12 Homemade Gifts of Christmas – Day 3

For the third Homemade Gift we have a basic essential of every mid-19th century wardrobe – a collar and cuffs. Just about any woman would love a nice set of cuffs and collar.

You can make a classic simple set with nice rolled hems or a more elaborate set with beautiful embroidery or edging. Here are some images of cuffs and collars from CDVs. For more inspiration, here are illustrations from period magazines.

**Special Tip – If you own Elizabeth Stewart Clark’s  Dressmaker’s Guide use her directions for making a collar.

Published in: on October 23, 2011 at 1:06 am  Leave a Comment  
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12 Homemade Gifts of Christmas – Day 2

For the second day’s Homemade Gift, we have one of my husband’s and my favorites…. slippers. We love our slippers both for at home and at events.

When it comes to making slippers, you have lots of choices. In period magazines you can find embroidered slippers, quilted slippers, appliqued slippers, corded slippers, crochet slippers and even easy to make hospital slippers. This file has an assortment of slippers to start from.

The way I construct my slippers requires:

  •  An outer material either already decorated in the case of needlework, embroidery, and applique or not yet decorated in the case of quilted or corded.
  • An inner lining
  • An inter lining – either something supportive or batting
  • A sole – painted canvas, leather or cork
  • A sole lining
  • Insoles – two layers of soft wool

For the soles, I trace the wearer’s foot and adjust it to look period. If you don’t have a foot to work from because this is a surprise gift, use inexpensive insoles from the store as a guide.

Layer your uppers together, right sides together. Sew around the inner curved cut or the flat top of each slipper. Turn the pieces right side out. Baste the lower edges together. If you are doing a quilted slipper now is the time to do your quilting. This is also a good time to do your cording or braiding.

Layer your sole and sole lining together. Baste around the edge.

Line your uppers face down on your sole. Pin the front toe and the sides in place. Sew around the edge. Finish the edge with a whip stitch. Turn right side out.

Lay the two layers of insole wool together. Sew around leaving enough space to turn it right side out. Turn right side out and close. Insert into your slipper.

Wear inside.

Published in: on October 22, 2011 at 1:00 am  Comments (2)  
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12 Homemade Gifts of Christmas – Day 1

For the First homemade gift of Christmas we have a heart shaped pincushion which will also make an adorable ornament.

From Eliza Leslie’s American Girl’s Book, this heart pincushion is made from two pieces of triangular fabric, ribbon and batting for the inside.

  • Use 12 day Christmas Heart Ornamentwith the longest side twice the length of the two legs.
  • Sew right sides together along all three sides leaving enough space to turn the triangle right side out.
  • Stuff with batting or emery and sew closed
  • Gather along the longest side
  • Pull tight forming a heart, securing the points together
  • Add a ribbon to hang the heart from or a bow and hanging loop
Published in: on October 21, 2011 at 1:25 am  Comments (5)  
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On the 12th Day of Christmas, My True Love Made for Me….

I’m the first to admit I’m not the most musical. But, I just couldn’t resist making a list of 12 great 19th century gifts you can make for your loved ones. Here is a list with a little for her, a little for him and a little for the tree….

On The First Day….  Heart Shapped Pincushions (also make cute ornaments.
On the Second Day ….A Pair of Slippers
On the Third Day….. A Cuffs and Collar Set
   On the Fourth Day … A Pretty Ribbon Needle-book
 On the Fifth Day….  Lounging Cap.
 
On the Sixth Day….A Handkerchief
 
On the Seventh Day….   A Pocket.
On the Eigth Day…. A little purse
 On the Nineth Day…. A Set of Stationary
 
On the Tenth Day…. A Patchwork Ball to Play With
On the Eleventh Day…. A Book Marker
On the Twelfth Day….. It will be a surprise…. even to me….
https://annaworden.wordpress.com/?p=1984
 
 
 
Published in: on October 20, 2011 at 1:02 am  Comments (5)  
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My Chocolate Hood

One would think with all the other hoods I’ve been making, I would have made one for myself before now. Nope. Not ’til now.

My hood is a chocolate silk taffeta purchased last year. The lining is this great red polished cotton with paisley motifs. It is quilted with a simple double line and curved chain, which I’m sure has a real name in the quilting world. The brim is trimmed with a wonderfully soft mink. (Huge Thanks to Gail for the lining and fur)

Here is the hood pre-fur. You can see the quilting here a bit better. This vertical diagonal is achieved when the quilting runs directly across the crown. A shallower, more horizontal angle is achieved with quilting directly front to back.

Here is a look at the great lining fabric. The quilting looks really great against this red. One thing I did learn though – my machine really hates polished cotton. It just doesn’t like to move it along with the feet, even with the walking foot. Polished cotton will be hand-quilted from now on.

