Tatting and Embroidery Patterns from The Modern Priscilla – July 1917

by | Dec 6, 2024 | Old Magazine Scans, The Modern Priscilla - WWI - July 1917

Black-and-white magazine cover from July 1917 showing a woman in a dress holding a parasol, with the headline "Smart Accessories to the Summer Wardrobe," featuring tatting and embroidery patterns for creative summer fashion.

My head is swimming with lace doilies and beautiful old-fashioned embroidery patterns! The July 1917 issue of The Modern Priscilla is a treasure trove of inspiration from the World War I era, offering a unique glimpse into the creative and practical ingenuity of women’s handiwork during this time.

With the war changing social structures and limiting access to many resources, The Modern Priscilla became an essential publication for women looking to make their own clothing, household decorations, and personal accessories. This edition is packed with intricate tatting patterns, embroidery suggestions, and instructions for creating practical, elegant items for the home and wardrobe. One can’t help but admire the skill involved in these timeless crafts, which were as much about beauty as they were about keeping creative traditions alive during trying times.

Highlights from these vintage pages:

  • Smart Accessories for the Summer Wardrobe
    Lightweight, handmade pieces were emphasized for practicality and the warm weather, showcasing the tendency toward form and function typical of the era.
  • Hardanger Embroidery for the Table
    The magazine describes this Scandinavian needlework technique, often done in white thread on even-weave fabric, as perfect for creating intricate, polished table linens. Hardanger’s geometric patterns were embroidered in a single color, creating stunning decorative pieces.
  • White Embroideries for the Bride’s Chest
    This section featured a collection of linens every bride “needed” for her trousseau, including napkins, pillowcases, and table covers. Symbolically, they represented meticulous care and the homemaking skills a bride would bring into her marriage.
  • A Fitted Piano Scarf with Crochet Drops
    A testament to the importance of style in home décor of the time, this was an elaborate design combining embroidery and crochet to beautify musical furnishings. In an era when piano ownership was considered a marker of middle-class respectability, such adornments were often proudly displayed.
  • Smart Blouses for All Occasions
    Reflecting the growing necessity of women entering the workforce during World War I, the issue included patterns for stylish, yet professional blouses that could be adapted to different social or professional settings.
  • Cool Muslins For the Hot Weather
    Descriptions of this light, airy fabric promoted its suitability for both daily wear and special occasions during the sweltering summer months.
  • A Luncheon Set Made Entirely of Tatting
    With incredible attention to detail, the patterns highlight how centers made from linen served as a canvas for this refined lacework technique. Tatting, popular for its elegance, required patience and precision to execute.
  • Collar Bags and Scarves in Filet Crochet
    Practical yet decorative, these items were described as “unnecessary but nice to have,” emphasizing the luxury of leisure crafting at a time of global hardship. Filet crochet, a method of creating lacy patterns with gaps, was noted for its versatility.
  • Block Printing and Its Application
    Block printing, a relatively simple crafting method involving carving and stamping designs, was promoted as an affordable way to add color and unique artistry to fabrics and other surfaces.

A Snapshot of 1917 Home Life

This issue of The Modern Priscilla reflects the domestic values and do-it-yourself ethos of a time when many women relied on their creative skills in both necessity and expression. With many store-bought goods rationed or limited due to the war effort, magazines like this provided ingenious techniques to help women keep their homes and wardrobes presentable. The articles not only furnished practical guidance but encouraged readers to take pride in their resourcefulness and craftsmanship.

Advertisements: A Peek Into Everyday Life During WW1

Beyond its patterns and projects, the magazine’s advertisements serve as an incredible artifact of consumer culture in 1917:

  • Coca-Cola: Promoted as “the pause that refreshes,” offering a welcome moment of indulgence amidst the demands of everyday life.
  • Iced Postum (Tea): Marketed as a caffeine-free alternative to coffee or tea, highlighting the shift toward wartime frugality.
  • Campbell’s Ox Tail Soup: A hearty, nourishing meal made easy, described with a compelling tagline: “Just like finding money!”

These ads showcase how products were fashioned to appeal to a nation pulling together to conserve resources, while still enjoying small comforts.

A Closer Look at The Modern Priscilla’s Mission

Published from 1887 to 1930, The Modern Priscilla was a popular needlework and homemaking magazine that gained prominence by offering women detailed, practical instructions for a variety of handcrafts. By 1917, it had evolved into a cultural staple, helping women navigate the challenges of day-to-day life during war while still finding ways to express creativity and maintain social norms.

The magazine’s carefully curated content—combining accessible patterns with stylish inspiration—gave women an outlet for artistry, even as they took on a more active role in society. The July issue highlights the delicate balance between adhering to pre-war traditions and embracing wartime adaptation.

Crafting Through History

For history and craft enthusiasts, flipping through this issue is like stepping back in time. Every pattern and instruction echoes a story: resourceful women stretching their ingenuity, balancing patriotism with personal creativity, all while bringing beauty into their everyday lives. As I scanned page after page of tatting, embroidery, and intricate designs, it became impossible not to marvel at the consistency of human desire to create and connect, even amid the challenges of wartime.

