In October I made a short trip to the U.S.that included a very short stay in Boston. I found out that the Museum of Fine Arts, which happened to be within walking distance from my hotel, had an exhibit of embroideries from Boston's Colonial period (mid-18th century).
Miri Cook's Penny Squares-Redwork Club has given me a new appreciation for everything embroidered – and I decided to brave the freezing temperatures and walk over, even though I knew there wouldn't be any Redwork (which only became popular much later). The exhibit was small, one room with about 20 pieces; but the embroideries were large: mostly full-length bed curtains (used to provide both privacy and warmth) in wonderful condition.
A sign explained that bed furnishings represented such a serious investment of both money and time, they were often considered to be a family's most valuable possessions. Quantities of cotton, linen or wool fiber had to be bought, spun and woven – by hand – into yards and yards of cloth. The embroidery thread was hand spun and dyed, and of course the embroidery was stitched completely by hand. Because of their value, these items were often passed down in a family, from generation to generation. Most of the pieces in this exhibit had been donated to the museum by direct descendents of the original families. The fabrics were mostly a cotton/linen blend; the embroidery threads were wool or silk. The embroideries were intricately detailed and still brightly colored; the designs were surprisingly contemporary.
My favorite piece was one of the smallest: an embroidered "stomacher". I'd never even heard the word before.
A stomacher is a piece of fabric designed to cover the
front opening of a woman's dress. Made of silk, this one had delicate flowering
vines winding up the center. The woman who had worn it must have had a tiny
waist. The museum allows photography, with no flash. I'm going to use my photos
as inspiration for some future project.
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