07/13/2026
There is something very similar with each of these photos.
They are all a representation of a fiber art.
Fiber art is a fiber craft that creates using a fiber for a multitude of purposes, by passing a strand through a base or loop.
The first painting is of a young mother and child, and the mother is hand sewing a piece of clothing. The second to the right is of a quilted petticoat. Below on the left is an embroidered stomacher. Next to it is a photo of a woman using a weaving loom. Lastly, on the right is a painting of a woman knitting.
Each of these techniques during the 18th century uses either linen, silk, or wool.
The connection with fiber art and the colonial soldier is hand sewing. Men had to know how to mend their clothing themselves. Knowing how to sew was essential. Hand sewing crossed both genders. We have quite a few men with excellent sewing skills here at Fort Loudoun.
A brief history of sewing begins with horn and bone being used as a needle and animal sinew as a thread. Iron needles were invented around the 14th century and did not have the eyes of today's needles. By the 15th century eyed needles were invented. Sometime later steel was used for needles in mass production by the 1800s.
There are many types of stitches, but a small number of those used in the 18th century are still in use today. They are the backstitch, running stitch, whipstitch, slip stitch, and the buttonhole stitch.
Those used in the 18th century particularly were the English stitch, flat-felled seams, whipstitched rolled hems, stroke gathers, and the buttonhole stitch.
Last of all is the number of stitches. An inch worth of stitches required sometimes up to 14. The lowest amount being 8 to 12 per inch to strengthen and give some water resistance, wax was used to coat the thread by running the strand through a piece of it.
What fiber craft are you drawn to?
What is the most difficult hand sewing project you've done?
BONUS QUESTION:
What year were steel needles becoming widely used here in America?
Comment below your answer to this question!
