Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Pretty Vintage Collars ~ Lovely Needle Work Of The Past

Visit The Gatherings, to see all of the beautiful antique and vintage textiles I have ~ antique clothing, hats, accessories, children's clothing, vintage bed and table linens, antique children's toys, vintage sewing notions, quilts and so much more!

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The ladies of the generations before us were schooled in the fine art of needlework. Of course, there were those girls and young women who did have formal training but most girls (some boys, too) were taught at home by other women of the family. Especially by mothers and grandmothers. The art of mending and darning was one of life's necessity but some leisure time was, indeed, spent on the making of all types of beautiful needle work. Lovely embellishments serve the purpose of beauty as well as function on decorative household items as well as clothing.

Many touches of needle work were added to outer clothing as well as underclothing. Both for women as well as children. This was quite evident as well as extensive at the close of the 19th century into the early part of the 20th century. Collars, cuffs, yokes and dress embellishments were another area where the needle worker plied her skills as seen in the photos below.

A lovely needle lace dress embellishment or neck piece. Dating later 1800's.

Although this fillet crochet lace yoke for a camisole is several decades later than the needlelace piece and although the one above is finer and of more value it does not dimish the beauty of the camisole yoke. Each should be admired for what they are. The love, accomplishment and joy in a job well done by many unknown worker of the needle. We will never know the names of these accomplished ladies but the legacy of their work lives on.

Visit me at The Gatherings Antique Vintage here to admire other handiwork of the past.

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