If I Had My Own Blue Box:

I decided to revive my Fichu pattern in the Digital Whimsy section of my Etsy shop. Please keep in mind this is a pattern I drafted 15ish years ago by hand. Many people absolutely Loved it. A few found it to be not professional enough being drawn by hand.

Whether for a ball or a summer day, a fichu is a lovely accessory. From light and airy to soft with hints of color, fashionable fichus were worn with day wear as well as evening and dinner wear. This pattern will guide you in making a fashionable fichu extending the versatility of your Civil War era or antebellum, 1850s wardrobe. With the four popular shapes of the era included in this pattern along with the many variations of embellishment described in the pattern directions booklet, you can make an almost endless variety of era accurate fichus.

https://amillinerswhimsy.etsy.com/listing/1806853533/civil-war-era-fichu-e-pattern-by-anna

I did two entries for the fair this year.

My year has been focused on other things. I think the last time I entered only 2 was in Kindergarten.  Maybe next year I will make up for it.

The Bergère hat was inspired by an original in the MET collection (pictured.) This was my personal challenge project for the year. The original uses many different types of straw braid in different colors and shades. One braid has blue silk worked through it. I will eventually figure that out. I am going to try weaving silk ribbon through wider plait first.
My hat is made from straw plait in my scrap bag. The bag is several years worth of end cuts. This hat uses natural straw from 6 different hanks if I recall correctly,  an artisan plait, copper, walnut, green, and a very small length of ivory plait. This will be going on my wall.
I have scraps set aside for another hat in grey and pink tones.

The embroidered globes were my Eclipse Festival project in April. I did not expect a ribbon for these. They use only an outline stitch and knots. They were much harder than I thought they would be. Stitching on a sphere is far different from on a single fabric on a hoop or even on a mostly soft surface, like when I embroider the binding of a sewing case. This was silk over linen over wool. Going over the seam areas meant having to skim the silk or catching and getting stuck in 8 layers. I did bleed on the celestial one when I was nearly done. Luckily,  I was able to get it out.

As part of restructuring my shop for the current economy,  I added all of the individual In Detail publications to the Digital Whimsy section.  This is an excellent way to learn about original pieces of fancy work. Each volume (except the blue ribbon case) contains directions for making your own.

The compilation edition: Fanciful Utility In Detail is still available as well.

If you’ve wondered what In Detail publications look like inside, here is a peek.

Each one is a little different based on the original piece of fancy work featured. I share numerous up close photos while describing the materials and construction in detail. Thus the name. Most have directions for making your own piece with easy to follow directions using accurate techniques. Page lengths vary, some being multiple pdfs to download.

Thank you, Ruthann, for copies of your latest books. I will enjoy studying these.

Both of Ruthann Gray Grabowski’s books are available on Amazon:
Victorian Era Children and Their Toys: A Photo Gallery – https://www.amazon.com/Victorian-Era-Children-Their-Toys/dp/B0DGXPH5LZ/ref=sr_1_1?


Children in the Civil War: A Photo Gallery: 100 Images from tintypes and cartes de visite – https://www.amazon.com/Children-Civil-War-Gallery-tintypes/dp/B0CVL6Z9GL/ref=sr_1_1?

I now have 2 projects available in the Digital Whimsy section of my Etsy shop. You can find my Whimsy Witch Hat Pattern and my Balloon-Style Bag in the Digital Whimsy section for only $1.58!

Why Digital Whimsy?  Because I believe creativity (and accuracy) should be affordable, especially when so many are experiencing financial hardships. Both my Whimsy Witch Hat Pattern and Balloon-Style Bag can be made from creative use of your stash. The Balloon-Style Bag takes only a quarter yard of fabric, be it a quarter yard cut or fat quarter.  The Whimsy Witch Hat can be made from a half yard of exterior fabric and a half yard of interior fabric.

Why $1.58? Because each time someone buys a Digital Whimsy, I get to smile, knowing someone out there is going to make one of my projects. I don’t get that with free downloads from other platforms. (I get to see Etsy’s [E] icon each evening when I check my tablet.) The $1.58 price basically works out to $1 for me after the fees. This is my version of a digital download dollar store. If I sell 50 Digital Whimsies, that can cover my gas bill or some groceries. 

What have I been up to???

I’ve been attempting to enjoy every bit of sunshine and summer-like warmth I can.

