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Introduction

Needlework

February 19 - April 25, 1982

The Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework, 1896-1926, was formed in order to revive American colonial crewelwork through organized village industry. The eclectic, and many felt regretful, state of the art of needlework in the late nineteenth century prompted the Society's founders, Margaret Whiting and Ellen Miller, to look for inspiration in the vigor and charm of colonial crewelwork. Sharing the results of their study of early American embroidery with other Deerfield women, Miller and Whiting created a thriving business which achieved national recognition for Blue and White doilies, tablecloths, bedcoverings, etc. The drawings in this exhibit range from sketches of the Society's colonial source material to finished presentation drawings designed to be shown to a client.

The Society prided itself on high standards of craftsmanship and its fidelity to authentic designs and techniques. Their use of the traditional indigo dye depended on by colonial women for its vivid, fast color gave their work its distinctive character and name. The Society's trademark, a D enclosed with a flax wheel, was teh last bit of embroidery to go on a work, insuring that the peice aws up to the Society's perfectionist standards.

Colonial embroidery is characterized by the use of a minimum of solidly filled forms in order to save the needlewoman precious time and thread. However, what the work loses in detail and intricacy is often gained in strength and inventiveness. Though colonial and European embroidery differ in this respect, both share the eigtheenth century's love of floral and acanthus leaf motifs distributed along meandering, curved lines. The relationship of the embroidered design to the piece itself varied. Some women concentrated on borders which followed and emphasized the perimeters of their work, while others like Elizabeth Reed, used an overall distribution of pattern on a coverlet reminiscent of tapestries or chintz. Because most coverlets were woven in two breadths, then sewn together, and alternative approach which acknowledges the center seam can be found in both Sarah Packard Snell's and Rebekah Dickinson's bisymmetrical designs.

Though the formal artistic training of Margaret Whiting and Emily Miller lent a sophistication to the Society's work not often found in early American pieces, their primary goal was to revive the spirit of colonial needlework. Their attempts to find as much biographical information on thier foremothers as possible demonstrates their concern with the ways in which colonial needlework reflected the quality of its maker's life. Margaret Whiting's belief that needlework "yields to the careful observer many hints of the character of the needlewoman who made them" is as true for us as it was for the members of the Society of Blue and White Needlework.

Selected Objects

Nabby Martin

Sampler, 1786

France England United States of America

slipper, ca.1860

English

Tea Service, 1800s

Marcy Arnold Earle

Sampler, 1823

American

Design Drawing, 1700s - 1800s

American

watch pocket, 1800s

Flemish, likely province of Antwerp or Flemish Brabant

Textile, late 1600s

Chinese

counter, 1800s

American

Skirt and bodice, 1800s

Eliza Winslow Taylor

The Tempest, 1822

American

stocking, mid 1800s

Unknown artist

stocking

American

stocking, mid 1800s
No Image Available

English, England

Tilt Table, ca. 1860

Ruth Culver Coleman

Valance, late 1700s - early 1800s

American

mitt, early 1900s
No Image Available

Unknown artist

mitt

Attributed to Susan Easterbrook

suspenders, ca. 1852

Attributed to Susan Easterbrook

suspenders, ca. 1852

Attributed to Susan Easterbrook

suspenders, ca. 1852

American

design drawing, 1700s - 1800s

European American

Dress, ca. 1807

Conceucion LaGuardia, maker

Darning and Decorative Embroidery Sampler, mid 1800s

American, Rhode Island

Needle case embroidery fragment, 1700s

Sarah Foster Harris

valance, ca. 1750

English, England

Casket, 1650-1675

American

bed sheet, 1800s

Prudence F. Mansfield

Sampler, 1864

American

chemise, ca. 1830

American

mitt, Early 1900s

American, Likely Massachusetts Bay Colony

Canvas-work picture, mid 1700s

American

design drawing, 1700s - 1800s

Loann Smith

Sampler, 1785

Hanna Caldwell

napkin, 1821

American

Bodice (with attached skirt), early 1800s

American, Massachusetts

Quilt, ca. 1887

American

calash, early 1800s

Polly Spurr

First Congregational Church, Providence, 1796

American

shirt, mid 1700s

American

design drawing, 1700s - 1800s

American

Swift, 1800s

American

kerchief, 1807

Cynthia Burr

Sampler, 1786

Thankful Ross Gavitt

bed curtain; ?; crewel work, late 1700s

American

glove, Early 1800s
No Image Available

Unknown artist

glove

English

fabric length; textile length, mid 1700s

American

petticoat, mid 1700s

English, England

Needlework panel, early 1600s-mid 1600s

American

purse, 1772

American

design drawing, 1700s - 1800s
No Image Available

French, France

knitting table, late 1700s - early 1800s

American

handkerchief, 1823

American

wallet, ca. 1835

American

design drawing, 1700s - 1800s

American

design drawing, 1700s - 1800s

American, Rhode Island

Embroidery fragment, 1700s
No Image Available

French, France

Embroidery Frame, late 1800s

American

design drawing, 1700s - 1800s

French

Stomacher, 1600s

American

valance, late 1700s

American

ball (recreational artifact), 1800s

American

design drawing, 1700s - 1800s

Susanna Sisson

Sampler, 1811

Italian

Rene and Atala (embroidered picture), ca. 1800

English, England

Lady Anne Newdigate and Child, 1598

Sarah Larkin

petticoat, ca. 1760

American

George Washington, 1800s

American

glove, Early 1800s

American

Dress, ca. 1815

American

textile, ca. 1870

American

design drawing, 1700s - 1800s

American

Chair seat, 1700s

American

pillowcase, 1700s

American

Purse, ca. 1750

Austrian, probably Vienna Austria

Globe Table (Globustisch), 1810-1820

Sarah Goddard

Embroidered picture, 1798

American

evening bag, 1823

American

design drawing, 1700s - 1800s

Eliza Cozzens

Sampler, 1796

Lois Sisson

Sampler, early 1800s

American

Sewing work bag, late 1800s

American

design drawing, 1700s - 1800s
No Image Available

American

design drawing, 1700s - 1800s

American

wall hanging, mid 1800s
No Image Available

American

skirt form, early 1800s
No Image Available

American

design drawing, 1700s - 1800s

American

Sewing kit, ca. 1880

Hannah Sisson

Sampler, 1812

Abigail Crawford Allen

Sampler, 1789

England France

Women's shoes, 1760s-1770s

France England United States of America

Slippers, ca.1860

France England United States of America

slipper, ca.1860

More objects +

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