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 …