Needlework Pocket Kit
Counted Cross Stitch Kit

Kit design adapted from 18th Century Crewel Wool Pocket in the Colonial Williamsburg Collection In the 18th century, ladies wore sewn pouches called pockets beneath their petticoats. The pockets, often worn in pairs, were tied to the waist with fabric belts, and could be reached through slits in the outside skirts. A young colonial girl probably used her pocket for small treasures, a toy, or a handkerchief, while an adult woman might have chosen more utilitarian items and perhaps a few personal things. Most pockets were probably of a plain design, but a number of them were patterned, such as the one in this kit, which features a pattern of flowers, buds, and meandering vines adapted from a larger Early American pocket (1740-1770) in the collection of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.