Photograph of a pair of knickers made from a flour sack.
These women’s knickers were made in Tiree from a flour sack in the first quarter of the 20th century. The isolation of the crofting community on Tiree made it necessary to make do with the materials to hand.
The knickers were sewn by machine with flat seams and decorated with hand-made tatting round the legs. The waist may have been elasticated or tightened with a drawstring.
Flour was purchased in 140 lb (65 kg) sacks made from closely woven cotton. The seams would have been unpicked and the material plastered with black soap (‘siaban dubh’) to remove the printing before putting it outside to bleach in the sun. The flour producer’s name, Harter, is still visible.
Circular doilly 275 mm in diameter crocheted from white cotton with purple and gold lurex details, made by Isabella MacArthur (nighean a` mhinisdeir), Balephuil in the 1940s and given to Nan and David MacClounnan after their marriage in 1949.
Two `Comunn na h-Oigridh` badges, brass with white and pink enamelled fronts, and one Blue enamelled `Cornaigmore Higher Grade` badge in the shape of a shield, with the Tiree crest and the words `Mo cridhe`. Originally belonged to the girls at Corrairigh, Cornaigbeg.
