fancy-work

Furs we had without number, and the fancy-work of the women, all of the chief's tea, and no end of meat.

A HYPERBOREAN BREW 2010

The only thing I really liked was sewing, but you can't make a life around fancy-work.

Elephant in the City 2010

They were the fancy-work of an English clergyman; they were never a part of any statute-book.

Mark Twain: A Biography 2003

A blue blouse, with profuse white fancy-work over the bosom, covered his prodigious body, and was girt about the place where his waist might once have been with a broad scarlet leather belt.

The Woman in White 2003

Nankeen trousers, displaying more white fancy-work over the ankles, and purple morocco slippers, adorned his lower extremities.

The Woman in White 2003

She had been sitting with her niece in the evening; only on this occasion, as the night was not so warm, the lamp had been lighted, and Catherine had placed herself near it with a morsel of fancy-work.

Washington Square 2003

From one to two, there was fancy-work — a pupil reading aloud some light literature in each room; from two to four, lessons again.

The Life of Charlotte Bronte 2002

She was a plain, motherly kind of woman, who had worked hard in her youth, and now thought herself entitled to the occasional holiday of a tea-visit; and having formerly owed much to Mr. Woodhouse's kindness, felt his particular claim on her to leave her neat parlour, hung round with fancy-work, whenever she could, and win or lose a few sixpences by his fireside.

Emma Austen, Jane, 1775-1817 2001

Her dark gray, almost black, dress was as plain as the ship captains 'clothes, with wide sleeves and narrow skirts, and never a frill or stitch of fancy-work.

The Dragon Reborn Jordan, Robert, 1948- 1991

Mrs. Sykes (when the latter was not scouring the country on foot or horse-back) interested themselves in their plants, minerals, seeds, drawings, the herbarium, the Wardian case, the diaries and letters and fancy-work, the beautiful collection of sea-weed sent by Miss Marlow from

Lippincott's Magazine Of Popular Literature And Science Old Series, Vol. 36—New Series, Vol. 10, July 1885 Various