Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-03-11
THE DECAY OF PLAIN SEWING.
Following i'm the Wake of Embroidery,
Which Went Out of Eash ion A ges Ago.

Which Went Out of Fashion Ages Ago.
Embroidery, like other elegant arts, suf
fered decay during the Dark Ages, and,
like literature, took refuge in the cloisters.
Books containing patterns for needlework
and directions for their use were intro
duced in England toward the close of the
Sixteenth century Each book had poems
prefiXed, exhorting ladies to industry and
to exalted needlework sublime"
The life of seclusion and partly of cap
tivity that Queen Elizabeth was compelled
to lead during her girlhood was beguifed
by this feminine art, and although she
laid aside the needle when she took up the
scepter, the great quantity of her embroid-
cry made this art fashionable among the
English nobility, and much labor was be-
slowed upon house decoration also; stools
and chairs were ornamental with the nee
die, stately beds were adorned with cur
tains and counterpanes enriched with EN-
broidery. Every article of dress was load
ed with costly needlework. When the
queen died she had 800 embroidered suits
in her waidrobe-tO such excess was the
passion for dress carried in the Sixteenth
century. Indeed, the queen herself at
tributed the decay of ancient hospitality
to the vast sums of money lavished on fe-
male apparel.
In France and other Continental com.
tries they were equally eXtravagant in this
style of ornament. A lady at the court of
Henry ~ of France displayed handker-
chief that cost 1000 crowns. Truly, with
such specimens of taste and skill, orna-
mental needlework was entitled to place
among the fine nrts. The French retain
their ancient reputation for beautiful en-
broidery, their needlework on linen being
preferred to t.iat of all other countries.
1t would take IL volume to contain the
names of the distinguished women who
were fond of the agreeable occupation of
sewing, in its useful as well as graceful
and elegant forms. Adelica. second wife
of Henry I of England, Joan d'Albret,
mother of the great Henry of France, and
Anne of Brittany, whose court was II school
for the children of the nobility, are well
known instances The beautiful and I'M
fortunate Marie Antoinette in her adver-
sity assisted in making and mending the
clothes of the imprisoned royal family: and
Mary Queen of Scots with her needle,
solaced many "A weary hour of her long
captivity.
In this century the learned Mrs. Somer-
vile could work an intricate pattern in
embroidery as well us II mathematical
problem, AMI use the needle with as much
deXterity as the telescope. There is in my
possession one-half of handbag worked
in chain stitch by the fair hands OF Caro-
line Bonaparle, queen of Naples. The
evenness and regularity IF the stitches are
a wonder to all who see it.
1t is much to be regretted that the in
vention of the sewing machine has caused
what is known as 'plain sewing" to have
become almost lost art. Few girls are
being taught to sew with their hands, be-
cause the machine can do all the sewing
No machine stitching can equal in dura-
biity or beauty the work done by the hu-
man hand.
Artists note the difference between hand
carving and that done by machinery. The
famous cashmere shawls, made on hand
looms in India, cannot be eQualed in
Europe. Do not understand me as depre-
eating sewing machines they are II grand
invention, but | beg that hand sewing be
not neglected. The mother who does not
teach her daughter to sew well enough to
darn stockings neatly and mend under
clothing we'll has signally failed in her
duty.
The utilitarianism of the Nineteenth
century had banished ornamental needle
work from wOman's accomplishments I'M
til the Kensington School Of Art Needle
work, in London, some years back, again
made embroidery fashionable; our ladi,s
can now display as beautiful work as ever
came from the queenly hands of Katherine
Howard or Anne Boleyn, and needleworA
may again be classed among the elegant
arts.-Woman's Work.