A sewing circle is a group of people who meet regularly for the purpose of sewing, often for charitable causes.
Giacomo Ceruti, Women Working on Pillow Lace (1720s)The Junior Sewing Circle of the North Lima Mennonite Congregation, North Lima, Ohio, 1952Group working on the Mekong quilts project in Vietnam (2009)
Sewing circle participants, usually women, typically meet regularly for the purpose of sewing. They often also support charitable causes while chatting, gossiping, and/or discussing.
For example, in ante-bellum America, local anti-slavery or missionary "sewing circles were complementary, not competing, organisations that allowed [women] to act on their concern for creating a more just and moral society".[1] Other examples of sewing circles include the Fragment Society, the Mennonite Sewing Circle, and those organized by RMS Titanic survivor Emily Goldsmith aboard the rescue ship RMS Carpathia: Goldsmith, "a talented seamstress, organized sewing circles to make garments out of cloth and blankets for those passengers dressed in nightclothes when they entered the lifeboats."[2]
Apart from charitable purposes, contemporary sewing circles may be formed into organisations on a national level, such as the Guilds in Australia and America "for people who regard sewing as a creative and rewarding activity".[5][6]
"Chew the rag"edit
It has been speculated that the phrase "chew the rag" could be related to gossiping while working in a sewing circle.[7]
Lesbian groupsedit
Sewing circle is also the phrase used (by Marlene Dietrich, for instance[8]) to describe the group of lesbian and bisexual woman writers and actresses, such as Mercedes de Acosta and Tallulah Bankhead, and their relationships in celebrity circles and in Hollywood, United States, particularly during Hollywood's golden age from the 1910s to the 1950s.[9] Unlike de Acosta and Bankhead, most members of the sewing circle were closeted. This usage of the term sewing circle was coined by the actress Alla Nazimova.[10][11]
^Carolyn J. Lawes, ed. (2000). Women and Reform in a New England Community, 1815-1860. Kentucky, US: The University Press of Kentucky. p. 78. ISBN0-8131-2131-0.
^. TITANIC - A Voyage of Discovery. Archived from the original on October 23, 1999. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
^Morley, Jacqueline (2021-02-03). Make Do And Mend A Very Peculiar History. The Salariya Book Company. p. 106. ISBN978-1-910184-45-5.
^Gledhill, Christine; Swanson, Gillian (1996). Nationalising Femininity: Culture, Sexuality and Cinema in World War Two Britain. Manchester University Press. p. 149. ISBN978-0-7190-4259-1.
^"Australian Sewing Guild". Retrieved 11 February 2016.
^"The American Sewing Guild". Retrieved 3 June 2013.
^Ammer, Christine (1997, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). "chew the fat."The American Heritage dictionary of idioms. Retrieved 2010-08-11
^Freeman, David (7 January 2001). "Closet Hollywood: A gossip columnist discloses some secrets about movie idols". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
^Madsen, Axel (2002). The Sewing Circle: Sappho's Leading Ladies. New York: Kensington Books. p. 3. ISBN978-0-7582-0101-0.
^Harbin, Billy J.; Marra, Kim; Schanke, Robert A., eds. (2005). The Gay & Lesbian Theatrical Legacy. University of Michigan. p. 297. ISBN0-472-09858-6. Munson was a member of 'the sewing circle,' a term originated by Alla Nazimova for a clique of lesbians and bisexuals who socialized in Hollywood.
Further readingedit
Kimberly D. Schmidt; Diane Zimmerman Umble; Steven D. Reschly, eds. (2003). Strangers at Home: Amish and Mennonite Women in History. JHU Press. ISBN9780801876851.
Anne Macdonald (2010). No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting. Random House Digital, Inc. ISBN9780307775443.
Nancy A. Hewitt (2001). Women's Activism and Social Change: Rochester, New York, 1822-1872. Lexington Books. ISBN9780739102978.
Nancy Ruth Reagin, ed. (1995). A German Women's Movement: Class and Gender in Hanover, 1880-1933. Univ of North Carolina Press. ISBN9780807864012.
Erica Simmons (2006). Hadassah And the Zionist Project. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN9780742549388.
