I made a new mini-booklet.
Victorian Fancy Work In Detail
In celebration of this weekend’s Bookworm Retreat and my birthday this week, I am offering Victorian Fancy Work In Detail. This compilation will be available all week in my Etsy shop for $20, a monumental savings over buying seven separate In Details. I will decide at the end of the week whether to continue to offer the publication and at what price.
If you enjoyed Fanciful Utility, you will love my Victorian Fancy Work In Detail. This volume is packed full of full color photographs detailing 9 original pieces of Victorian fancy work. Each piece is described in detail, thus the publication series name. Most of the pieces are accompanied by directions for making your own reproduction.
This volume includes:
~ Blue Ribbon Sewing Case (template, no directions)
~ Velvet Slipper Pin Cushion (directions)
~ Embroidered Velvet Needle-book (directions)
~ Pillow Pin Ball Pin Cushion (directions)
~ Corded Pin Ball, aka Earl’s Ball (directions)
~ Paper Pieced Pin Ball (directions)
~ Heart Pin Cushion
~ Frozen Charlotte Pen Wiper (directions for 2 versions)
The volume comes to 119 pages in full color. Due to Etsy’s upload size constraints, the publication is divided into 3 files. While I do allow the printing of a single hardcopy for yourself, I caution that this one will take a lot of ink.
As “Volume 1” suggests, I do intend to do a volume 2. I am continuously keeping an eye out for pieces to include.
The Adventures of Alex the Mouse
This is a fun little story I started some time back. It is the idea that I used for my AI homework in the previous post.
We’ve all heard stories of the little mouse who just doesn’t fit in. In recent years, there has been a brave mouse who helped save a princess and a little cook who helped save a cooking empire. Ok, so that cook was a rat not a mouse. This is a similar story.
Our little mouse lived with his family, his mother, father, and three siblings, in a beautiful historic house museum. This little mouse’s name was Alex. All his life Alex’s mother and father told him and his siblings how lucky they were to live in such a beautiful, old house. Alex’s school lessons took place through-out the house, where he and his many mouse classmates learned about all the Federal furniture, early Victorian decoration and mid-nineteenth century textiles. Alex’s classmates’ favorite day of the week was when they learned about 19th century food and cooking. Alex, on the other hand just couldn’t figure out how the little old lady who made the food never figured out bits and pieces went missing.
That wasn’t the only thought Alex had that was different from his classmates, or his family for that matter. Actually, Alex had very little interest in most everything around him. While his sister loved to watch the human school groups come visit and try to answer all the kids’ questions before the tour guide, Alex simply was not amused. While Alex’s brothers like to race each other from the second floor grandmother’s clock to the first floor grandfather’s clock in the parlor in the time from the first chime to the last chime, Alex simply was not amused. While Alex’s best friend George, enjoyed collecting all the bits and pieces of thread and fabric from the women sewing to make his own quilt, Alex simply was not amused.
But, there was one weekend a year that Alex loved. When the weather turned warm and the days a bit longer, the house museum would host a living history event. Hundreds of people from all around the area would come set-up camp and dress in historic clothing while visitors would wander through the house’s yard. Alex was very excited to see all these people. It turns out that while Alex was not interested in the 19th century, he loved vintage goodies; they were so much newer then everything he grew up with. His room was filled with vintage items he collected each year on this weekend. Each year, as people arrived on Friday, Alex would watch paying close attention and coming up with his scouting plan for that evening. Then as evening came, he would prowl the area collecting.
This particular year, Alex was quite excited as he watched people arrive. He had already spotted a group of women over by the willow tree that kept bringing plastic totes out of their car. That will be where he will start. Then, if everything isn’t too heavy, he’ll work his way back to the house.
As the sun began to set, Alex ventured out.
