• Knitting History Forum

    If you are fascinated by knitting and crochet history, the Knitting History Forum is a great resource to check out. The Knitting History Forum is an international society for the history of knitting and crochet. Their members advance and promote the history of knitting through research, exchange of ideas and information and by historical reconstruction. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in the history of knitting and crochet. Their discussion forum alone has been invaluable to my own research into vintage knitting patterns. You can find out more about their work and membership here: https://knittinghistory.co.uk/ Knitting History Forum Conference Last November, I had the wonderful experience of attending…

  • Textile Research Centre: embroidery charts from 18th century Germany

    From the TEXTILE RESEARCH CENTRE – Two cross stitch embroidery charts from 18th century Germany. In the forthcoming volume of the Encyclopedia of Embroidery (Scandinavia and Western Europe; Bloomsbury 2021/2022), the authors from the TRC in Leiden will be using, among many other sources, a German pattern book that was published in about 1742. The book was printed in Nuremburg and contains a range of designs that were regarded as suitable for knitting, weaving and embroidery. The embroidery patterns could be used for cross stitch and padded satin stitch.   Read more on this update from the TRC here: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=3407060302685301&id=456572831067411&__tn__=K-R About the Textile Research Centre From their website: The Textile…

  • The story of blue

    From www.greatbigstory.com — Real indigo-dyed clothing is not like the blue you know. Richer than the chemical blues used on most fabrics today, real indigo dye comes from a plant and has a surprising range of qualities: on fabric it is antibacterial, flame resistant and repels odor and dirt. With roots in Japanese culture dating back to the 1600s, indigo-dyed fabrics were worn under the armor of samurais to help keep bacteria from wounds. Today, five farmers keep the tradition of growing indigo alive in Tokushima, Japan. Your blue jeans don’t hold a flame to Japanese indigo. The true blue dye makes clothes fire resistant, bacteria resistant, and was once…

  • History of Tomato Pin Cushions

    Metal pins are an invaluable tool for today’s needleworker and seamstress, and they were no less so for sewers throughout history. With pins came a variety of ways to store them, including boxes, cases and cushions. 15th-Century Debut The first reference to the tomato pin cushion appears in the 15th century. Before this, as metal pins were rare and expensive, they were stored in a variety of protective cases made of bone, ivory or silver. Tudor era During the Tudor Era (1485-1603) it became common practice to use fancy, stuffed shapes to store needles and pins. The familiar tomato shape evolved due to the folklore surrounding the fruit, which symbolized…