Near East Industries

It never ceases to amaze me how needlework has helped shape the course of events in world history. Take, for example, a simple advertisement for Near East Industries that I found in the May 1924 issue of Needlework Magazine. The ad is for a catalog featuring “needlework of refugees”. It offered a variety of handmade items using traditional patterns from the Near East countries including fine linen, hemstitched and needle lace handkerchiefs, and cross stitched runners, doilies, table covers tea and luncheon sets.

Near East Industries was part of Near East Relief, an American charity organized during World War I to help end the suffering of the people of Armenia after the Armenian genocide in 1915. According to an article on the Near East Foundation website, Near East Industries was an adaptation of Goodwill Industries. “…refugee women were engaged to produce fancy needlework, which was sold to tourists and in Near East Relief offices in America. The income from the sale of these goods reached as high as $100,000 a year and was used for further relief work.” (It should be noted that the needlework business was one very small part of the whole relief effort.)

As you might guess, there was more than one side to this politically charged relief effort. The ad did its part to garner sympathy for the refugee women. It encouraged readers to buy the needlework because “while it is contributing to the attractiveness of your home, by purchasing you help to provide shelter for these refugee mothers.”

Guide to Lace and Linens

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As someone who is still learning about lace I found Guide to Lace and Linens to be outstanding! In this book Elizabeth Kurella does a fabulous job with her explanation of how lace is constructed. She identifies the various components of lace-clothwork, outline, mesh, bridges and ornament-and how each relates to the piece as a whole. The information she provides wll turn anyone into a first rate lace detective.

In addition she includes comprehensive descriptions of the named laces (e.g. Appenzal, Chantilly, etc.). One of the best features of this book is Kurella’s almost scientific approach  in dissecting the lace with up-close magnified photographs. This makes lace identification very easy. As Kurella points out, it’s all about reading the lace. and that’s what this book teaches us to do. This book, in its second edition, is available from on-line stores and speciality shops. I highly recommend it for any lace enthusiast’s library.

Colonial Williamsburg

Following up on information I received from the Sampler Symposium I visited the Colonial Williamsburg website (http://www.emuseum.history.org). There is a wealth of needlework information to be found! When you search “sampler” you will find 22 samplers from the museum’s textile collection. When you click on each sampler you will find comprehensive information about its size, materials used, content and provenance. Each photograph can be enlarge for up close examination. Other search terms to try include “textile” and “needlepoint” both of which yield similar results. Whether you are doing research or are just curious, I recommend this wonderful site to you.

Dish Towel-Update 1

Step one of this project was to choose a transfer to iron on to my dish towel. I only had 16 from which to pick and I managed to finally select the marching dishes. I like this design because of its clean lines and strong horizontal shape. This is the first time I’ve ironed on a transfer and was very pleased with how simple it was to do. In addition to supplying the transfers, The Kitchen Linens Book  also supplied clear instructions to complete the process. Next up, pick the colors to stitch the design. Stay tuned!

More Random Thoughts

I have so enjoyed reading the “maxims for memory” from The Ladies’ Self Instructor in Millinery & Mantua Making, Embroidery and Applique that I really wanted to share another with you. Again, the words may be reminiscent of the 19th century but the meaning is still appropriate today!

“Now in Fancy Needlework the light of day, and particularly the clear bright light of the morning, is especially important; for both the accuracy of linear execution, and the proper choice of colour, can only be achieved under such circumstances. We should indeed strongly advise our fair readers sedulously to avoid candle-light, not only with reference to the accuracy of their work, but with a view also to the “good keeping” of that delicate organ, the eye.”

By the way, in case someone else is unsure of the meaning of “sedulously” it is synonymous with “diligently”!

Star Needlework Journal

This should not come as any surprise that I enjoy looking at old needlework magazines. I recently bought an issue of Star Needlework Journal from 1921. Published quarterly by the American Thread Company, this magazine was a popular woman’s publication at the turn of the 20th century.While there are no articles in the magazine, it is loaded with charts for all types of needlework. What caught my eye; however, was an entry form for “Prize Contest No. 4″.

Needlework could be entered in seven different categories including tatting, crochet, knitting and embroidery. Girls under 14 could enter their embroidered and crocheted pieces separately. Contest rules required that all pieces be newly made for the competition. The rules specifically stated that “to insure the exclusion of articles not thus made, all spool and ball tickets, also skein bands belonging to the threads used in making articles sent for competition should be enclosed in an envelope and securely fastened to the work sent in.” Very serious stuff, indeed.

