Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Alice's Scrapbag: My Pocket

Cotton Print Pocket
Collection: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Patchwork pockets were an everyday accessory two hundred years ago.

These bags were a good place for girls to practice their stitching.
Stars were apparently a popular pattern


In my Alice's Scrapbag repro collection I named a small calico
"My Pocket" to remember when girls practice patchwork stars
and stitched pockets.

The document print that is the source for "My Pocket"
was in Alice's four-patch quilt.
The print reminds us of a time when pockets were tied around the female waist.
Skirts had side slits and so did the pockets.

Pockets weren't always patchwork. Here's
a very simple pink calico example with a frayed applied binding.

I remember this nursery rhyme,
which made no sense to me when I was 5.


It's clearer today.

Lucy Lockett lost her pocket....the binding round it.

How could you lose your pocket I wondered. It was a negative space.

Unlike Alice I was born after the invention of pants and pockets.

Coco Chanel gets the credit.

Read more about pockets



VADS pockets of history
http://www.vads.ac.uk/collections/POCKETS
at

7 comments:

  1. susanApril 13, 2016 at 7:00 AM

    I love love love those pockets. Wish I could find a pattern for one so I wouldn't have to think on it! Cause I want one!

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  2. WoolenSailsApril 13, 2016 at 10:51 AM

    I do love the pockets and have a book, guess I need to try some.

    Debbie

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  3. abelianApril 13, 2016 at 1:59 PM

    The Victoria and Albert museum has instructions for making a pocket, with downloadable templates:

    http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/m/make-your-own-pocket/

    ReplyDelete
  4. Linda SchifferApril 13, 2016 at 3:39 PM

    My quilt-making grandmother taught me the Lucy Locket song, too. Her's went a bit differently (she was from the Appalachian area of western Virginia, Wise County):

    Lucy Locket lost her pocket,
    Kitty Fisher found it.
    Not a penny was there in it,
    Only ribbon 'round it.

    :) Linda

    ReplyDelete
  5. suzanneApril 14, 2016 at 1:07 PM

    Thanks for this post. I love these pockets, couldn't see enough of them. Maybe I'll make one and hang it on the back of my bedroom door. I'm so glad you connected the Lucy Locket Had a Pocket rhyme with these pockets! I learned the rhyme as a child (Mother Goose?) but never thought of it as involving this type of pocket. You provided an AHA! moment.

    ReplyDelete
  6. SophieApril 15, 2016 at 5:38 AM

    The pocket is really cute accessory! I'd love to born at the time of pockets.

    ReplyDelete
  7. KerikeriQuilting&Patchwork@blogger.comApril 15, 2016 at 7:17 PM

    Linda, In England we too say "ribbon" not binding.
    Valerie

    ReplyDelete