 

If there is a video at the end of this post, it is an advertisement. My apologies for the inconvenience.

Published in: on October 6, 2011 at 8:33 am  Comments (3)  
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“Our Dictionary of Needlework”

 Have you ever stumbled across something and instantly thought “everyone should see this”? That is what happened when I scrolled over Peterson’s Magazine’s 1858 series called “Our Dictionary of Needlework”. The odd thing is I’ve gone through this edition countless times looking for shawls, hoods, needle-books, etc., yet it didn’t stand out until today.

So, of course I had to put the year long series into a single file for everyone…..

Our Dictionary of Needlework” from Peterson’s 1858

If there is a video at the end of this post, it is an advertisement. My apologies for the inconvenience.

Published in: on October 5, 2011 at 11:54 am  Comments (1)  

Update on the Hood Pattern

2 New Updates!

I have just a bit more left to do with the images. Then I’ll be ready to take the pattern to the printer. Availability could be as early as next week. Look for a Pre-Order Announcement. 

I also have the printer estimates which means a price estimate. Based on the printing costs it looks like the pattern will be  $12.60 plus shipping. This price may adjust that again once the printer has the materials.

 ——

Thank you to the many of you who voiced an interest in having my hood pattern available.

I am focusing this week on getting the text, illustrations and pattern pieces in a publishable state. My goal is to have it available for those who will want to make a hood for this winter. Fingers crossed there since this is both a matter of preparation and funds for publication.

I would also like to pull together the hood workshop some of us discussed.

For the published pattern, here is what I have in mind:

  • Pattern pieces for an adult hood in two depths (I was going to include the child’s hood but am having difficulty fitting that.)
  • Directions that are short and easy to understand using a combination of illustations and photos, including information on quilting.
  • An explanation of this type of quilted hood along with observations of extant hoods.
  • Tips on a successful hood in terms of materials and techniques.
  • Passages from Godey’s, Peterson’s, etc regarding quilted hoods and bonnets.
  • Ideas for how to trim your hood based on originals and extant hoods.
  • I’m hoping for a price point between $10 and $15, which will be based on what my print shop can do for me. (they are great.)

 

 

If there is a video at the end of this post, it is an advertisement. My apologies for the inconvenience.

Agricultural Society Fair

I still have my ribbons from when I was younger and entered work in th Genesee Country Village’s Agricultural Society Fair. I remember going through their box, making sure each one was perfectly neat inside. I also remember Grandma Kramer making a point to get her one last hooked rug finished before she passed away so it could be in the fair. I would have rather her had a chance to do the other border around it with the birds at each corner. So, needless to say it was important to me to get to enter a few things in this year’s fair. Next year I’ll get a rug in.

The ribbon count between myself and family came to something like 7 blue ribbons, 4 red and 4 white. Mom, Lily and Joni each entered work as well.

This is my quilted pocket. It is pieced from cotton prints some of which have been used for needle-books others from Dan’s quilt or my cloths. There are two freehand curves at the top. The rest is stitched in the ditch. The quilted front gives this pocket nice body. It will be nice to see how well it holds its contents when worn.

Here are my brown silk purse and pair of rolled sewing cases, blue and red ribbons in the 19th century sewn article of clothing and 19th sewn household item categories respectfully. I love this type of purse. It is so cute and fun to make. The pair of sewing cases are some of my favorite out of those I’ve made.

This is the sunset silk quilted hood. It won a blue ribbon in the 19th century quilted article of clothing class.

This is my only 21st century class entry, the black velvet hood. It won a blue ribbon. Now, if only the blue ribbon would tell what to do with the lint the hood collects.

 

This is one of my little sister’s two entries. This is her corn bread which was entered in the 21st century children’s class for corn bread. This is her first blue ribbon.

This is my little sister’s apple pie entry. I have several ideas for her to work on for next year’s fair.

This is mom’s bread. She was trying to explain to me what it looked like. Now I know what she was talking about when she said it had a thing on the side. It looks like it tasted good.

This is one of I think 9 canned foods mom entered. She got ribbons for a few jams, sweet pickles and beets. (I hope I got that right. I was a bit too short to see the labels on the top shelf.) The photo below shows the display of 21st century canning entries.

I think mom was pretty excited about this one, her ginger bread entry. I hope we’ll get a chance to taste this one in the future.

I was able to talk Joni into entering this year too. She got a red and white ribbon for two of her photographs. The red ribbon is a neat look through a village window while the white ribbon is a shot of the cannons at the Civil War event.

 

 

Published in: on October 2, 2011 at 5:31 pm  Comments (3)