Sturdy bag in Icelandic wool

From the 17th century, pockets were in use in many European countries, both among poorer and richer women. In Flanders, they got the fancy name: moederkenszak.The bags had the function that today’s handbag has. You could store all kinds of objects in them: money, a handkerchief, food, a knife, scissors, keys, papers, tobacco … or spices. The pocket was worn between the skirt and apron or between the skirt and underskirt, and tied around the waist with ribbons. The upper skirt usually had a side opening to reach the bag. Rich women’s purses were sometimes beautifully decorated.

From pocket to handbag

Poor women made their bag from leftover fabric, from an old skirt or something. But they also chose to decorate their sacks, for example with embroidery. At the end of the eighteenth century, many rich women stopped wearing these sacks. Despite changing fashions, many women continued to use the pocket for a long time, also in the countryside of Flanders. They were taken into the forest to collect herbs and roots. That is why I chose decorations of leaves and stems in green. The bottom consists of a crocheted hexagon.

Tribute to thousands of ‘witches’

The pocket for Donasse is part of MICCA, a collection that pays tribute to the many victims of the witch hunt. In Europe alone, more than 100,000 alleged witches were burned at the stake. Mostly women, but also men and even children.

Donasse le Latteur was one of the victims. She was 56 years old. On March 10, 1599, she was strangled and burned in Tournai. She lived in Ellezelles, a small village in the Belgian Hainaut.

Threads of love

MICCA weaves the history of all victims into timeless creations of thread. Each stitch is part of the chain that connects us across the generations. You can find my designs on my website www.micca-witchcraft.be.

Want to know more about the witch hunt? Send me an email. You will receive my short story for free, in which I present the cruel reality of witch madness in an original way.