Look up sewing circle in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
April 11, 2024
sewing, circle, sewing, circle, group, people, meet, regularly, purpose, sewing, often, charitable, causes, giacomo, ceruti, women, working, pillow, lace, 1720s, junior, sewing, circle, north, lima, mennonite, congregation, north, lima, ohio, 1952group, workin. A sewing circle is a group of people who meet regularly for the purpose of sewing often for charitable causes Giacomo Ceruti Women Working on Pillow Lace 1720s The Junior Sewing Circle of the North Lima Mennonite Congregation North Lima Ohio 1952Group working on the Mekong quilts project in Vietnam 2009 Contents 1 Application to sewing 1 1 Chew the rag 2 Lesbian groups 3 See also 4 References 5 Further readingApplication to sewing editSewing circle participants usually women typically meet regularly for the purpose of sewing They often also support charitable causes while chatting gossiping and or discussing For example in ante bellum America local anti slavery or missionary sewing circles were complementary not competing organisations that allowed women to act on their concern for creating a more just and moral society 1 Other examples of sewing circles include the Fragment Society the Mennonite Sewing Circle and those organized by RMS Titanic survivor Emily Goldsmith aboard the rescue ship RMS Carpathia Goldsmith a talented seamstress organized sewing circles to make garments out of cloth and blankets for those passengers dressed in nightclothes when they entered the lifeboats 2 During World War II sewing circles were formed to help people make do and mend in response to rationing in the United Kingdom The Women s Voluntary Services organized sewing circles and classes during the war 3 Elizabeth II hosted sewing circles twice a week with both palace staff and aristocrats attending 4 Apart from charitable purposes contemporary sewing circles may be formed into organisations on a national level such as the Guilds in Australia and America for people who regard sewing as a creative and rewarding activity 5 6 Chew the rag edit It has been speculated that the phrase chew the rag could be related to gossiping while working in a sewing circle 7 Lesbian groups editSewing circle is also the phrase used by Marlene Dietrich for instance 8 to describe the group of lesbian and bisexual woman writers and actresses such as Mercedes de Acosta and Tallulah Bankhead and their relationships in celebrity circles and in Hollywood United States particularly during Hollywood s golden age from the 1910s to the 1950s 9 Unlike de Acosta and Bankhead most members of the sewing circle were closeted This usage of the term sewing circle was coined by the actress Alla Nazimova 10 11 See also editGolden Needle Sewing School Knitting clubs Quilting bee Revolutionary Knitting Circle Stitch n Bitch Dorcas SocietyReferences edit Carolyn J Lawes ed 2000 Women and Reform in a New England Community 1815 1860 Kentucky US The University Press of Kentucky p 78 ISBN 0 8131 2131 0 The Search for the Dead TITANIC A Voyage of Discovery Archived from the original on October 23 1999 Retrieved March 13 2016 Morley Jacqueline 2021 02 03 Make Do And Mend A Very Peculiar History The Salariya Book Company p 106 ISBN 978 1 910184 45 5 Gledhill Christine Swanson Gillian 1996 Nationalising Femininity Culture Sexuality and Cinema in World War Two Britain Manchester University Press p 149 ISBN 978 0 7190 4259 1 Australian Sewing Guild Retrieved 11 February 2016 The American Sewing Guild Retrieved 3 June 2013 Ammer Christine 1997 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt chew the fat The American Heritage dictionary of idioms Retrieved 2010 08 11 Freeman David 7 January 2001 Closet Hollywood A gossip columnist discloses some secrets about movie idols The New York Times Retrieved 18 April 2011 Madsen Axel 2002 The Sewing Circle Sappho s Leading Ladies New York Kensington Books p 3 ISBN 978 0 7582 0101 0 Film Actors Lesbian glbtq com Retrieved 2014 01 12 Harbin Billy J Marra Kim Schanke Robert A eds 2005 The Gay amp Lesbian Theatrical Legacy University of Michigan p 297 ISBN 0 472 09858 6 Munson was a member of the sewing circle a term originated by Alla Nazimova for a clique of lesbians and bisexuals who socialized in Hollywood Further reading editKimberly D Schmidt Diane Zimmerman Umble Steven D Reschly eds 2003 Strangers at Home Amish and Mennonite Women in History JHU Press ISBN 9780801876851 Anne Macdonald 2010 No Idle Hands The Social History of American Knitting Random House Digital Inc ISBN 9780307775443 Nancy A Hewitt 2001 Women s Activism and Social Change Rochester New York 1822 1872 Lexington Books ISBN 9780739102978 Nancy Ruth Reagin ed 1995 A German Women s Movement Class and Gender in Hanover 1880 1933 Univ of North Carolina Press ISBN 9780807864012 Erica Simmons 2006 Hadassah And the Zionist Project Rowman amp Littlefield ISBN 9780742549388 nbsp Look up sewing circle in Wiktionary the free dictionary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sewing circle amp oldid 1167230714, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
