Scarlett O'Hara was never the kind of girl who sat around with a needle in her hand if she could possibly help it. She was, however, a fashionista of her day, and she lived in a time when crochet was still very fashionable, but also old enough that early pieces might come to be regarded as family heirlooms. Godey's, Petersons, and other ladies' magazines of the day carried new crochet pattens on a monthly basis. This guide will cover references to needlework, particularly crochet, in the movie, with reference to the book to show how these items fit into the characters' lives.

In the book, Scarlett's mother is described as always having some needlework in her hands. This is part of her reputation as a perfect lady, that even during free time her hands are never completely idle. The book explains that when she is alone with her family, she might have some practical work, such as a shirt to mend. In company, it would be delicate decorative work. Crochet is not specifically mentioned in connection with Ellen O'Hara, but it is the sort of decorative work she might have done when receiving or paying calls.

There are several wonderful examples of crochet in the film, each indicating the social and economic situation of the owner. In the scene when Ashley arrives home for Christmas after being at war, Melanie is wearing a charming hat and cape. This would be fairly simple to crochet. Notice how it's much less elegant than the garments worn by Melanie and other young women earlier in the film. This is an indication that the war is starting to take a serious toll on the finances of these Old South families. In contrast, in the scene right after Frank's funeral, when Scarlett is drinking in her room, there is a lovely thread crochet vanity piece on the dresser. The style is filet crochet, in which filled and empty spaces are used to create patterns. Thread crochet would probably have been done in pre-war days, when the ladies had more idle time and fewer pesky financial details to worry them, as well as the spare cash to spend on the supplies for a purely decorative item. When Mammy reluctantly accompanies Scarlett to the Atlanta jail to visit Rhett, Mammy is wearing a colorful Granny-square shawl. Her lower socio-ecconomic status is shown by her wearing something made out of yarn scraps. This granny square design is so timeless that the same shawl could very well be worn by a depression-era woman also trying to conserve scraps, a hippie in the sixties in love with the wild colors and homey look, or a modern, fashionable college student.

These are the most specific references to crochet in the film that I could see. Ladies might also have owned crocheted gloves and shawls, put crocheted edgings on gowns, petticoats and corset covers, and made crocheted doilies for their trousseaux. Scarlett, being Irish, also has a tie to Irish crochet, one of the most spectacular forms of crocheted lace. In the book "Scarlett," she goes on a shopping spree at a Dublin market, thinking that her dressmaker would kill to get her hands on some of the "thick, heavy lace" Scarlett finds. This might very well have been Clones lace or another Irish crocheted lace, made by Irish families and worn by fashionable ladies of the time, particularly during the 1840's and again toward the end of the 19th century.