Elidia Ciambelli's sewing sample book
Cover
Name/Title
Elidia Ciambelli's sewing sample bookEntry/Object ID
2025.10.44Description
Elidia "Lily" Ciambelli's first sample book (1926) demonstrates basic sewing skills learned in Miss Delagana's class at the Boston Trade School for Girls. Samples are done primarily in blue thread on pink fabric, attached to brown paper pages by two to four knots on the corners of samples. Samples include: basting stitches, overhanded seam, band, French seam, flat felled, French felled, continuous placket, ruffle with French seam, ruffle joining, tailored seam, faggoting, button snap hooks, eye button lops, gathering, tucking, hemming, button holes, bias joining, embroidery stitches, one piece tailored placket, two piece tailored placket, hand tucks, single and double hemstitching, and smocking.Context
Elidia Ciambelli was born in 1907 to two Italian immigrants, Angelia and Frank Ciambelli. Founded in 1904 as an alternative high school for girls, the Boston Trade School for Girls sought to train young women to enter the non-domestic custom sewing industry.Category
Sample books