FUNDRAISING

OUR FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN HAS STARTED!  GOAL: 5000 USD / 6125 CAD AND CURRENTLY AT 65%

To keep our Library up and running, we hold a fundraising campaign from September to December.

This is the link to the donation button: Donate to keep the Antique Pattern Library running!  

If you can’t afford to donate, but would like to help the Antique Pattern Library, introducing the Library to people who don’t know of it yet, is very useful, since it broadens our user base and therefore also our future donor base. Blogs, Tiktok, Instagram, Pinterest, Ravelry, Facebook, other social media – show others your favorite publications and what you made using them. Our work is only useful when people actually use it!

If that is not possible either, just enjoy our new publications either for inspiration or for your own work! There’s always something new to try out and something well-known to sharpen our skills with. 

NEW PUBLICATION 

D-SW018 Jane Gilbert – A Book of Bags, Heminway Silks Book Bag No. 1
Exquisite crocheted silk beaded bags. Bags are named The Rolandere No. 528, The Belle Claire No. 524, The Brideweld No. 522, The Kenneth-Field No. 525, The Oaksmere No. 526, The Hubbard No. 523, The Tiffin No. 519, The Sydney No. 518, The Newcomb No. 527, The Canton No. 521, The Empire No. 520.
From the collection of Sytske Wijnsma, scanned by Seya Wijnsma-Spek, edited by Sytske Wijnsma.

There was a time when every lady would carry a bag, because (of course) no dress had any pockets, something still a cause of irritation more than 100 years later. Silk bags were carried around by a wrist strap because (of course) to sling a shoulder band across a beautiful beaded dress with lace and other decorations would be even less ladylike than having pockets. The beadwork would add individuality and make a bag easier to recognize. Sometimes even initials were added to a bag or purse design. Such beaded bags were also a great way to flaunt your good taste and ability with the crochet hook or knitting needles.

An outlier is the one miser purse in this book, with two different ends, making it easier to feel where the gold and silver coins went and where the copper coins were stashed, without having to take the entire purse out. This design is less practical in modern times, where most cash money is paper bills. Even putting the folded bills in the square end makes it difficult to get them out and find the denomination without having to unpack all the bills in the purse.  There has to be an alternate use for this design, maybe to store marbles for children? Dungeons and Dragons game pieces? Let us know your suggestions!