A chatelaine is a French term for the female head of the household. A chatelaine as an object was a collection of household essentials, attached to the clothing of the chatelaine or housekeeper. Originally chatelaines included keys and all items needed to do the business management of the household and were hung on elaborate chains at the chatelaine's waist. As those items became less important (who locks up their salt, sugar and spices these days?) the chatelaine became a means of keeping useful small items close at hand.
Needleworkers still use forms of chatelaines as a means of keeping supplies handy. The open ended ribbon chatelaine is a favorite form, as it drapes comfortably around the workers neck, and means spare needles, pins, and scissors are always within reach, regardless of where you are working. These ribbon chatelaines are easy to make, and a good project for using up needlework scraps or small pieces of miniature needlework. They can also be made using small plain pin cushions if you prefer. Choose a cushion which will not catch on the wearer's clothes.
The chatelaine shown here uses the Rambling Rose Pattern from the list of miniature needlework projects on this site. Instructions for making scraps of needlework or miniature pieces into small cushions can also be found on this site.
