Overview:
This text provides a detailed look at the textile industry in the early 20th century, with a special focus on clothing production. It begins by tracing the origins of spinning and weaving from primitive methods to the modern machinery that transformed the industry. The book then examines the major fibers used in textiles, including cotton, wool, flax, and silk, detailing their properties, processing, and uses.
The second half of the book delves into the world of sewing, covering both hand and machine methods, with specific instructions for various stitches, hems, seams, fastenings, darning, patching, and embroidery. The final portion explores dressmaking, providing detailed instructions on cutting, fitting, and constructing garments, including waists, skirts, sleeves, collars, and yokes. The text also addresses important design principles for creating harmonious and flattering outfits, emphasizing the importance of color, ornamentation, and the proper placement of decorative elements.
Key Findings:
- The textile industry underwent significant technological advancements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, shifting from hand production to large-scale factory manufacturing.
- The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1794 revolutionized cotton production, allowing for much faster and more efficient processing.
- The development of aniline dyes in the 19th century drastically expanded the color palette available for textiles.
- Sewing techniques, while rooted in traditional hand methods, were transformed by the sewing machine, providing faster and more efficient production.
- The principles of design and ornament, as applied to clothing, emphasized simplicity, harmony, and functionality.
Learning:
- Textile Materials: The reader will learn about the properties of various fibers, including cotton, wool, flax, and silk, and how they are processed into textiles. This knowledge can inform future fabric choices for different garments and household items.
- Textile Production: The text provides a clear understanding of the steps involved in spinning and weaving, from the initial processing of fibers to the finishing touches applied to fabrics. This information offers insight into the complexities of the textile industry and the methods behind the creation of common fabrics.
- Sewing Techniques: The reader will learn numerous hand and machine sewing techniques, including various stitches, hems, seams, fastenings, darning, and patching. This knowledge equips the reader with the skills necessary for basic garment construction and repairs.
- Dressmaking Principles: The text outlines key principles for constructing and ornamenting garments, including design, color, and the placement of decorative elements. This information provides a foundation for creating well-fitting and aesthetically pleasing clothing.
Historical Context:
The text was written in 1907, a time of rapid industrialization and technological innovation. The textile industry was undergoing a transformation, shifting from small-scale, hand-crafted production to large-scale, machine-driven manufacturing. The widespread use of the sewing machine, along with advancements in dyeing and finishing techniques, significantly impacted the production of clothing.
Facts:
- Spinning and Weaving: Spinning and weaving are some of the earliest known arts, predating recorded history.
- Women’s Role: Spinning and weaving were traditionally considered women’s crafts.
- Primitive Spinning: The most primitive method of spinning involved twisting fibers between the hands or against the thigh.
- Spindle Whorl: The spindle whorl, a weight added to the bottom of the spindle, provided stability and improved rotation.
- Cotton Gin: The cotton gin, invented by Eli Whitney in 1794, revolutionized cotton production by greatly speeding up the process of separating cotton fibers from seeds.
- Wool: Wool is the most important animal fiber, providing a strong, elastic, and warm material for clothing.
- Wool Quality: The quality of wool is influenced by factors like climate, breed, and diet of the sheep.
- Mohair: Mohair, derived from the Angora goat, is a silky fiber known for its durability and dust-shedding properties.
- Flax: Flax, a bast fiber, is used to create linen, known for its strength, coolness, and luster.
- Ramie: Ramie, also known as China grass, is a strong, silky bast fiber often used as an adulterant in silk fabrics.
- Silk: Silk is the most perfect and beautiful fiber, produced by silkworms.
- Wild Silk: Tussah silk, a variety of wild silk, is prized for its softness and uneven weave.
- Silk Loading: “Loading” or “weighting” is a process that increases the weight of silk by adding metallic salts, but weakens the fiber.
- Plain Weave: The plain weave, the most common weave, is characterized by alternating warp and weft threads.
- Twill Weave: The twill weave produces diagonal lines across the fabric and is often used for dress goods and suitings.
- Sateen Weave: The sateen weave creates a smooth, lustrous surface with most threads of either warp or weft appearing on the surface.
- Bleaching: Bleaching removes natural pigments from fabrics to create a white background for dyeing or printing.
- Mordants: Mordants, typically metal salts, are used to help dye stuffs adhere to certain fibers.
- Aniline Dyes: The discovery of aniline dyes significantly expanded the range of available colors for textiles.