Alex learned the best place to travel was along the edges of the tents as these were fairly safe and protected areas. He especially liked the tents that had straw packed along the sides, as if needed he could hide or stash his finds there. As he scurried, Alex realized he was actually stepping in time with the music being played a several tents over. He even surprised himself with that one. Then he stopped quick. A sound. A very different sound. It was coming from the next tent. He ran ahead and ducked under the canvas. There was a man, half dressed in the gray wool so many of the other men were wearing, sitting on the ground hunched over. Bleep, bleep, bling, bleep. It was one of those little noise making toys the school kids brought with them and the teachers took away. Alex tried to climb up the tent pole to get a better view. He found these games interesting. But, he knew better then to take one as he already found they stop working after a few days. He also knew he couldn’t be distracted to long. He had to move on.
Back outside, Alex headed right for the willow tree. As he got closer, he knew he was in the right spot. A table cloth had slid off of a blue plastic ice box outside the tent. He slid under the edge of the tent. Once inside, he assessed his surroundings.
At the top of the little folding stool, one of the ones Alex saw women fall over on many times, Alex became very excited. Left in a pile was one of those bags the women wore on their heads holding their hair. This was just perfect. Alex was hoping he would find something like this because his bed was getting old and he really wanted a hammock to sleep in. Green would be perfect. He rolled it up as best he could and slung it over his shoulder. As he did, he saw something shiny on the bed below. He worked he way down to the bed and over to the shiny object. Once again, Alex was happy. It was a pony-tail lady. Alex loved these pony-tail ladies. He had a whole collection of them.
This is where I stopped writing 13ish years ago.
A Mouse and and AI Experiment
Many years ago, I started this silly story about a mouse who lived at a historic house museum and had a disdain for historical inaccuracies. I envisioned this little mouse scurrying about the museum and grounds during a living history event collecting the anachronistic items. I didn’t get far with Alex’s story. Though, I suspect this post obliges me to press the “publish” button.
Jump forward to yesterday’s AI workshop and our “homework.” We were told to try a list of task types with a couple of AI platforms. (I have previously tried out ChatGPT and WordPress’s embedded assistant.) As you know, my mind tends to wander. This time, it wandered back to Alex, the museum mouse.
The results are too cute and too curious not to share.
Here are the stories developed by ChatGPT using both my work and personal account, and Gemini. I will add WordPress Assistant when I am in front of my laptop, as it is not part of the mobile app. Worth noting: ◇ I errored out ChatGPT 5 times, 3+2, before it could generate the story on my personal account. It did not explain why. ◇The line breaks in formatting are due to copy/pasting from Google Drive to WordPress, not the AI platforms.
Prompt to ChatGPT, Gemini, and WordPress Assistant:
Please write a story about a mouse who lives in a history museum. At night, she wanders through the museum correcting inaccuracies. Include three inaccurate details she corrects regarding material culture and/or women’s history in the
story.
ChatGPT (Personal)
Once upon a time, in the heart of the city, there was a history museum that held the tales of ages
past. Unbeknownst to the curators and visitors, a small, clever mouse named Amelia had made this
museum her home. Amelia had an extraordinary ability: she could read, and she knew the history of the artifacts better than anyone else.
Amelia’s little nest was hidden behind a dusty exhibit of ancient pottery. As the museum closed its doors to the public and the night settled in, Amelia would emerge from her cozy abode, her keen eyes sparkling with mischief and knowledge.
One night, as the moon bathed the museum in a gentle glow, Amelia set out on her nightly
adventure. She scurried through the dimly lit halls, her tiny paws pattering softly against the marble floors. The museum, usually silent during the night, came alive with the whispers of forgotten stories.
Amelia’s first stop was the “Pioneer Women” exhibit. With a critical eye, she examined the
mannequins dressed in pioneer clothing, portraying the hardships of the early settlers. The
inaccuracies leaped out at her – the women’s clothing was far too clean and well-maintained, lacking the wear and tear that would have been inevitable in the harsh conditions of the time. Amelia rearranged the dresses, adding a touch of realism to the exhibit.
