A Student's Stitching and Mending Album: Extremely Fine Work

early twentieth century
as shown, closed: 7 1/4" x 6 1/4", 18.5 cm x 16 cm 

This small treasure is an album of samples of stitching, joining and invisible mending, undoubtedly the work of a young woman or girl who was tasked to create this book to collect the work that was achieved in a stitching class.

In the book there are nine samples, each of which shows very subtle mending techniques in practice  as well as techniques in expertly joining fabric. The cover says the contents are "basic sewing and joining" and the back cover shows the name of the student, surname, Inabe.

For example, on one of the photos we see a seam running in the middle of the fragment. On the lead photo we see a circular mend.

There are other examples, too where the mending is almost impossible to see. 

This is a real treasure, a real-life record of what was considered "women's work"--and in light of the interest today in invisible and visible mending, this certainly is good for an interested person's archive.

Recommended.