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A Stitch in Time

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Allotting Hours for Stitching an Embroidery

In 1901, Blue and White Society business manager, Margaret Whiting proudly stated, "[we] pay...labor at the rate of 20 cents an hour for skilled work",¹ (the going hourly rate for embroidery work was 10 cents as late as 1907). So, how did the Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework determine the final cost of a piece? The organization set a price of $25.00 for their autumn-inspired Grape Arbor. To determine the embroiderers' fee, they often relied on time studies. By measuring how long it took an embroiderer to stitch a clump of grapes, for instance, they decided that it should take a half hour, using the New England laid stitch to complete each bunch of grapes on this work. Each darning-stitched leaf, would take one half hour, as would the four chain stitched posts. The entire piece was allotted twenty hours, therefore the embroiderer received $4.00. A time chart, which still exists for this work, indicates that the customer price included a $10.00 design fee (earned by either Margaret Whiting or Ellen Miller), $1.50 for materials, $2.00 to hand dye materials, a $3.00 "Burden" fee, and a $4.50 profit fee.

1. (Margaret Whiting April 20 1939 letter to William L. Warren, PVMA Library) (1907. Edward Kirk Titus, "Do Arts and Crafts Pay" Boston Evening Transcript.