The Arts and Crafts Movement of the late 19th century encouraged a return to hand craftsmanship. It inspired women with the skills and initiative to create useful and expressive work within the confines of the home. The indigo-dyed yarn of the earliest colonial embroideries inspired a group of women in Deerfield, Massachusetts, to form the Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework. The members created original designs and adapted 18th and 19th-century patterns. Guided by the designs, the colored threads, and the high standards generated by the founders of the society, Deerfield women worked together to embroider linens for exhibition and sale. A “D” in a flax wheel was the society’s trademark and mark of quality.
Miller, Margaret. Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework. Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework, ca. 1900. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l99-135/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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