In the late 19th century, the fashionable way for women to keep busy was stitching decorative silk parlor throws, commonly known as crazy quilts. These non-utilitarian pieces were not typically bed quilts, but smaller show pieces. Women who participated in this fad could show off a variety of fancy needlework skills, including embroidery. Trends like this exemplify the ways women maintained the skills of “women’s work” well past their necessity.