sewing circle

English

Noun

sewing circle (plural sewing circles)

1. A social meeting of women who congregate to sew and talk together.

   Synonym: (dated) kensington

2. (historical, US) A discreet code for lesbian or bisexual actresses during Hollywood's golden age.
   • 2001 January 7, David Freeman, “Closet Hollywood”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     If Tallulah wasn't a member of the Sewing Circle it was one of the few lesbian adventures she missed. The Sewing Circle was made up of Hollywood women who were either bisexual, committed to lesbianism, or just visiting. They met at one another's houses for lunch, conversation and possibilities. The Sewing Circle sometimes met at the house of Dolores Del Rio, then married to Cedric Gibbons, the MGM art director.

Translations

social meeting of women for sewing and talking

• Finnish: ompeluseura (fi)
• Norwegian: syklubb (no) m
• Swedish: syjunta c, syförening c

Further reading

• sewing circle on Wikipedia.Wikipedia