67/81/1-2

This sewing basket, for storing sewing items, was made in Orkney, and purchased by the donor in Ullapool. It is a round, flown, coil-type basket made of straw and manila twine or sisal string, with a domed lid and a small string handle. The basket has faint scorch marks on the inside where it was 'toasted' to neaten it up.

1 sewing basket: straw (Manilla twine); good condition.

Visiting researcher note, Tim Johnson (basketmaker), 20 June 2014 – This basket shows signs of having been ‘toasted’ - faint scorch marks are visible. When baskets like this were completed, the maker would take a piece of burning newspaper and ‘toast’ the inside to tidy it up and remove all the hairy bits. The twine may be white sisal string, rather than manila twine, which is usually darker in colour., The Ann Mary Pilcher Collection of Victorian Baskets (67/60-94) was collected by Ann Mary Pilcher in 1957-1967, mostly from junk shops and stalls. Little history is known about any of them., MERL 'Catalogue of baskets' form – 'NAME: BASKET (sewing) // Acc. No.: 67/81 // Group: CRAFTS: TEXTILE clothing sewing // Neg. no.: 60/8654 // Place purchased: Scotland in Ullapool. // Place of origin: Orkney // Period in use: 1959 // DESCRIPTION // Materials: Straw. Manila twine. // Shape and construction: Round coil-type with fit-in cover. Cover domed. Side flown. Small bound string handle. {Coarsely made D.W. [Dorothy Wright]} // Dimensions: WB. [width of bottom] 4” WT. [width of top] 6” D. [depth] 4 1/2” Cover W. [width] 7” // Use: For needle work. // Dialect names: // Distribution: // Additional notes:'

Orkney Islands

Wright, Dorothy (Recorder)