Elizabeth Cozens pattern book(ca. 1830)

• MS 1996.24
• 1 vol. (180 pp.)

This bound volume contains pen and ink wash drawings of decorative patterns to be used for needlework designs. The patterns include a wide range of symmetrical plant motifs and borders. The name Elizabeth Cozens is inscribed on the first page, and she is thought to be the owner and creator of this book.

Pattern books were available commercially by the 18th century and provided needle women with a wide variety of designs for embroidery, lace edgings, and cutwork. The plant motifs, grotesques, and decorative borders could be used to design embroidery and lace for petticoats, aprons, and gowns. The designs were often stippled, placed over fabric, and used to directly transfer a pattern to a piece of cloth. Some needle women, such as Elizabeth Cozens, created their own pattern books. This pattern book is a rare example, whose pages are intact and unstippled. It may have served as a way for Cozens to experiment with ideas for different patterns.

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