What really amazed me, though, is that a total of $2000.00 in cash prizes was offered. First prize in several of the categories was $100.00 each; a substantial sum considering that in 1921 five pounds of sugar cost 95 cents, five pounds of flour cost 41 cents and a mahogany Queen Anne style table cost $145.00!

In a future post I will share with you information about another early 20th century needlework magazine.

Vintage Dish Towel-Stitching Project #2

Today I introduce to you my next project. In my September 15th post I reviewed The Kitchen Linens Book. Part of this book’s charm is the inclusion of Butterick transfer patterns featuring vintage kitchen towel motifs. I will use these 1945 transfer patterns to embellish at least one dish towel. For this project I will iron the transfers on to an Aunt Martha’s premium flour sack dish towel.  As with the last project I will update you regularly about my progress.

Samplers-How to Compare and Value

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Stephen and Carol Huber are without question leaders in the field of antique samplers and schoolgirl needlework. Their book, Samplers-How to Compare & Value, is a go-to source for information on British and European samplers as well as North American samplers from the New England, mid-Atlantic and Southern states. One of the best features of this book is the side-by-side comparison which shows in detail the difference between a good sampler and a better sampler. The text is easy to read and the pictures are outstanding in detail.

The Hubers also offer good general advice to collectors. It is their opinion that knowledge is what “drives the antique needlework market.” A collector must have knowledge of the styles, patterns and materials typical of certain regions and the designs which can be linked to a specific school or teacher. They also stress the importance of the condition of a sampler. Simply put “a sampler must look good to be a good investment.” In other words, if two pieces cost the same, they suggest choosing the one that is easy-to-read and brightly colored as opposed to a more elaborate one that is badly faded or stained.

This book has much to offer when comparing different types of samplers. The only reason I did not give it five red hearts is that it was published in 2002. I would really like to see an updated version since much has, obviously, changed in the last seven years.  If you would like to buy this book you can go to on-line retailers as well as the Hubers’ website http://www.antiquesamplers.com. To read more about the Hubers go to my September 30 post, “Interview with the Hubers” which will link you to a podcast interview with them.

 

If You’re in the Neighborhood in December

If you’re in the neighborhood check out the following exhibits. Enjoy!

Philadelphia University (http://www.laceintranslation.com)

According to the website, this exhibit is an exploration by three contemporary international art and design studios whose works are often inspired by traditional lace imagery. The artists explored the historic Quaker Lace Company collection of The Design Center at Philadelphia University. They were then commissioned to create new works to be installed in the Center’s galleries and adjoining grounds. This exhibit runs through April 3, 2010. The website features some great photographs of the various works of art. Another fun feature of the website is the “Your Translation” page. The gallery invites the public to display their handmade pieces in any area of the needlearts–whether it be laced, crocheted, cross-stitched, knitted, tatted, embroidered, quilted, beaded or woven. It’s inspiring to see what’s been posted thus far. Visit the website for more information on posting your work as well as admission information.

Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum (http://www.vesterheim.org)

Sacred Symbols, Ceremonial Cloth highlights many symbols that have been passed down from ancient times and explores how they were used in Norwegian family rituals through the 19th century. According to the museum’s website, four themes will explain and demonstrate the functions of the symbols used on textiles and other objects. These include the symbols of sun; matrimony and fertility; guardians of the home and barn and those that live inside them; and the spirit world. Each theme includes a scene with furniture and enlarged historic photographs. A highlight of this exhibit is the eight textiles on loan from Norway. Vesterheim is located in Decorah, Iowa. This exhibit runs through February 21, 2010. For museum hours and prices of admission please visit their informative website.

Baltimore Museum of Art (http://www.artbma.org)

During the 18th and 19th centuries there was a preoccupation with love and loss in the American school girl embroideries. Mournful Maidens: Love and Loss in American Embroidery showcases samplers that range from mourning the loss of loved ones to lamenting the inevitability of death. This free exhibit runs through February 21, 2010.

Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles (http://www.lacismuseum.org)

Bobbin Lace-The Taming of Multitudes of Threads celebrates “500 years of one of the most humbling achievements of the human soul with a presentation of laces, lace makers and lace making.” This exhibit runs through February 1, 2010. If you can’t visit the museum in person the website features highlights of this exhibit. Click on the Exhibit tab to check it out.

Quote Collection

“Of all the industries there is perhaps none so valuable as that of lace making for the cost of tools and working materials is so trifling that the profit is derived almost entirely from the manual labor expended upon it and the scope for artistic feeling and individuality in the taste of the worker is so great that a very high value can be obtained by the humblest operator.”

A History of Handmade Lace, Mrs. F. Nevill Jackson, 1900