Description:
Drawstring linen bag decorated with linen embroidery in three shades of blue plus off-white with three abstracted flowers on a floral spray over the letter "D" within a flax wheel on one side (marking this piece as produced by the Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework [1896-1926]), and a single flower on the other side of the bag. Since the turn of the 19th century, bags or reticules provided women with a means of carrying personal possessions independent of their clothing. The bag represents the most common clothing accessory produced by the Society's members. Different embroidered designs on each side provided novelty for the user, embellishing the utilitarian ground fabric with a contemporary version of a timeless form. The Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework was founded by Deerfield residents Margaret C. Whiting (1860-1946) and Ellen Miller (1854-1929) in 1896. Originally started as a way to preserve and document 18th and early 19th century embroidered bed hangings in New England, the Society quickly became a village-wide industry, and mirrored larger national and international Arts and Crafts interest. Although the original embroideries Whiting and Miller studied were wrought in crewel woolen yarns, these new reproductions utilized cellulosic threads, often linen, which were less susceptible to insect damage. The group’s members, all local women, engaged primarily in the production of domestic textiles, but also made some clothing and accessories. The Society was featured in numerous national exhibitions and publicized in magazines and newspapers throughout its thirty-year history. Both Whiting and Miller created most of the embroidery designs, which embroiderers executed using locally dyed yarns. Favorite stitches included New England laid, satin, herringbone, cross stitch, outline, French knots, blanket, feather, and chain. For most pieces, workers were paid a percentage of the price charged. The Society was well-known for the exacting design and execution standards put forth by its founders; only those pieces that met with their approval were allowed to be embroidered with the Society's seal, an upper case "D" within a flax wheel. Since the turn of the 19th century, bags or reticules provided women with a means of carrying personal possessions independent of their clothing. The form itself represents the most common clothing accessory produced by the Society's members. Different embroidered designs on each side provided novelty for the user, embellishing the utilitarian ground fabric with a contemporary version of a timeless form. The embroidery stitches include New England laid, satin, outline, herringbone, blanket, feather and French knots.
Label Text:
Bag Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework Deerfield, Massachusetts, c.1900 Unbleached, plain weave linen, polychrome linen embroidery, and braided drawstring closure 3123
Since the turn of the 19th century, bags or reticules provided women with a means of carrying personal possessions independent of their clothing. The form itself represents the most common clothing accessory produced by the Society's members. Different embroidered designs on each side provided novelty for the user, embellishing the utilitarian ground fabric with a contemporary version of a timeless form.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+3123 |
