Dawn Cook Ronningen


Timeless Tools: Thimbles

Thimbles are highly prized by collectors and stitchers alike and loved for their practicality, beauty, and infinite variety.

Antique Needlework Tools: Buttonhole Scissors

In the 19th century, patents for buttonhole scissors began to be filed at the United States Patent Office, and some of these designs are still in use today.

Is it Antique or Vintage?

Whether an object is “vintage” or “antique” might depend on whom you ask.

20th-Century Embroidered Pincushions

Embroidered pincushions are further embellished with coordinating pins for a beautiful and practical sewing aid.

The History of the Louise All-In-One Sewing Aid

A look at female inventors who've created tools to assist them with their tasks.

Artful and Practical: Fabric-Covered Needle Books

Not only are needle books beautiful and functional, but their construction did not take a large amount of fabric or time.

Nineteenth-Century Collectible: Sewing-Thread Trade Cards

Before magazine advertising became popular, collectible trade cards marketed consumer products, including sewing thread, to the public.

A Needleworker’s Companion: A Friend in Need Book

When Dawn bought her first antique friend in need book, she was attracted to its sweet, sewing-themed pockets, which are finished with braid trim on the pocket flap edges and labeled for the various contents held inside.

The Charming Whimsy of Antique Pincushions

Dawn Cook Ronningen shares some of the more whimsical pincushions from her collection. They are sure to bring a smile to any stitcher.

A Maker’s Marks: The Hexagon-Flower Mending Bag

Studying the details of vintage and antique textiles can lead to many questions, and it helps us learn more about the era they came from.