old Sturbridge Village and elsewhere, also has a short section on what to keep in a work-box.

Kira Sanscrainte

[Spinster]

Re: Sewing Box?

Well, what goes in the sewing box depends on what kind of sewing she wishes to do, where she wishes to do it, and her class and station in life.

I'm primarily a "mender", thus my box ( a round pasteboard with lid, covered outside with a period wallpaper, and inside with Harper's Weekly pictures) holds:

Hand sewing thread in 3 natural dye colors and scraps of jean wool and shirting-from Family Heirloom Weavers.

Period hooks/eyes, brass pins, and twill tape in various sizes--from Wooded Hamlet.

China, bone, wood, tin, pewter buttons in various sizes, many of them vintage ---from a variety of sources. Usually no military buttons--as a civilian, I have no reason to have them.

Beeswax candle stub for waxing thread--- from my lantern

Leather thimble (most folks perfer a metal one)-- from a local quilter's shop.

Plain pewter look embrodiery scissors-issued as an 18th century repo by Ginger Scissors.

Tape measure-hand drawn on a piece of twill tape. Wooden ruler also hand drawn.


Sister does a bit fancier work, and her first person is more "upper class fallen on hard times"---Her workbasket is more fitted for fine embrodiery, with silk threads, winders, fancy needlecase and scissors, also from Wooded Hamlet.

And yep, hidden way down in there is usually a brass safety pin or two, but we don't normally admit to having such an anachronism. :wink_smil

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Sewing Box?

Thimbles do come in sizes, so a gift certificate for one might work best, allowing her to select her own size. (Vegetable ivory thimbles for summer use are wonderful... not so sweaty as a metal one.)

Some basics:

#9 and #10 sharps needles for handsewing, ditto in crewel needles for embroidery
100% cotton threads... see quilting shops for "Madeira" 80wt threads for handsewing.
chunk of actual beeswax (not yellow faux beeswax)
small sharp scissors for trimming threads

Beadles has a pretty complete list for fitting out a workbasket... my copy is upstairs. Come to think on it, Beadle's is a pretty basic accoutrement FOR a workbasket. :)

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Sewing Box?

Really excellent new article up from Virginia Mescher...

"The Case of the Lost Thimble: Work-boxes, Work-baskets, Housewives and Traveling Sewing Boxes"

It's in a PDF format (so it prints out beautifully), with illustrations and primary source documentation, well-researched and well-written... Perfect example of Mrs. Mescher's work!

For those needing a quick reference guide to sewing implements and such, this is one to print and save. (It's also rather a quick "gift list" for those planning a fun surprise for a sewist.)

Just go to http://www.vintagevolumes.com and click on the Virginia's Veranda section; it's the current feature article. While you're there, peek around... there's a lot of information on the site, and I've looked up to the Meschers for their research standards for many years now.

[Cracker Line]

Re: Sewing Box?

I must start of by saying that the article was awesome! However, my question is are these sewing boxes just a ladies item? It appears like that. What would a tailor or a tailors apprentice (which I'm more interested in since I'm just 16) have carried their sewing kits in? I've been trying to find info on this but have been unable to-date. Basically my question is how relevant are these sewing boxes/baskets if you are doing a tailors impression? Trying to figure out wether to go with a housewife type of thing or something else for my impression.

Thanks,
Adam Cripps

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: Sewing Box?

I must start of by saying that the article was awesome! However, my question is are these sewing boxes just a ladies item? It appears like that. What would a tailor or a tailors apprentice (which I'm more interested in since I'm just 16) have carried their sewing kits in? I've been trying to find info on this but have been unable to-date. Basically my question is how relevant are these sewing boxes/baskets if you are doing a tailors impression? Trying to figure out wether to go with a housewife type of thing or something else for my impression.

Thanks,
Adam Cripps

Adam,

I'm glad the article was helpful.

In the book, _The Boy's Book of Trades and the Tools Used in Them_ (1860) and reprinted by Pyror Publications in 1999 there is a 11 page chapter on tailors, their jobs and equipment. The following were some of the subjects discussed in the chapter. The role of the tailor, the basic stitches used, the type of equipment used, and what an apprentice needed in way of equipment. "All the tools that the apprentice or even the jouneyman requires may be bought for a few shillings. A yard of linen for a 'lap-cloth;' two pairs of 'scissors,' one pair moderately large, for common use, and the other small, for buttonholes; a 'thimble;' a small piece of 'bees-wax;' and three-pennyworth of 'needles' are all that he will have the occasion to buy so long as he is not master, or a journeyman working at home, when he must procure a 'sleeve-board' and an 'iron.' The more expensive part of even these few implements, viz. the scissors, 'will with tolerable care, last for a number of years with only the trifling expense of being occasionally shaprened by the cutler.
All the other implements used by the Tailor are so well known as to need no particular diescription; the 'sleeve-board' is used to place in the sleeve of a coat while hte seams are pressed with the heated 'iron' or 'goose [large iron].' In the 'measure book the dimensions are written when measurement of a customer is made, and the 'French chalk' marks the direction in which the cloth is cut to the pattern of various shapes, which are afterwards sewn together to make complete garments."

The pictures shown of the necessary equipment included, sleeve board, goose, flat iron, french chalk, thimble, measure book, wooden rule [a hinged yard stick], book of fabrics for trousers and coats, whisk, tape measure, hard brush, reel [spool of thread], iron holder [like a pot holder], shears, wax, goose stand, and a needle and thread.

In looking at period images of tailor shops, I did not find any images of a sewing basket but the pictures featured men sitting tailor fashion sewing and there was not a great deal of detail of background detail. I would assume that the apprentice would have left his tools at work rather than caring them back and forth from work, but since only a little equipment was listed as being needed by the apprentice, he could have carried the items in a bag. A box or basket is awkward to carry outside the house and mainly were meant for the the convenience of having all the many sewing equipment at hand and not for transport.

Housewives and traveling sewing boxes only contained the necessary items needed for emergency repairs rather than for sewing a garment.

[Cracker Line]

Re: Sewing Box?

Mrs. Mescher,

Thanks for the reply! That is very helpful. Now I have to try and get a copy of that book. So basically I should just stick with a stocked up Housewife? I only do the impression occassionally at local LH's.

Cheers,
Adam

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: Sewing Box?

Mrs. Mescher,

Thanks for the reply! That is very helpful. Now I have to try and get a copy of that book. So basically I should just stick with a stocked up Housewife? I only do the impression occassionally at local LH's.

Cheers,
Adam

Adam,

If all you are planning on doing is mending and sewing on buttons, a housewife would be very appropriate.

If you are going to be portraying a tailor's apprentice in a non-military impression, I would recommend on having the list of items recommended in the trades book's section on tailors.

The book has been reprinted and should not be difficult to locate. It has a good section on the types of stitches a tailor uses but no pictures of the stitches. If you aren't familiar with period sewing terms and stitches, make sure you have a book that illustrates the period stitches and methods of sewing, especially those used in tailoring which differ somewhat from dressmaking sewing methods.