Needlework was an essential skill in the 19th and 20th centuries, encompassing everything from mending torn clothing to creating new garments for their families. Whether by necessity or choice, women spent countless hours with needle and thread, maintaining household textiles and fashioning clothes that would have been expensive or impossible to purchase ready-made. The artifacts in this collection—from sewing boxes and darning tools to toy machines that taught young girls the craft—reveal how needlework was woven into the daily rhythms of domestic life. These objects tell the story of the labor, skill, and resourcefulness required to keep a household clothed and functioning.
Red child’s dress, c. 1940
This child’s dress is made out of cotton and white lace trim. The dress is red with a black geometric pattern and black velvet bow at the neck.
Sewing Box, 1879
Donated by Rachel L. DeNick
Sewing boxes are containers used to hold sewing supplies like thread, needles, and buttons. This sewing box is made of walnut and pine. The shelves slide out with metal spindles for spools and thimbles.
Darning egg, ND
Donated by Steffani Strang
Darning is a sewing technique used to repair holes or worn parts of fabric on a garment such as a sock. A darning egg is an egg-shaped tool used to stretch and support the fabric being darned.
Toy Sewing Machine, 1901
Donated by Mrs. Roy A. McMillan
This toy sewing machine is made of iron and is painted black with gold trim. The name on the front of the machine is “Smith and Egge Automatic 1901.”
Sewing Box, 1879
Donated by Rachel L. DeNick
Sewing boxes are containers used to hold sewing supplies like thread, needles, and buttons. This sewing box is made of walnut and pine. The shelves slide out with metal spindles for spools and thimbles.
Spool of Thread, ND
This spool of thread features an American Thread Company label and it was originally white but it has turned beige as it has aged. Thread is a long, thin strand of cotton, silk, or other fibers and it is used for sewing and weaving.
Sewing Box, 1879
Donated by Rachel L. DeNick
Sewing boxes are containers used to hold sewing supplies like thread, needles, and buttons. This sewing box is made of walnut and pine. The shelves slide out with metal spindles for spools and thimbles.
