▁was ▁practical . ▁Cl othing ▁was ▁an ▁expensive ▁invest ment ▁for ▁most ▁people , ▁and ▁women ▁had ▁an ▁important ▁role ▁in ▁extending ▁the ▁lon ge vity ▁of ▁items ▁of ▁cl othing . ▁S ew ing ▁was ▁used ▁for ▁m ending . ▁Cl othing ▁that ▁was ▁f aded ▁would ▁be ▁turned ▁inside - out ▁so ▁that ▁it ▁could ▁continue ▁to ▁be ▁worn , ▁and ▁sometimes ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁taken ▁apart ▁and ▁re ass emble d ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁suit ▁this ▁purpose . ▁Once ▁cl othing ▁became ▁worn ▁or ▁torn , ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁taken ▁apart ▁and ▁the ▁re usable ▁cloth ▁se wn ▁together ▁into ▁new ▁items ▁of ▁cl othing , ▁made ▁into ▁qu il ts , ▁or ▁otherwise ▁put ▁to ▁practical ▁use . ▁The ▁many ▁steps ▁involved ▁in ▁making ▁cl othing ▁from ▁scratch ▁( we aving , ▁pattern ▁making , ▁cutting , ▁alter ations , ▁and ▁so ▁forth ) ▁meant ▁that ▁women ▁often ▁bar tered ▁their ▁expert ise ▁in ▁a ▁particular ▁skill ▁with ▁one ▁another . ▁Dec or ative ▁need le work ▁such ▁as ▁emb roid ery ▁was ▁a ▁val ued ▁skill , ▁and ▁young ▁women ▁with ▁the ▁time ▁and ▁means ▁would ▁pract ise ▁to ▁build ▁their ▁skill ▁in ▁this ▁area . ▁From ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁se wing ▁tools ▁such ▁as ▁need les , ▁p ins ▁and ▁p inc ush ions ▁were ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁tr ous se aus ▁of ▁many ▁European ▁br ides . ▁ ▁Dec or ative ▁emb roid ery ▁was ▁val ued