Next, she scurried into the exhibit showcasing medieval armor. A placard beside a suit of armor
declared it to be worn exclusively by men. Amelia knew better. She carefully moved the sign and left a small note correcting the historical oversight, pointing out that women, too, had worn armor in various capacities throughout history.
Amelia’s final destination was the “Inventions of the Industrial Revolution” display. She came across a model of a spinning jenny, with the description incorrectly attributing its invention to a man. With a determined squeak, Amelia repositioned the sign to acknowledge the crucial role women played in the textile industry during that era, correcting the historical oversight.
As the night waned on, Amelia continued her mission, tirelessly seeking out and correcting
inaccuracies throughout the museum. With each small adjustment, she felt a sense of accomplishment, knowing that she was setting the historical record straight.
By dawn, Amelia retreated to her hidden nest, satisfied with her nocturnal endeavors. Little did the museum staff know that a tiny mouse named Amelia had become the guardian of historical accuracy, ensuring that the stories told within its walls were not only fascinating but also true to the remarkable roles women played throughout history. And so, the mouse in the history museum
continued her quiet crusade, making sure the past was not forgotten or misrepresented.
ChatGPT (School)
In the heart of the city stood a grand history museum, its towering columns and intricate façade hiding the tales of centuries gone by within its walls. Unbeknownst to the daytime visitors, a small and clever mouse named Matilda called this museum home. While the museum bustled with activity during the day, at night, Matilda came alive, embarking on her mission to correct historical inaccuracies.
Matilda had a deep love for history and a keen eye for details. Living amidst artifacts and exhibits, she couldn’t stand the thought of misinformation lingering within the museum’s hallowed halls. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Matilda scurried from her cozy nook in a forgotten corner, ready to set things right.
Her first stop was the exhibit on the Renaissance, where an exquisite portrait of a woman hung on the wall.
The accompanying plaque identified the subject as Isabella d’Este, a renowned art patron. However, Matilda knew that it was actually a misattribution. The woman in the portrait was not Isabella but rather her sister, Beatrice d’Este. With a few nimble adjustments to the plaque, Matilda ensured that Beatrice received the
credit she deserved for her significant contributions to the arts.
Next, Matilda found herself in the material culture exhibit, surrounded by artifacts from the Victorian era. She was dismayed to see a display of intricately designed corsets, accompanied by a caption that implied these garments were universally worn by women of that time. Matilda knew better – she scurried up to the display and left a tiny note clarifying that not all women wore corsets, as many reformers and activists of the period advocated for more comfortable and practical clothing choices.
Matilda’s third correction took her to the World War II exhibit. A photograph of a group of women working in a munitions factory caught her attention. The caption suggested that these women were merely filling in for men who were away at war. Matilda knew this was a common misconception, as women played crucial
roles in various industries during the war, proving their capabilities and contributing significantly to the home front effort. She replaced the misleading caption with a more accurate description, highlighting the integral role women played in supporting the war effort.
Night after night, Matilda tirelessly continued her mission, ensuring the historical narrative within the museum was as accurate and inclusive as possible. As the sun began to rise, Matilda returned to her hidden nook, content in the knowledge that she had made a difference in preserving the truth of the past. The museum, now more accurate and respectful of women’s contributions, stood as a testament to the small mouse with a big passion for history.
Gemini
In the hushed stillness of the Grand Museum, when moonlight filtered through dusty display cases, Pip, a tiny house mouse with whiskers as sharp as curiosity, embarked on her nightly mission. No, she wasn’t after crumbs or cheese – Pip was a history buff, a custodian of truth in a miniature fur coat.
Tonight, her keen eyes landed on a diorama depicting a pioneer family. The woman, clad in a pristine white apron, churned butter, her gaze demurely downcast. Pip, nose twitching in disapproval, scurried up a leg of the display. With nimble teeth, she adjusted the woman’s grip on the churner, turning it into a firm, practiced
hold, and lifted her chin a notch, conveying quiet strength, not submissiveness. History books often relegated women to the background, but Pip knew better. These women were pioneers, too, their resilience etched in every calloused hand and determined stride.
