Overview:
This book, published in 1910, is a comprehensive guide for teachers on how to conduct a five-year course in handicrafts for girls. It focuses on developing essential skills in needlework, basketry, design, and home decoration, with a strong emphasis on practical applications. The text meticulously details each lesson, including detailed instructions and illustrative drawings, making it a valuable resource for educators seeking to instill creativity and domestic expertise in their students.
The book goes beyond simply providing technical instructions, delving into the historical context of textile fibers, highlighting the importance of silk, cotton, flax, and wool in both historical and contemporary contexts. It also emphasizes the aesthetic aspects of dress and homemaking, encouraging girls to develop a keen eye for beauty and functionality in both their clothing choices and home decoration.
Key Findings:
- The book emphasizes the importance of practical applications of handicrafts in the home, especially sewing and mending garments, creating functional baskets, and decorating homes.
- The text encourages teachers to cultivate a love for homemaking in their students by introducing concepts of hygiene, sanitation, and efficient housekeeping.
- This book underscores the significance of developing artistic sensibilities in young girls, enabling them to make aesthetically pleasing choices in clothing, home decor, and household items.
Learning:
- Sewing Techniques: This handbook teaches a wide variety of sewing stitches and techniques, including basting, running stitch, gathering, hemming, overcasting, overhanding, and various decorative stitches. The book prioritizes precision and neatness in every stitch, emphasizing the importance of proper technique and the avoidance of careless habits.
- Basketry: The text covers both woven and sewed basket making techniques, providing a foundation for students to create a variety of useful and decorative baskets. It guides teachers on how to introduce color and intricate designs, fostering creativity and technical skill.
- Textile Fibers: This handbook offers a thorough exploration of various textile fibers, including silk, cotton, flax, and wool. It provides historical context, explains the production processes, and highlights the diverse uses of these fibers in the creation of various fabrics.
- Homemaking: The book delves into home furnishing, decoration, and care. It encourages students to cultivate a sense of home pride and develop practical skills in keeping their homes clean, organized, and aesthetically pleasing. It covers essential aspects of housekeeping, including sweeping, dusting, window washing, and maintaining a sanitary environment.
Historical Context:
This handbook was written in 1910, a period of significant social and economic change. The rise of industrialization and mass production led to increased availability of ready-made clothing, but the importance of domestic skills and craftsmanship was still highly valued. The text reflects the prevalent belief in teaching girls essential skills for managing a household, making their own clothing, and creating beautiful and functional home environments.
Facts:
- Silk production originated in China as early as 2600 B.C., introduced by the wife of an emperor.
- The cultivation of mulberry trees, the silkworms’ primary food source, began in China 40 years later.
- The cotton gin, invented by a Connecticut teacher in Georgia in 1793, revolutionized cotton production by dramatically speeding up the process of separating cotton fibers from seeds.
- Linen, a fabric made from flax, has ancient roots, mentioned in the Bible and used by the Egyptians for wrapping mummies.
- The finest linen during the days of the Pharaohs was considered superior in quality to modern linen.
- Linen was traditionally bleached by exposure to the sun, air, and moisture, leading to its name “lawn.”
- The most valuable cotton is “Sea Island” cotton, grown on the islands and coasts of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, due to its longer fiber.
- The “American Upland” cotton, though less valuable, is the most widely cultivated variety, producing most of the world’s cotton crop.
- Sheep shearing was historically done by hand but is now performed efficiently with machinery.
- The fleece of a sheep contains a fatty substance called yolk or suint, which helps prevent matting and protects the wool.
- Cashmere wool, derived from the Cashmere goat found in Tibet, is very expensive due to its use of only the finest parts of the fleece.
- Camel hair is used in the far east to create beautiful and costly fabrics.
- Alpaca wool is obtained from the Alpaca goat, while Mohair comes from the Angora goat.
- Wool can be divided into three classes: carding (clothing), combing (worsted), and blanket/carpet.
- The finest and most even wool is found on the shoulders of a sheep.
- The process of carding wool creates a thread with fibers projecting loosely, forming the nap of the finished cloth.
- Worsted yarns, made from long combed wool fibers, are hard twisted, resulting in a smooth finish and less visible weaving.
- The “pulling” process in woolen cloth manufacturing involves soaking the cloth in hot water and stretching it until it’s about half its original size.
- The nap on woolen cloth is raised by beating it with the spiked head of the teasel plant or its substitute.
- Woolen cloth is often immersed in hot water and pressed in a hydraulic press to achieve solidity, smoothness, and luster.
Statistics:
- A silk-worm moth can lay around 500 eggs.
- A slave using the cotton gin could clean about 1000 pounds of cotton per day, a significant increase from the previous rate of 5-6 pounds per day.
- Cotton bales typically weigh around 500 pounds.
- Flax stems can range in length from 10 to 100 inches.
- A single piece of silk fiber can be up to 1000 feet long.
- The removal of gum during silk cleansing results in a significant weight loss, leading to the practice of silk weighting with cheaper materials.
Terms:
- Boll: The seed-pod of the cotton plant.
- Suint: The fatty or greasy matter found in wool.
- Sliver: Untwisted fibers of cotton or flax that have been drawn parallel to one another during the carding process.
- Warp: The lengthwise threads in a woven fabric.
- Woof: The threads that run across the warp in a woven fabric.
- Selvedge: The edge of a woven fabric.
- Tow: Short, raveled fibers of flax, considered inferior to the long fibers.
- Nap: The fuzzy surface of woolen fabric, created by the loose fibers projecting from the yarn.
- Shoddy: Recycled wool fibers, typically used for low-quality fabrics.
- Teasel: A plant with spiked heads used to raise the nap on woolen cloth.
Examples:
- Silk Production: The book describes the lifecycle of the silkworm, from its hatching to spinning a cocoon and its eventual transformation into a moth. It explains the process of removing the cocoon, softening the gum, and reeling the silk thread.
- Cotton Cultivation: The text provides details on cotton cultivation, including planting, blossoming, boll formation, picking, and ginning. It highlights the impact of the cotton gin invention on the industry’s expansion.
- Flax Production: The book outlines the process of flax production, from pulling and beating the stems to steeping, fermenting, and extracting the fibers. It discusses the traditional methods of bleaching and the evolution of modern processes.
- Wool Production: The text describes the different types of wool fibers, from sheep, goats, and camels, and the process of scouring, blending, carding, and spinning wool fibers into yarn.
- Basketry: The book offers examples of different basket stitches, including the Navajo, Lazy Squaw, Mariposa, and Samoan stitches. It explains the steps for creating each stitch and the techniques for shaping and finishing baskets.
- Home Decoration: The text encourages teachers to lead their students through a guided project of designing an imaginary home, considering the color scheme, wall decorations, floor finishes, and furnishings for each room.
- Picture Framing: The book outlines the steps for creating a picture frame using cardboard, mount board, passepartout paper, and glass.
Conclusion:
“Handicraft for Girls” is a treasure trove of knowledge for teachers seeking to empower young girls with practical skills, creative expression, and a sense of domesticity. This 1910 handbook offers a comprehensive curriculum, detailed instructions, and valuable insights into the history and production of textiles. By embracing the book’s practical approach, teachers can instill in their students a love for crafting, homemaking, and a deep appreciation for the beauty and functionality of handcrafted items.