Familiar Finds in Needlecraft Magazine Part II

11/25/2012

by Tegan Kehoe

In Part I of this series, I shared examples of crewel embroidery conserved at MTS and

the early-20th-century Needlecraft Magazine article teaching needleworkers how to

practice this craft. In Part II, we explore two more textile genres.

The article "Gay Posies on a Quilted Coverlet" appeared in the July 1934 issue of

Needlecraft: the Home Arts Magazine, p. 8.

The July, 1934, issue of Needlecraft has an article about the timeless art of quilting. It

features a quilt with a similarly geometric, symmetrical floral pattern, called “posies

round the square.” The patchwork squares in both quilts are interspersed with sections

of white quilted background.

An early 20th-century quilt before conservation, cleaning, and repair treatments.

The example above shows a quilt from this time period that was recently conserved by

Museum Textile Services. The beautiful and intricate quilting pattern in the white section

of this quilt is similar to some of the patterns used in the quilt shown in Needlecraft, and

to patterns “J” and “G” at the bottom of the page. This quilt was wetcleaned and

repaired by us in 2008 so that the owner could continue to gently use it on special

occasions.

The article "Darning on a Filet Ground" appeared in the February 1935 issue of Needlecraft: The Home Arts Magazine, page 5.

An article titled “Darning on a Filet Ground” appears in the February 1935 issue of

Needlecraft, displaying work using the same technique as a set of place mats that MTS

conserved, also in 2008. This craft is alternately called “filet darning,” “net darning” or

“filet lace.” The article says that because the process is simple and quick, a set of

curtains or placemats would be “by no means an over-ambitious undertaking even for

the woman who has only a little time to give to needlework.”

After wet cleaning the placemat was blocked, held in place with pins to dry straight.

The pieces that MTS conserved were a little more complex; instead of darning onto an

existing net mesh, they were executed in filet crochet, which has a similar visual effect.

One of the ways to tell the difference is to look at how the edges are done. Needlecraft

Magazine explains how to finish the edges of the square mesh net that forms the base

of the work by turning the edges under and hemming them. However, in the piece we

treated, the edges have a crochet scalloped finish. Perhaps Needlecraft magazine

would not have recommended crochet filet “for the woman who has only a little time,”

but the effect is quite delicate.

Filet place mat after mounting and conservation framing.

These place mats were made by the owner’s grandmother. They came to us quite

stained, and we washed them in sodium borohydride, an effective and gentle method of

bleaching. At the completion of the project, the owner kept four of the place mats as

they are, and had two of the place mats framed to give to her children.

Looking through Needlecraft Magazine is a blast from the past, and is also a reminder

of the timelessness of so many of the textile arts that we are fortunate to conserve at

MTS.