Older cloth draw string purse, worth listing?

Hello all,

This was an a neighborhood sale this summer. What can you tell me, age, descriptive words, etc. I forgot to snap a photo of the inside, can do so if that would help. Inside makes it look like it has some age, old flesh colored silk, hand sewn. It seems to be 1940's or earlier, maybe even 1920's or earlier? Measures 14x10 1/2". Thanks for taking a look.

 

Can you show the inside? I'm not getting that early a vibe from the outside because the colors seem too bright for that era, but it may just be the way the camera makes them look. I have a lot of needlepoint and embroidery tht belonged to my mother and aunts. I'd like a closer look at the stitching, too.

 

Okay, give me a minute to get some additional photos. Thanks!

 

Also, what are the rings made of? Maybe that will help.

 

Hi, here are some additional photos. I'm really bad with ID-ing fabrics, perhaps the inside is not silk now that I look at it. But the whole thing still looks older to my eye. Those little rings are metal sort of crocheted (?). I feel like I've seen something similar in an old sewing kit my mother used to have, maybe rings for curtains?

The colors are coming out a bit brighter in the photo for some reason, esp. the stitching. The drawstring and ring color seems pretty accurate. Could that part have been added later? As I see the inside there is a stitch all the way around (where my finger is pointing), maybe this was originally for some kind of internal drawstring, then they changed it.

Here are the photos:

 

For some reason it has kind of a Danish feel to me.

 

Those rings are pretty nifty.
The only time I have seen any like it, are the old fashion shade pulls, and those were/are much larger.

That looks like cross stitch on linen, and to me the bag has kind of a 1950s "folk singer" thing going. During the time dirndl skirts were popular.

This is purely my opinion, and may bear no relationship to reality.

 

Although photos online can sometimes be deceiving, it does look like the blue rings were a later addition. Seeing the inside, and as you said, it looks like a drawstring once went through the top of the bag. From this perspective, the inside fabric looks older than the outside. Is it possible someone took an older lining and used it for a newer (1950-60) bag? There really looks like a big difference to me and I come from a line of needleworkers and used to do a lot of my own. Check the color and thickness of the tiny thread on the inner bag vs. the cross stitch, for instance.

 

The cross stitch is done with floss, not regular sewing thread.

 

Thank you Bev and Messi.

Anything is possible with this, I'll look again at the inside to see if the exterior could have been redone. That would be an interesting discovery!

Messi, not sure what you mean by "floss". Does that date the exterior at all?

I just realized you can super enlarge these photos by clicking on them. Maybe you all have done that, but it surely gives you a close-up view. Were the pictures here always like that?

 

I meant that the cross stitch design on the outside is done with floss - which is multiple strands of thread, either cotton or silk, but I'm betting cotton.
The sewing on the inside is done with regular sewing thread.
The fact that it is floss doesn't help with dating it, because *floss* has been around forever.

What we need here is for someone to go poke 6rivets and have her look at it.

 

I would love to have 6rivets put in her 2cents.

I'll try. Is this how you "poke"? @6rivets

 

I *think* it might be - have never tried, so I'm not sure.

 

Ok, thanks.

 

Odd one. Lining and general design say 1920s, but those floss colors....huh. I don't think it's worth worrying over though. Just call it "first half 20th century". Could have been intended as a handbag or a lingerie bag.

 

Bev, Messi and 6Rivets -- you are all the best!

It is sort of an odd whatever piece. I doubt it even has much resale, but at least I know more or less what it might be and very much appreciate you all taking a look. It has a little quaintness about it -- will have to decide what to do with it.

 

This was a very popular style bag in the Edwardian through arts & crafts periods. As for the pattern, I'd say it's Checkoslovakian or there abouts. Don't let those bright colors fool you - if you look at books on antique textile prints you'll see downright psychadelic prints in the late 1800's - as soon as enough shades of synthetic dyes were invented, people reveled in the bright shades that could be made. Often they were caustic though so some colors ate right through the fabric in short order. Eastern European linens seemed to fare better and still look fresh today, plus bright colors and bold designs were favored in that region.

Crocheted rings were popular for this sort of bag. They'll look more familiar to you in white: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-Antique...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 http://grandmotherspatternbook.com/?p=2398
and they're easy to make. http://www.craftstylish.com/item/9676/how-to-make-a-crocheted-ring-bracelet

 

BTW, I believe the blue cord is new, but the rings are not. The lining is more of a giveaway as to the age than the outside is, since people do make things from old patterns. That's nice old sateen cotton lining, and it was likely recycled from something else. Recycling of old textiles in this way ( using it where it won't show) was common until the end of WW2.

I was given a full, large trunk full of lace that belonged to a woman who lived from about 1880 to 1970. She traveled the world as a nanny and then companion to a wealthy woman, and collected and traded lace with people she met along the way, amassing a very good collection. She was also highly experimental, and made lace from anything and everything she could get her hands on. One of my favorite items was an Edwardian dress with lace inserts that she took apart stitch by stitch and remade into a 1920's day frock. And then took apart again, stitch by stitch and rolled up to be used a third time. I remade the 1920's frock and wore it in the 1980's. It is now waiting to be used a 4th time.

 

Thank you, Lulululu for your double reply! Very informative. Looking at the bag I think you are absolutely correct, the cord is new.

P.S. I loved the story about the trunk full of lace.

 

I'd be tempted to carefully pick out some of the yellow thread you show on the inside of the side seam and pull back the lining ever so slightly to see what the other side looks like. I really think the outside is circa 1970s from the photos.