Subseries

This subseries documents various trends and techniques associated with the fields of clothing and decoration, in the form of patterns and models, guides and specialized publications. The majority of the items in this corpus are knitting and needlework magazines like Mon Tricot and Corticelli Home Needlework, produced by the Corticelli Silk Co. Ltd.

There are also knitting guides and patterns, published by companies like Lever Brothers Ltd., Henry Morgan & Co. Ltd. and Mary Maxim, used for commercial purposes or to promote crafts as a way for Canadian women to get involved in the war effort.

Guides published by Singer explaining how to create decorative items and alter clothing, and guides on weaving and making a loom produced by the Macdonald College Handicrafts Division complete this collection.

In addition to providing information on how certain businesses promoted their products, these documents, published primarily between the early and mid-20th century, paint a portrait of a society in which a housewife's worth was measured by her ability to sew and do needlework.