The following 1910 sewing instructions are for an organizing bag. Women made these pretty box bags to organize their sewing projects and craft supplies.
A Convenient Work Bag
This bag may be made of any size, so that it may be used for small pieces of fancy work or to hold several pairs of stockings that are waiting to be mended.
For the foundation, a square cardboard box is used; the inside and out of the square bottom must both be covered with the material that is to be selected for the bag; it may be fixed in position by a little seccotine.
The bag must be made just the size of the box and about twice as deep as the width of one side. Turn down the top with a hem of one and one-half to two inches; extra materials must be allowed for the turning of this hem; run the hem twice so as to make a slide in which cord may be threaded to draw up bag.
Don’t sew up the bottom of the bag, but turn in the edges and sew it to the inside of the sides of box, the stitches can be taken through to the outside, as they will be covered.
Now, on the outside of the box put a band of embroidered canvas, fancy silk or velvet; it must be cut a trifle wider than the depth of side and be sewn into position top and bottom. The ends must be neatly joined together.
Source: The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.), 14 Dec. 1910.
