During the nineteenth century, women learned to sew and knit from a very young age. Girls were taught by their mothers or grandmothers beginning around the age of four or five. Practice makes perfect, so they had daily needlework lessons to enhance their sewing skills. These lessons were essential because women were expected to sew their family’s clothing and household linens.

Sewing was a very time consuming task. First, the fiber (cotton, wool, or flax) had to be spun into yarn. This was done using a spinning wheel, which was a staple in many households during the 1800s. Dying yarn added even more time and money, so it was often left natural or bleached white using various methods. Once, the sewing machine was invented in 1845, women were able to create delicate designs in much less time.

One popular type of needlework from the Victorian Era is whitework embroidery, which is done with white thread on white linen or cotton. The origins of this style of sewing stems from decorative items used for religious purposes. Whitework embroidery soon spread to middle-class families, who used it for bonnets, dresses, and various household linens including quilts. Hardanger, cutwork, drawn thread, and candlewick are popular types of whitework embroidery.

The Museum’s extensive textile collection includes many fine examples of whitework from the 1800s and early 1900s. This exhibit showcases quilts, dresses, accessories, and other household textiles.