Article: Sew classic ... and practical: sewing tables, sometimes called "women's workbenches," are a time-honored and useful furniture form.

For hundreds of years, in cultures all over the world, sewing has been an essential task. Traditionally, it was one of the first skills that little girls learned, far more important than reading and writing--accomplishments that few females were expected or even encouraged to master until comparatively recent times.

Making, re-fashioning, and repairing clothing and household textiles occupied countless hours of a woman's time. Excellence in needlework was a source of pride and often of much-needed income. And who knows? We may yet see a revival, because in today's uncertain economic climate, sewing could again become a highly valued skill.

[ILLUSTRATION ...

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