Etui

A word I've often encountered when working crossword puzzles is “etui.”  I wondered if the Benton County Historical Museum's collection included one of these and found it does.

An etui is a small decorative case used to carry sewing implements.  The word is also sometimes used for similar cases for cosmetics or other tools.

Etui

This case is certainly decorative and has spaces for threads and a fabric swatch to hold pins and needles. We don't know the date it was made, but it was donated to the Horner Museum in 1963. Unlike some older versions which I saw on-line, this etui does not have a dedicated space for a small pair of scissors. In addition, it is a flat rectangle, not the tubular shape of many early etuis.  Perhaps this reflects the difference between the cloth reticules carried by women then versus the design of modern purses.

I suspect that many women today who want a portable sewing kit would carry something like this one from Berlene's, which was a Corvallis women's apparel store. The adjective “decorative” would not apply to this cardboard matchbook-style folder. But it serves the same purpose, containing thread and needles.  In addition, it also contains emery boards for nails.

Sewing kit from Berlene's, Corvallis, Oregon

To me, the difference between the two sewing kits says something about the changing role of women, with many too busy to bother with the care of more elegant objects. But the older ones are certainly more interesting to look at.

By Martha Fraundorf, Volunteer for Benton County Historical Society, Philomath, Oregon