c. 1799
Medium
Cotton, plain weaves; some embroidered with silk in chain and cross stitches; some printed; pieced; edged with cotton, plain weaves; some printed; lined with linen
Dimensions
37.2 × 32.4 cm (14 5/8 × 12 3/4 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
190425
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
During the 18th and early 19th centuries, women’s clothing was not constructed with sewn-in pockets. Separate pockets had long narrow tapes along their top edge that tied around the waist and were concealed beneath skirts, accessed by slits or open seams. This pocket may have functioned as a practice piece for a larger project, perhaps a pieced bedcover.
Art Historical Context
This charming pocket, created around 1799 by Sally Standish, offers a delightful glimpse into late eighteenth-century textile arts and everyday life. Measuring just over fourteen inches tall, the piece was likely worn tied around the waist beneath a woman’s skirt, serving as a practical yet personal accessory for carrying small belongings. Its construction from pieced cotton plain weaves, some printed and others embroidered with silk in chain and cross stitches, then finished with a linen lining, reflects both resourcefulness and careful craftsmanship typical of the period. Standish’s work highlights the domestic needlework traditions of the era, when women often combined printed fabrics with hand-embroidered details to create functional items of beauty. The mix of techniques—printed patterns alongside delicate silk stitching—suggests an inventive approach that maximized available materials while adding personal expression. Such pockets were not merely utilitarian; they represented quiet creativity and skill passed through generations. Today, this textile from the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection reminds us how ordinary objects can carry rich stories of making, use, and cultural practice. Its modest scale and thoughtful details invite visitors to appreciate the artistry embedded in daily routines of the late 1700s.
About the Artist
Sally Standish
Sally Standish was an American needleworker active in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, primarily associated with Massachusetts or Rhode Island. Little is known of her personal life or formal training, as records from the period rarely documented domestic artisans, especially women working in embroidery. Her surviving work reflects the practical yet decorative traditions of early...