- Fulling: Fulling is a process that shrinks and thickens woolen fabrics through the use of soap and friction.
Statistics:
- Cotton Production: The yearly cotton crop in the early 20th century exceeded six billion pounds, with the United States producing three-fourths of that amount.
- Cotton Gin Efficiency: Modern saw gins could separate over five thousand pounds of cotton from seeds daily.
- Sea Island Cotton Fiber Length: Sea island cotton fibers can be one and one-half to two inches long.
- Wool Grease: Wool fleece can contain up to 30% or more of its weight in wool grease, also called “yolk.”
- Wool Scouring Loss: The scouring process, which removes impurities from wool, can result in a weight loss of 20% to 60%.
- Flax Fiber Length: Flax fibers can be from ten to twelve inches long.
- Raw Silk Price: Raw silk cost between $7.00 and $10.00 per pound in the early 20th century.
- Silk “Boiling Off” Loss: The process of removing gum from raw silk results in a weight loss of approximately 30%.
- Silk “Loading” Increase: “Loading” can increase the original weight of silk by 300% or 400%.
- Cotton Cleaning and Bleaching Loss: Cotton loses about 5% of its weight during cleaning and bleaching.
- Flax Cleaning and Bleaching Loss: Flax loses about 20% of its weight during cleaning and bleaching.
- Typical Number of Spindles in Spinning Frames: Modern spinning frames could have over a hundred spindles.
- Weaving Capacity: One person could tend from ten to fifteen looms weaving plain cotton goods in the early 20th century.
- Standard Bale Weight: The standard bale of cotton in the United States weighed five hundred pounds.
- Hydroscopic Moisture in Wool: Wool can absorb up to 30% or more of its weight in water without feeling damp.
Terms:
- Bast Fibers: Fibers obtained from the inner bark of plants, such as flax, ramie, hemp, and jute.
- Carding: A process that cleanses fibers and aligns them in a parallel direction, preparing them for spinning.
- Combing: A process used for long-staple fibers to remove short fibers and further align fibers for finer yarns.
- Flock: Fine wool fibers used to add weight and fullness to woolen fabrics.
- Fulling: A process that shrinks and thickens woolen fabrics using soap and friction.
- Gigging: A process that raises the nap on woolen fabrics using a revolving teazel.
- Keratin: The main protein found in wool and other animal fibers.
- Loading: A process that increases the weight of silk by adding metallic salts.
- Mordant: A substance that helps dye stuffs adhere to fibers.
- Noil: Short fibers removed from long-staple wool during combing, often used for woolens.
Examples:
- Primitive Spinning: The North American Indians, Italians, and people in the Orient still use the spindle for spinning yarn.
- Cotton Gin Impact: Before the invention of the cotton gin, it took a week’s labor to separate four or five pounds of cotton from seeds.
- Sea Island Cotton: Sea island cotton, grown on islands off the coast of Georgia, Carolina, and Florida, is used for high-quality fabrics, such as fine laces and thread.
- Wool Quality Variation: Sheep raised in rocky, barren areas produce coarser wool than those raised in areas with rich pasturage.
- Angora Goat Wool: The Angora goat produces mohair, a soft, lustrous fiber valued for its silky properties.
- Flax Retting: Retting, a process for separating flax fibers from the stem, can be done using cold water (running or stagnant), dew, or warm water.
- Ramie Degumming: The separation and degumming of ramie fibers, which contain a high amount of gummy matter, has been a challenge to widespread production.
- Silk Worm Lifecycle: Silk production begins with a silkworm egg, which hatches into a caterpillar that spins a cocoon, from which the silk is extracted.
- Tussah Silk: Tussah silk, produced by wild moths, has a coarser, uneven weave than commercially cultivated silk.
- Salt’s Impact on Weighted Silk: Common salt can damage weighted silk, weakening the fibers.
Conclusion:
This 1907 text provides a fascinating glimpse into the textile and clothing industries of the era. It reveals the importance of understanding the properties of different fibers, the complexities of textile production, and the skilled artistry required in sewing and dressmaking. The text emphasizes the importance of simplicity, harmony, and functionality in designing clothing. By embracing these principles, the reader can create clothing that is both aesthetically pleasing and appropriate for the wearer and the occasion. While technologies have advanced since the book’s publication, the fundamentals of textile knowledge, sewing techniques, and design principles remain relevant for anyone interested in creating and appreciating clothing.