Everything old is new again.
Here's a pamphlet from my collection for machine embroidery. The pamphlet is from the 1890s.
"Saves money on Christmas presents," one ad boasted.
Actually I have a modern embroidery machine that my mother gave me. She had bought and used it for a few months and then tired of it. I used it to make some stuffed animals and bags for the kids and now it just sits in a closet. The truth is I like my embroidery hand sewn.
But surprisingly the instructions from the Home Hand Embroidery Machine are very similar to today's modern versions, including the use of a frame for your fabric:
Here are more instructions:
The company also sold patterns that resemble those we know from Briggs Iron-On Transfers:
I haven't found much online for this product. If memory serves me right, we've seen some 19th century embroidery that we realized was done by machine but I don't have any photographs.
I don't know when the company folded but I did find that they were in a directory in 1904.
Hope you find this little tidbit of interest. If you know of any more information, please share it with us!
Have a safe and happy day!
I find this interesting, thanks. I too prefer hand embroidered, but as my hands age it will become less possible. I have a friend who is in her early 80's and she loves her embroidery machine.
ReplyDeleteSo far, I've not been pulled into an embroidery machine. Somehow I knew that the learning curve, the cost of patterns and thread, and how much I'd actually make things with it would not add up. This is an interesting tool - an attempt to modernize and "automate" the punch needle tool.
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