Small brown leather covered wooden sewing box with compartmented interior. Leather-hinged lift lid with metal clasp at front, now detached at both clasp and hinge. Underside of lid has 3 leather strap holders, each holding a paper packet of needles. Gold-stamped mark at top center of underside is "CROSS/ LONDON".
Interior has additional fitted lid covering the front section of 3 small compartments. On top of cover are two leather loop holders. Small right rear compartment has fabric-covered padded bottom. Contents include two Bakelite? buttons, nine mother of pearl buttons, two cards of fabric covered buttons, a spool of brown thread and two early black safety pins. Each corner on bottom of box has a brass stud foot.
Very worn, particularly the exterior leather which is strongly abraded with cracks and losses at corners and edges. Leather hinge and clasp are both detached. Two dark circular stains on lid top.
Object ID
1977.007.2
Place of Origin
New York, New York
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Needle case of orange glass, cylindrical with rounded closed ends. Two-piece case has short and long sections that pull apart to reveal inner lining - a tube of marbleized paper. Glass case has identical bands of painted decoration at open ends of each section. Short section has "Forget" painted in stylized script and an adjacent "M" (?). The "M" is also found near painted band of longer section with additional decoration (?) along side of case. Case contains 3 very fine needles of differing lengths.
Forged Brass three part sewing bird. Top surface of bird has a molded diamond pattern. Bird mounted on a C-clamp with threaded turn screw with heart-shaped handle.
Comb mounted on wooden board with 1/2-inch holes, 3 inches from each end and 1/8-inch holes 1.75" beyond larger holes (5.5 inches from ends). These holes are centered between side edges. Attached to top in center is a 7/5" x 4.5" x .5" piece of wood covered with a metal sheet fastened with tacks on all 4 sides. Large tacks on all 4 corners & 4 tacks from underside attach comb to board. 173 2-inch metal prongs form comb. Plant fibers still between some prongs.
PaGerman = 'die Hackel" (Stine, p. 281) 'Hackle" means combing flax to take out the tow.
Small tool with thin curving blade set into a turned wood handle and brass ferrule. Saber-like blade is brass, having a small slot cut into bottom edge near tip.
Used for warping a loom by pulling warp ends through the reed.
Wooden etui or case sewing tools. Hinged case of rosewood? has a trapezoid shape and opens to reveal a thimble, scissors, a bodkin and a needle case, all made of silver, likely plated. Each tool fits in a recessed shape of the tool itself. Wooden case has an inlaid rose on the top.
Date Range
Later 19th c.
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
DAC
Storage Wall
Island 4
Storage Cabinet
Unit 19
Storage Container
Box 1002: Sewing & Needlework
Object Name
Kit, Needlework
Oither Names
Sewing Kit
Material
Wood, Silver
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2017-05-17
Condition Notes
Wood is has surface wear and cracking, especially the top side with the rose inlay.
Direction Sheet for "A PA Dutch Parrot in Crewel." Tri-fold printed directions including historical notes. Drawings and directions for stitches and illustrations. Project sales benefit " the Penn-Dutch region of the Pa. Federation of Junior Historians.
(Probably part of a kit including crewel yarns & fabric with design. Brochure says "Hoop and needle not included.")
Randy E. Newcomer; Printer: A REN design. Copyright 1976: LancCtyHistSoc
Wood paddle with handle/ grip (5 ins. long) that widens to a 16.5-inch length, flat on one side, slightly rounded on the other. The flat end is rounded.This scutching tool is used to break the outer layer to release flax fibers.
Paper label on paddle (in ink in PA German) "schwinkmesse(r) for flax gubrechen von Johann Sauder ? 1855"
Translation: "Scutching knife for breaking flax."
"Scutch" (Stine, p. 352) Flaxschwing (die); Schwingmiehl (die); Messer= knife
