Picot and Overlock
Item
Dublin Core
Title
Picot and Overlock
Description
Above is pictured four women working in The Scranton Lace Company. All four are working to making lace with a sewing machine in front of them, pictured from left to right are: Eleanor Rudd, Dorothy Mangan, Eleanor Williams, and Mildred Hobbs. “Picot and Overlock” is a description of the techniques and stitches that each woman is using to produce the lace. The first two women on the left are Eleanor Rudd and Dorothy Mangan who are working on the picot stitch and the next two women are Eleanor Williams and Mildred Hobbs working on the overlock stitch. Both the picot and the overlock stitch are stiches that are used at the edge of pieces, the picot stitch was more decorative with loops, and it was often seen on collars and clothing to upscale fashion. The overlock stitch simply encloses the edges keeping them secure to prevent any fraying. The overlock stitch requires its own sewing machine, as shown in the picture, two of the women have machines that look different than the others. The Overlocker sewing machine allows you to sew at a faster pace and get as close to the edge of the fabric to reduce waste and extra seam.
This piece highlights some of the many women who worked at The Scranton Lace Company, women began working in factories in the early 1800’s following the opportunities the industrial revolution brought for them. Working for women historically has always been very limited and simply having a job came with opportunities for financial independence and growth for women. The fact that women were working at this factory was incredible, majority of the workers were men, but women also had a place in the factory as well.
The Scranton Lace Company has been around since the late 1890’s so this company had women working throughout its history. They typically had easier jobs that did not require much labor, such as the women in this picture. Their work did not require intense labor, and they were even able to sit down while they sew; their attire even suggests so, as they are each wearing dresses. These women were still responsible for much of the product made, as seen in the picture, there are three to four barrels for them to put their finished lace pieces, two out of the roughly four barrels are overflowing. Other tasks that women were responsible for were inspecting and folding the lace. Much of the fashion from The Scranton Lace Company was brought by women, again apparent by their clothing. Although the job of these women was not too demanding, their work was very intricate and detailed. They were responsible for the crafting of the lace and adding decorative details found in the lace pieces that made them so beautiful. The historical context of lace originates from centuries ago, lace was a symbol in the 1800-1900’s, it symbolized wealth and status and was also driven by fashion. The women in this picture did not only contribute to this growing fashion, but also the history and increasing demand of lace.
Lace was a very popular fabric during this time, it was used for a range of different things from clothing to accessories to houseware to decorations. Lace was a very popular detail found in clothing and dresses, specifically wedding dresses, and always added a sophisticated look. Lace was used for houseware, it could be found in table runners, curtains, and tablecloths. Lace was also a perfect decoration and accessory to add to anything, it could add detail to trims of cloths and collars. All in all, the demand for lace was on an upscale growth and the production of it also evolved, before the 1800’s lace was only handmade and it was not until 1809 that lace machinery was made, this increased production immensely. Because of this, profit and production from The Scranton Lace Company also grew, they produced high-quality lace purchased from around the world, they were able to produce intricate pieces with unique designs appealing the eyes of any. The work The Scranton Lace Company did and the women in the pictures did, stretched out to a range of different items and the demand was them was unbelievable.
This piece highlights some of the many women who worked at The Scranton Lace Company, women began working in factories in the early 1800’s following the opportunities the industrial revolution brought for them. Working for women historically has always been very limited and simply having a job came with opportunities for financial independence and growth for women. The fact that women were working at this factory was incredible, majority of the workers were men, but women also had a place in the factory as well.
The Scranton Lace Company has been around since the late 1890’s so this company had women working throughout its history. They typically had easier jobs that did not require much labor, such as the women in this picture. Their work did not require intense labor, and they were even able to sit down while they sew; their attire even suggests so, as they are each wearing dresses. These women were still responsible for much of the product made, as seen in the picture, there are three to four barrels for them to put their finished lace pieces, two out of the roughly four barrels are overflowing. Other tasks that women were responsible for were inspecting and folding the lace. Much of the fashion from The Scranton Lace Company was brought by women, again apparent by their clothing. Although the job of these women was not too demanding, their work was very intricate and detailed. They were responsible for the crafting of the lace and adding decorative details found in the lace pieces that made them so beautiful. The historical context of lace originates from centuries ago, lace was a symbol in the 1800-1900’s, it symbolized wealth and status and was also driven by fashion. The women in this picture did not only contribute to this growing fashion, but also the history and increasing demand of lace.
Lace was a very popular fabric during this time, it was used for a range of different things from clothing to accessories to houseware to decorations. Lace was a very popular detail found in clothing and dresses, specifically wedding dresses, and always added a sophisticated look. Lace was used for houseware, it could be found in table runners, curtains, and tablecloths. Lace was also a perfect decoration and accessory to add to anything, it could add detail to trims of cloths and collars. All in all, the demand for lace was on an upscale growth and the production of it also evolved, before the 1800’s lace was only handmade and it was not until 1809 that lace machinery was made, this increased production immensely. Because of this, profit and production from The Scranton Lace Company also grew, they produced high-quality lace purchased from around the world, they were able to produce intricate pieces with unique designs appealing the eyes of any. The work The Scranton Lace Company did and the women in the pictures did, stretched out to a range of different items and the demand was them was unbelievable.
Creator
Maha Sami
Source
Scranton Lace Company Archives
Publisher
Maha Sami
Contributor
Maha Sami
Collection
Citation
Maha Sami, “Picot and Overlock,” Documenting the Scranton Lace Company, accessed July 13, 2025, https://scrantonlacecompany.omeka.net/items/show/46.