An Album of Western Tailored Sewing Samples: Student's Work

early twentieth century
when closed: 11" x 8" x 1 3/4", 28 cm x 20 cm x 4.5 cm

This remarkable home made album contains 19 samples culled from a class that taught Western tailoring techniques, and this was clearly the accumulated work of one woman or girl.

The collection is housed in a "scrap book" and these very words are embossed on the spine. The book's covers are card and the pages are cellulose based paper.

It contains:
-a sample pocket with decorative, folded trim
-a sample of this trim
-an entire sampler of various embroidery stitches
-a sample of smocking
-a sample of smocking, gathering stitches and decorative stitches which look like chain
-a sample of two types of joining stitches
-a sample of a sleeve and cuff detail
-a sample of a sleeve detail
-four samples of pockets, each on its own page
-a sample showing buttonholes, buttons, snaps and hook and eye closures
-a mending sample
-a finishing of banding sample
-what appears to be a hem sample
-a sample showing two buttonholes
-a sample showing banding or finishing on curved pieces
-a sample showing finishing on curves

As well, there are a few pages of newspaper clippings which are glued into this scrap book.

The leaves of the book have come undone from their binding due to their weight and how they pull at the pages, but the book is an intact testament to a moment in Japanese history when Western clothing was coming into fashion and was becoming acculturated in the Japan of the early twentieth century.

This is a marvelous thing, a wonderful thing. 

A treasure.

Recommended.