Robbie Fanning Sewing Arts Collection
name: label: Creator
content: Fanning, Robbie
topic: label: Topic
content: Machine quilting
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Sewing machines
label: Topic
content: Sewing
label: Topic
content: Quilting
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated to the Archives Center in 2008 by Robbie Fanning.
creator: label: Creator
content: Fanning, Robbie
setName: label: See more items in
content: Robbie Fanning Sewing Arts Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: The collection documents materials gathered by Robbie Fanning, publisher of sewing related books and newsletters and includes the history of major sewing machine brands, machine accessories, machine embroidery, machine needles, thread, binding, interfacing, and other sewing notions.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Robbie Fanning (b. 1947-) of Menlo Park, California, a former journalism teacher, she started a publishing company called Open Chain Publishing, specializing in sewing books. She published a quarterly newsletter called The Creative Machine aimed at helping the sewing hobbyist learn new sewing techniques, review sewing equipment and products, and pose questions to the sewing industry. The newsletter ceased publication in 2002. The collection as a whole depicts the shift from sewing as a necessity to clothe a family or save money to sewing as a creative outlet for women and men with leisure time.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 5 Cubic feet (13 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1903-2002
label: Date
content: bulk 1993-2002
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1139
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Publications
label: Type
content: Trade catalogs
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Pamphlets
label: Type
content: Newsletters
label: Type
content: Manuals
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Periodicals
label: Type
content: Videocassettes
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into one series.
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Andrea Bishop, intern, and Eric Ross, intern, 2018.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Publications
label: Genre/Form
content: Trade catalogs
label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence -- 2000-2010
label: Genre/Form
content: Pamphlets
label: Genre/Form
content: Newsletters
label: Genre/Form
content: Manuals
label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 2000-2010
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 1980-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Periodicals
label: Genre/Form
content: Videocassettes
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Archival materials on the subject of sewing and sewing machines, including correspondence, Fanning's subject files, photographs, newsletters, product manuals, catalogs, trade literature, articles, reprints, sewing periodicals, and VHS videos.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Smithsonian Institution Libraries

Books related to sewing and books authored by Robbie Fanning.