Dawn Cook Ronningen is the author of Antique American Needlework Tools (Schiffer, 2018). She is a collector, needleworker, teacher, and lecturer. She can be found on Instagram and Facebook sharing her collections and travels. Learn more at collectorwithaneedle.blogspot.com.
https://collectorwithaneedle.blogspot.com/
Looking for a tool to pull a ribbon through stitching? The bodkin is your answer.
Thimbles are highly prized by collectors and stitchers alike and loved for their practicality, beauty, and infinite variety.
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.
Embroidered pincushions are further embellished with coordinating pins for a beautiful and practical sewing aid.
A look at female inventors who've created tools to assist them with their tasks.
Not only are needle books beautiful and functional, but their construction did not take a large amount of fabric or time.
Before magazine advertising became popular, collectible trade cards marketed consumer products, including sewing thread, to the public.
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.