A Stitching Class Book: Twelve Samples of Joining and Repairing

early twentieth century
when closed: 5 1/4" x 8", 13 cm x 20.25 cm

This small treasure is an album of samples of stitching, joining and invisible mending, undoubtedly the work of a young woman or girl--in this case we know her name, Aiko Suzuki--who was tasked to create this book to collect the work that was completed in a stitching class.

In the book there are a dozen samples, each of which shows very subtle mending  techniques in practice as well as techniques in expertly joining fabric. 

For example, on one of the photos we can barely see a seam running in the middle of the fragment. On another we see a circular mend. Then there is an "L"-shaped mend.

On many of the samples you need to look at the back to see what the student did to the cloth: the work is so fine, so perfect, that the cloth seems untouched or unaltered.

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.