How to make a housewife?

[sweatlock]

Does anyone know of or have a pattern for making a housewife? Or even some general measurements/diagrams/guidelines?

I know that there are several vendors out there that sell high-quality versions of this item, but I have a lot of scrap wool, jean, & osnaburg material laying around, I'm handy with a needle & thread, and I'm loathe to buy something that I can make.

Thanks! :p

[jurgitemvaletem]

Hello,

to be honest, there is no real rhyme or reason to a pattern for a housewife. As long as you can make yourself something that will hold up in your haversack that is large enough to be able to hold your general sewing needs with any sort of pockets you may feel appropriate would do just fine. I have seen them built in such a way as to where they fold up and button together, or you can build one to role up and tie together. But I guess the point that I am trying to get accross here is that, as long as you make something that works for you out of period correct materials, it just does not matter what it looks like.

[Coatsy]

I know that John Legg has been making many tard cloth, natural material, and canvas type of House-Wives. You should drop a line to him. Or send him a PM message.

[jerryeberg]

Yea, my house wife is the end of a sleeve of an old shirt with a couple pins in it. But if you want to be a conformist and buy one that every other reenactor has for only $5, try Crescent City... http://www.crescentcitysutler.com/Haversack_items.html
... I don't get why people will pay up to twenty dollars for a used one on this forum when they could buy a new one for just $5!!!
(Hee hee, a conformist reenactor; almost an oxymoron. :) )

[ElizabethClark]

Housewifes come in a variety of shapes and sizes--a small roll of working materials is a common feature of a woman's workbag or traveling kit. I'm curious as to how the majority of men were getting such little contrivances--if sent from loving hands at home, then the majority of the very rough, "homespun" fabrics with rather haphazard construction leads me to a lot of questions, as such techniques aren't commonly found in the little accessories described and extant by women. Bits of wool flannel and silk are more protective to the items inside than cotton shirting, for instance. Wool flannel and silk cost more than cotton shirting (thus, require a higher price than $5 for a finished item.) All the original instructions or notes I've come across call for hand sewing (which takes longer than machining a $5 cotton version.)

Many variables... but for more information, I'd suggest looking at homemaking guides, sewing suggestions, and reprinted magazines for inspiration. You'll get closer to replicating an original by going to original sources than you will by copying others' repro work.

[Rob Weaver]

Good housewives aren't made they're born. :D

[sweatlock]

Thanks for all the responses! :p

[Bart73]

Hi,
pick up a copy of the "confederate scetchbook", you'll find some measurements for a housewife, and haversack, etc...
hope this helps,
regards,
Bart Soons

[John Legg]

Send me a PM later and i can help you out.

John