Needlework - Ribbon
Nazareth, July 12th 1835
My dear children,
I prefer the basket of Flowers to any pattern I saw, and would only observe if the selection and arrangement can be made so as to give a sufficient knowledge of the work, without being so large as to become tedious, and unnecessarily expensive. I would be glad. I think the white silk looks best if you can only be careful enough not to soil it in the working, but you must be extremely particular, for it is not easy to repair mischief of that kind.
from your affectionate
Mother
Sarah Hinchcliffe Kummer advises her daughters, Caroline and Sophia, students at Moravian Seminary for Young Ladies in Bethlehem. Ribbon work is comprised of floral arrangements made from a combination of silk crepe ribbon (present day chiffon), silk and chenille. In America, this method of embellishment appears to have been taught primarily by the Moravians and was introduced into the Seminary curriculum in 1822 at the cost of $3 per month.
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Caroline Louisa Kummer, ca. 1840, crepe ribbon, wool, silk, chenille on silk, Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, a member of Historic Bethlehem Partnership. |
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