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The Plain Needlewoman

~ Quilt Study, Sewing, Vintage Textiles, Collecting quilts and other old odds and ends.

The  Plain Needlewoman

Monthly Archives: July 2015

Old Sewing Manuals

17 Friday Jul 2015

Posted by mcinnesjanette in Mary Brooks Picken, Mending, Sewing machines, Singer Sewing Manuals

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Home Sewing, Mary Brooks Picken, Old Sewing Manuals, quilts, Singer Sewing Manuals

By Mary Brooks Picken publs. 1946

By Mary Brooks Picken publs. 1946

When out and about on my op shopping and market adventures, I always keep a look out for old sewing and quilting books. I have gathered a collection containing some absolute treasures.

These old books provide a wealth of information. Amongst their pages you can find sewing techniques for clothes and home furnishings, fashion advice, etiquette and an insight into women’s roles from the era of publication.

A well stocked work box, a good light and a comfortable chair make mending hours a pleasure and garments take new life.

A well stocked work box, a good light and a comfortable chair make mending hours a pleasure and garments take new life.

Book Covers, illustrations and photo plates all provide further insight into the lifestyles and choices for women during past decades when sewing was a necessity. Unlike today when most of us sew for pure pleasure.

The Singer Sewing Book by Mary Brooks Picken publs. 1949

The Singer Sewing Book by Mary Brooks Picken publs. 1949

Mary Brooks Picken was the foremost authority on home sewing during the first half of the 20th century. Mary Brooks Picken was the author of 91 books on sewing and craft and was the Director of a famous correspondence school of sewing. The Singer Sewing book was first published in 1949 with the first printing consisting of 50,000 copies. By 1950, 320,000 copies had been published.

Helpful Styling Advice from Butterick

Helpful Styling Advice from Butterick

IMG_2954

Sewing for the Home published in 1941 contains patterns and information

Sewing for the Home published in 1941 contains patterns and information

Bright colours for a child's bedroom from Sewing for the Home.  Another Mary Brooks Picken book.

Bright colours for a child’s bedroom from Sewing for the Home. Another Mary Brooks Picken book.

A later edition of the Singer Sewing Book publs. 1972. Love the graphics of this cover.

A later edition of the Singer Sewing Book publs. 1972.
Love the graphics of this cover.

Quilts - their piecing and quilting.  Very limited instructions provided but obviously enough for the experienced needlewoman.

Quilts – their piecing and quilting. Very limited instructions provided but obviously enough for the experienced needlewoman.

Sewing by Honor Gillott publs. 1973.  Lots of mini skirts in this one.

Sewing by Honor Gillott publs. 1973. Lots of mini skirts in this one.

I am sure these sewing manuals provided helpful information and inspiration to home sewers at a time when money was often in short supply and if a new outfit was required it was more often than not a home sewn outfit. This was certainly the case when I was growing up, and I often had to do housework for my Mum so she could finish a dress for me to wear out that night.

Thank you for stopping by, Janette – The Plain Needlewoman.

Long Nights and Short Days

04 Saturday Jul 2015

Posted by mcinnesjanette in antique quilts, handquilting, quilting projects

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Antique Quilts, Fabric Study, hand quilting, Quilting

Bee Pincushion and Watermelon Needlecase

Bee Pincushion and Watermelon Needlecase

Winter is well underway and the longer nights offer a great opportunity to settle in for a good few hours of hand quilting.

Antique Red and White Star quilt.

Antique Red and White Star quilt.

Seven Sisters quilt - hand pieced and hand quilted.

Seven Sisters quilt – hand pieced and hand quilted.

Peony Rose in French General.

Peony Rose in French General.

Tax time is here. Receipts, financial statements and paperwork needs sorting and filing. It is also an opportunity to reflect on our quilt making and to take stock of our achievements so far. I keep a list of my sewing projects including quilts I plan to make in the future and quilts waiting to be quilted. Checking over my 2015 list I think at this point in time I have made progress. I finished quilting my Seven Sisters Quilt. This is heavily quilted with triple Baptist Fans, so the quilting took some time. The quilting on the antique red and white star quilt is going well. I am quilting the spider web design in the plain blocks. My next quilt in line for quilting is a scrap quilt, which I call Paths to Peace – this is my wish for peace in our time.
Paths to Peace.

Paths to Peace.

A few other odds and ends have been finished and started. My sewing room has had a tidy up and I have taken stock of projects bundled into boxes. I am hoping to finish piecing my Peony Rose quilt before Winter’s end and will be looking forward to starting a new project.

Nellie's Sewing box - A Quilted Crows kit  - finished.

Nellie’s Sewing box – A Quilted Crows kit – finished.

Jelly roll quilt - machine quilting in progress.

Jelly roll quilt – machine quilting in progress.

Scrappy Churn dash top finished.

Scrappy Churn dash top finished.

New rug hooking project drawn up.

New rug hooking project drawn up.

I am looking forward to a busy second half of the year. Wishing you all productive months ahead, Janette – The Plain Needlewoman.

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  • Clarence Valley Coverlet No. 2

Recent Comments

mcinnesjanette on Marjie”s Star Quilt
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Categories

  • 19th century Madder Fabrics
  • antique fabric
  • antique quilts
  • appliqué
  • Australian Quilts
  • Cathedral Window Quilts
  • Christmas
  • Crazy Quilts
  • Cumbria
  • d'oyleys
  • Doll Quilts
  • Double Pinks
  • English Quilts
  • Feed Sack
  • hand piecing
  • hand quilting
  • handquilting
  • hexagons
  • Mary Brooks Picken
  • Mending
  • North Country quilts
  • old fabrics
  • old quilt tops
  • Old Quilts
  • old sewing books
  • Paper Piecing
  • Postage Stamp Quilts
  • Quilt Collections
  • Quilt Restoration
  • Quilt Stories
  • quilting projects
  • red and green quilts
  • Red and White quilts
  • Redwork
  • Repairing old quilts
  • Scrap quilts
  • Sewing machines
  • Signature Quilts
  • Singer Sewing Manuals
  • Spider Webs
  • stitching
  • Stripe Quilts
  • Strippy Quilts
  • Trip Around the World
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