This July 1917 edition is truly a window into a world where even the simplest handmade item symbolized resilience, elegance, and a commitment to craft. Can modern DIY culture ever fully capture the ingenuity of our foremothers? Maybe—but only with a deep appreciation for the traditions they upheld and the history they lived through.

Keep exploring the world of early 20th-century crafts and vintage inspiration! As usual, I’ve scanned many patterns and layouts from this issue for you to enjoy and use in your own creative projects. What do you think?

A vintage magazine page titled "The Modern Priscilla July 1917," featuring articles, a warning notice, contents list, and various advertisements for beauty, health, household products, plus vintage tatting patterns and Hardanger embroidery patterns.
A vintage newspaper page featuring tips for needleworkers, vintage tatting patterns, an advertisement for Mellin's Food, and an article promoting a money-making opportunity for women.
Black-and-white magazine cover from July 1917 showing a woman in a dress holding a parasol, with the headline "Smart Accessories to the Summer Wardrobe," featuring tatting and embroidery patterns for creative summer fashion.
A vintage magazine page displaying patterns and photographs of embroidered household linens, including doilies and table mats, with descriptive text, item numbers, and elegant vintage tatting patterns.
Two examples of square Hardanger embroidery patterns in one color, featured above brief descriptions and instructions on a vintage magazine page from The Modern Priscilla July 1917.
A vintage magazine page from The Modern Priscilla July 1917 features instructions and illustrations for crocheting a fitted piano scarf adorned with detailed floral and leaf patterns.
A vintage magazine page from The Modern Priscilla July 1917 featuring black-and-white photos and illustrations of women's blouses and camisoles, alongside vintage bridal linen patterns, descriptions, and pricing information.
Vintage magazine page from The Modern Priscilla July 1917 displaying muslin bedding and pillow cover designs with embroidered details, featuring vintage bridal linen patterns, descriptive text, and labeled illustrations.
A vintage magazine page from The Modern Priscilla July 1917 features crochet patterns for a luncheon set, including doilies and vintage bridal linen patterns, with detailed instructions and the title “A Luncheon Set Made Entirely of Tatting.”.
A vintage magazine page displays crochet patterns for collars, bags, and scarves, alongside vintage tatting patterns, with black-and-white illustrations and instructional text.
A vintage newspaper page featuring an article about planning a clam bake and an illustrated Campbell's Soup advertisement with a child mascot, alongside vintage bridal linen patterns and a can of Ox Tail Soup.
A vintage newspaper page featuring an article on clam bakes and a Campbell’s Ox Tail Soup advertisement with a cartoon child holding a soup can, alongside tips on vintage bridal linen patterns.
A vintage magazine page from The Modern Priscilla July 1917 featuring instructions for knitting a porch sweater, with a black-and-white photo of the sweater and several yarn and clothing advertisements along the left side.
A black-and-white vintage magazine page featuring knitting instructions for a sweater, an article on iced drinks, illustrations of a sweater and two women with a child, and references to WWI embroidery magazine content.
A vintage magazine page from The Modern Priscilla July 1917 features sewing patterns and illustrations for small handmade items like purses, slippers, and a camisole, with vintage tatting patterns, descriptive columns, and period advertisements.
A vintage magazine page features illustrations of handmade gifts and accessories, such as bags and slippers, alongside ads for shoes, soap, pillow cases, and WWI embroidery magazine highlights like vintage tatting patterns.
A vintage magazine page from The Modern Priscilla July 1917 features articles on block printing, curtain designs, tatting and embroidery patterns, plus advertisements for slippers, beauty products, glue, and other household items.
A vintage magazine page features block printing techniques, illustrations of printed curtains, two printed drawstring bags, and related text instructions, WWI embroidery magazine advertisements, and tatting and embroidery patterns.
A vintage page from The Modern Priscilla July 1917 features crochet and embroidery patterns, articles on summer sewing, dental advice, vintage bridal linen patterns, and a Coca-Cola ad with a woman and her dog.
A vintage newspaper page featuring articles, an ad for Sozodont dental powder, a Coca-Cola advertisement with two women and a dog outdoors, and tatting and embroidery patterns from The Modern Priscilla July 1917.
A vintage magazine page from The Modern Priscilla July 1917 features ads for an asbestos mat, dental powder, muslin fabrics, and Coca-Cola, alongside illustrations of women and children and tatting and embroidery patterns.
Vintage magazine page from The Modern Priscilla July 1917 featuring a crochet bedspread pattern, vintage bridal linen patterns, and instructions alongside advertisements for beauty and craft products on the left side.
A vintage magazine page displays instructions and a pattern for a bedspread set with crochet squares, featuring a large, detailed motif and layout ideas alongside vintage tatting patterns from an early WWI embroidery magazine.
A magazine page from The Modern Priscilla July 1917 displays letters from readers on the left and black-and-white filet crochet patterns with instructions, alongside vintage tatting patterns, on the right.
A vintage magazine page from The Modern Priscilla July 1917 featuring filet crochet patterns, including charts for inserts, edges, a small filet bag, and accompanying written instructions—perfect inspiration for vintage bridal linen patterns.
A woman in a WAC uniform reading a newspaper during WWII.

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