I’ve been pretending it is perfectly okay to keep wearing floral and flowy dresses despite the leaves turning.

I’ve been tumbling down a research rabbit hole.

I’ve also been working on a few special projects:

Unveiling Rural Milliners at GCVM’s Fall Fashion & Textile Symposium

I am very excited about my upcoming presentation at the Fall Fashion and Textile Symposium.  Unveiling Rural Milliners focuses on my ongoing research into milliners around the Finger Lakes and Genesee Valley regions in an attempt to understand what their shops looked like and what made a successful rural millinery. 

Mystery Boxes in the Making

My sewing time has been mostly spent making smaller items for a new series of Mystery Boxes.  This set of Fanciful Utility themed Mystery Boxes will be filled with some of my favorite fancy work items from recent years. I plan to have these boxes ready November 1st. (I may also do one or two holiday ornament Mystery Boxes.)

Barrell Letters on Patreon

The Barrell Letters is the first of two series I currently have on Patreon.  These letters between family members include casual sibling banter, descriptions of New England farm life from a non-farmer, and travel accounts. A letter posts each Saturday this fall.

Stereoviews on Patreon 

The second series currently running on Patreon is an imaged based one. Each Monday, I share part of a rescued set of stereoviews. This stack of stereoviews was in very sad shape when I found it at a local shop. They were tattered, torn, and faded. I’ve tried to enhance the images to be more visible.

Pocket of the Month

I think my Pocket of the Month series on Patreon will come to an end at the end of the year. I have greatly enjoyed the design aspect of this series. But, I think I am running out of inspiration and ideas. At least for now. I may start a new design series pulling from original illustrations.  Handkerchief corners?

Reworking & Rewiring

I am also doing some life reworking & rewiring. This needs to include my Etsy shop because sales have plummeted. Yes, I know this is because people don’t have disposable income to spend. But, I rely on my Etsy shop to fill the significant gap between my day job and my very basic budget. So, I have to do some reworking to pay rent, utilities, & buy groceries. 

I first learned of bonnets and hats being made of luffa sponge only a couple years ago. I found the idea of a bonnet made from a squash to be both fantastical and completely practical. I figured I would be lucky to ever see one behind glass in a display. I never imagined I would get to hold one, let alone own one. Weeks ago, when I noticed this auction listing, I told myself I could not have it. It simply wasn’t in my budget. When the seller offered my a deal, I couldn’t resist adding it to my collection.

I feel a little weird asking this, but I need to understand what is going on with my Patreon supporters. In the past month, I have lost several Patreon supporters through cancelations and downgrades. This equates to a significant loss in income for me. I need to understand why this is happening. If it is something I can fix and improve on, I want to and will. If it is something out of my hands, I need to know it isn’t me. Thank you for understanding and considering this survey.

Patreon Feedback Survey

All answers are anonymous unless you tell me who you.

I am excited to announce I will be presenting Unveiling Rural Milliners during the

Fall Fashion & Textile Symposium

at the Genesee Country Village and Museum on Saturday, November 9th. You can attend in-person or virtually. The full day program features 4 presentations:

• Opening: “Unveiling Rural Milliners” with Anna Worden
• Keynote: “Turning the Shoe Wrong-side Out: 19th century Construction Revealed” with Nicole Rudolph
• “‘A Different Habit’: the Public Universal Friend, Gender and Clothing in 18th America”with Tricia L. Noel of the Yates County Historical Society
• “Textiles in 19th Century Ontario County Or Did Our Fore-Mothers Really Spin, Weave and Make All of Their Fabric and Clothing By Hand?” with Wilma Townsend of the OCHS

To round out the day, in-person attendees can explore the textile vaults with Curator, Brandon Brooks.

You can register for in-person or virtual attendance through GCVM’s website. Follow the event on their Facebook event page. I would love to know you are coming.  Please comment below.

My Whimsy Witch Hat Pattern is back & Revised!

The pattern now includes the original size and a larger size. The original size fits an average to smaller size head. (It seems to work well for children too.) The larger size is meant for an average to larger size head, 23″-24″.

I revised the price as well.

$1.58

I call this the “everyone should have a witch hat” price.

You may notice I created a new shop section called “Digital Whimsy.” This is a reminder to myself to share some of the other small patterns I’ve created over the years as well.