Victorian Needlework

by Kathryn Ledbetter

Overview

Marrying two exceptionally popular topics—needlework and women's history—this book provides an authoritative yet entertaining discussion of the diversity and importance of needlework in Victorian women's lives.

Victorian Needlework explores these ubiquitous pastimes—their practice and their meaning in women's lives. Covering the period from 1837–1901, the book looks specifically at the crafts themselves examining quilting, embroidery, crochet, knitting, and more. It discusses required skills and the techniques women used as well as the technological innovations that influenced needlework during this period of rapid industrialization.

This book is unique in its comprehensive treatment of the topic ranging across class, time, and technique. Readers will learn what needlework meant to "ladies," for whom it was a hobby reflecting refinement and femininity, and discover what such skills could mean as a "suitable" way for a woman to make a living, often through grueling labor. Such insights are illustrated throughout with examples from women's periodicals, needlework guides, pattern books, and personal memoirs that bring the period to life for the modern reader.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313386602
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	01/06/2012
Series:	Victorian Life and Times
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Kathryn Ledbetter, PhD, is professor of English at Texas State University, San Marcos, where she teaches 19th-century British literature. Her published works include British Victorian Women's Periodicals: Beauty, Civilization, and Poetry as well as many articles on British literature and culture.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
1. Significance: "An Object of Ambition to Every British Fair"
2. Types: What Is a Woman to Do?
3. Resources: Guidebooks and Periodicals
4. Technology: Needles, Pins, and Necessary Things
5. Literary Representations: A Patchwork of Fiction and Poetry
Appendix: Victorian Needlework Patterns and Illustrations
Glossary
Notes
Bibliography
Index

What People are Saying About This

Jen Jones

"A must have reference book for anyone interested in needlework. From 'women's work' to needle arts and crafts- a fascinating evolution. I especially loved the chapter tracing needlework through British fiction!"

Dr. Patricia Zakreski

"In Victorian Needlework, Kathryn Ledbetter has provided an engaging and comprehensive account of the types, technologies, and portrayals of sewing in Victorian literature and culture. This book combines expansive and detailed historical research with an infectious appreciation for this fascinating topic. It will appeal alike to students, scholars, and enthusiasts of needlework and Victorian culture."

Katherine J. Adams Quilt Curator

"Needlework enthusiasts as well as students of women’s history and the Victorian era will welcome this authoritative look at the practice and importance of needlework in women’s lives during Britain’s Victorian era. The engaging text, richly embellished with quotes from primary sources, takes us into a world where the needle arts were at once occupation, hobby, and identity. It’s all here—from descriptions of the punishing labor often required to earn a living through needlework, to an explanation of the myriad needlework genres, to specifics on the tools of trade."