Category Archive: Books

Glimpses of Textiles in Old Novels

The Wide, Wide World by Susan Warner (1851) is the story of a young girl who is sent to live with an unwelcoming aunt, while her parents go to Europe hoping to return… Continue reading

Design Advice from the Dress Doctors

I cannot adequately express how much I love this book — The Lost Art of Dress: The Women Who Once Made America Stylish. Author Linda Przybyszewski tells the story of the early 20th… Continue reading

Surprises from 1947

Some of you rightly guessed that the mystery magazine was from the late 1940s — and Mary from Zippy Quilts got it exactly, with her guess of 1947. (Tara Sparling claims she wrote… Continue reading

Mary Schenck Woolman

Over the years, I have picked up several old weaving, sewing, and home economics manuals.  Their publication dates range from 1906 to 1964. I have always wondered about the authors of these books,… Continue reading

Sustainability – a Hopeful View

In my last two posts, I have shared a little of what I have been reading about sustainable textiles.  I never did find any information focused on art/craft textiles or even textiles for… Continue reading

Six Books on Sustainability and Some Things I Learned

Summaries and snippets of six books on fashion and textile sustainability.

“These Kids Today!” in 1862

Here is a look at precocious children from the past, courtesy of Punch magazine of London. As a former teacher, I can relate to this one, titled Missus-ism. I don’t know what “odd… Continue reading

The Trials of Courtship in 1862

Well, since we all are enjoying these cartoons from the past, I will share some more.  These are from Punch magazine, published in London from 1841 to 1992.  These are from the 1862… Continue reading

The Servant Problem in the 1860s

Here are a few more cartoons from Punch, in 1861 and 1862.  One thing I like is that the cartoonists are sympathetic towards honest ignorance, and aim their wit mostly at pretension. I… Continue reading

Men’s Fashion Foibles from 1862

Looking at my estate sale purchase, a bound issue of Punch from 1862, we see that gentlemen were not spared from the editors’ gibes …