Fancywork: Needlework, Quilting, and Crafts in the 1800s

For thousands of years, women were responsible for “plain sewing”—spinning, weaving, and sewing textiles for everyday use. In the 1800s, the Industrial Revolution produced factory-made fabrics, mass-produced sewing machines, and inexpensive ready-made clothing. These innovations gave average women time for “fancywork”—decorative sewing, crocheting, knitting, embroidery, patchwork and appliqué quilting, and craft projects.

In this presentation, we’ll explore how factory-made sewing and craft supplies influenced trends like crazy quilting; how the ideology of separate spheres for women and men influenced decorating the home with fancywork; fancywork created to sell charity bazaars and fundraising fairs; and the wide range of fancywork including techniques not common in the 21st century such hair work, bobbin work, netting, and potichomania.