The purpose of this study was to discover what motivational factors are important to contemporary textile handcrafters who continue to produce artifacts similar to those produced by previous generations of women. Thirty-nine women completed questionnaires and 18 women also participated in in-depth interviews. Participation in guild activities and comparison to contemporary and historic literature provided further context for analysis. Three general themes emerged as useful for interpretation of participants' responses. First, participation in various textile handcraft activities provided the women an opportunity to identify their place in the world. Secondly, the production of the items brought meaning to the women. Finally, tangible and intangible benefits were gained from the end products of their labor. These objects are valued by their creators as symbols of self, who feel textile handcrafts are special because they are made with love and are connected to personal histories.

This research focuses on the ways in which individuals play out their Scottish ethnic feelings and on the role of dress in this process. Using the grounded theory approach, participants defining themselves as ethnically Scottish were interviewed for this study. The findings indicate that respondents vary greatly in the emphasis they place on Scottish ethnicity when defining their self-identities. Additionally, respondents differ in the degree to which they feel complete in their Scottish identity. Those who find their Scottish ethnicity to be salient to their definition of self put more effort into the construction of that identity. Oftentimes, ethnic dress symbols play a prominent role in this construction process -the importance of dress diminishes as feelings of identity completeness increases.

This study focuses on men's coats recovered from the steamboat Bertrand to determine what men of Virginia City, Montana Territory, wore and how the coats reflected the society in which they lived. Diaries, letters, merchant account and day books, and 137 men's coats were primary source materials. Content analysis of Virginia City photographs and museum artifacts indicates that the men of Virginia City, in their desire to obtain goods and services, cultural institutions, and social amenities familiar to them, made Virginia City a civilized city. The men's coats uncovered from the Bertrand reflected eastern fashion and social customs and played a role in bringing civilization to the Montana frontier.

One hundred and fifty eight Missouri Depression era quilts were documented and analyzed to characterize the design components and to substantiate design sources. The typical Missouri quilt made in the 1930s can be described as one which was pieced with scraps and purchased coordinating solids. It was moderately to heavily quilted by hand in more than one style to accent the different design elements. The whole design was contained by borders and was bound at its edges. Over 84 % of the quilts were traced to distinct pattern sources which included newspapers, magazines, catalogs, companies that sold quilt-making products, books, and exhibits. The Kansas City Star newspaper was one of the most influencial pattern sources.

A collection of textiles believed to have been produced in a German communalistic colony in Bethel, Missouri was investigated. Objectives of the study were to determine which, if any, of the textiles were actually made in the colony and interpret how individuals who made and used the textiles were affected by their German culture and their communalistic experience. Sixteen of the textiles were determined to be of Bethel Colony manufacture. These textiles exhibited very characteristic German patterns, unlike textiles produced among other German immigrant groups who lived in Missouri. It is probable that the communalistic nature of the colony helped maintain traditional German weaving practices.