The Pocket Has Arrived!

Elana putting a pocket to use

In the unusual and pleasurable news department, the designer and textile artist Louisa Thompson has just donated a trove of her gorgeous pockets to Lonely Worm Farm, each one marked by a squiggly worm! 

Louisa was inspired by social historians Barbara Burman and Ariane Fennetaux who wrote The Pocket: A Hidden History of Women’s Lives, 1660-1900. Before pockets were sewn into women’s clothes (a development that occurred long after they were sewn into men’s clothes), tie on pockets were popular. In them, European women, who were often legally barred from owning anything, could keep the things necessary for their lives: keys, money, documents, tools–along with precious locks of hair and lucky pebbles. Women of all classes wore these pockets, silk ones for the aristocrats, carefully embroidered ones stitched by the middle classes, much patched and sturdy ones made by the poor. 

While historical pockets were generally hidden under skirts, petticoats and aprons, Louisa’s modern ones can be worn right on top. They are environmentally friendly, made from used fabrics and thoughtfully stitched by hand. Ideal for gardening, they have plenty of room for seed packets, clippers, cell phone and keys. They also make a good alternative to a handbag, with no annoying strap slipping off your shoulder. And they are a thousand times more stylish than a money belt. You can support Lonely Worm Farm and add some dash to your wardrobe by buying one at our online farmshop. Or visit Louisa at the Atlantic Antic in Brooklyn, where she will be selling her full line. 

For more info about Louisa, go to https://www.ground-cloth.space/projects

If you are interested in the history of pockets, but don’t have time for the book, here’s a short article.