Next, she scampered towards a tapestry showcasing a medieval banquet. A bard, strumming a lute, entertained the noblemen, while women adorned in flowing gowns passively watched. Pip scoffed. Women in
the Middle Ages weren’t just silent observers. She carefully gnawed at the tapestry, revealing a hidden section beneath – women playing instruments, composing poems, and engaging in lively conversation. History often silenced their voices, but Pip wouldn’t let them remain unheard.
Finally, she reached a display of ancient Egyptian artifacts. A golden necklace, labeled as “women’s
adornment,” lay beside a pharaoh’s scepter. Pip, a history scholar in rodent form, knew this was wrong. This necklace wasn’t mere decoration; it was a symbol of power, worn by female pharaohs like Hatshepsut, who ruled with wisdom and ferocity. With a determined nip, she rearranged the display, placing the necklace
alongside the scepter, a silent testament to the power women wielded even in the cradle of civilization.
As dawn approached, Pip scurried back to her nest, nestled amongst the museum’s forgotten maps. She might be small, but her nightly revisions were a testament to the power of one, even a tiny mouse, to ensure history was told truthfully, with all its complexities and the voices too often silenced. In the vast halls of the museum, her tiny paw prints marked the path to a more accurate past, reminding everyone that even the smallest can make a difference.
I am sure many of you have thoughts on the scenes these tools generated.
Pocket of the Month
It is the 10th of February, which means this month’s Pocket of the Month design goes live on Patreon for Patrons.
This month’s pocket is a romantic embroidery design with a sweet bird delivering a love letter.
2024 Pocket of the Month designs:
- January – Thistle design
- February – Delivery Bird
- March –
- April –
- May –
- June –
- July –
- August –
- September –
- November –
- December –
2023 designs included:
A Special Unboxing
What do my e-publications look like in print?
It took me far too long to find out…. they look fabulous!
I should have been having nice copies of each of my e-publications printed as I completed them as a way of fully feeling their completion and celebrating the work that went into them: the research, creation, writing, and formatting. But, life got in the way.
An invitation to do a book table at GCVM’s upcoming book theme weekend nudged me to finally get these printed. Thank You Lindsay!
I stopped at my local Penny Lane Printing to see if they could make me copies of each of my main e-publications on a short turn-around. They came through with two copies of each: one for display at the event and hopefully future events, one for my bookshelf and records. (I keep envisioning copies of my book covers framed with their Library of Congress certificates.) I even threw in my In Detail series last minute.
Seeing them in print is gleefully satisfying. Penny Lane did a beautiful job with rich color. Flipping through, I am very pleased with both their work and my work. Seeing the layouts and images in print makes me happy, as well as grateful to my art and graphic design teachers. ✨️
I suspect there are two questions some of you are wondering….
First – Where is From Field to Fashion? I meant to cover this in the video but my migraine won out. Don’t worry, I will be bringing a copy of From Field to Fashion. FFtF was originally in print. I had another small print shop, that has since closed, print it. So, I have a couple copies. Another reason is I am also considering a new edition or much expanded book focusing on either the straw millinery industry or cottage industry as a mode of income for women in the nineteenth century. This would be another multi year project.
Second – Why don’t I offer printed copies regularly? I would love to be able to offer printed copies. Doing so was one of my first thoughts for this event. Then came the reality of pricing. With only doubling the cost of printing, prices would have been between $26 and $45 each. That said, I am exploring options. I may be able to redesign my shawl or hair net books to be black & white interiors, possibly with color plates. The other route, with less control, would be Amazon.
Event Announcement: Fanciful Utility In Person
What: Winter Weekends – Reading Theme Weekend
Where: Genesee Country Village and Museum in Mumford, NY
When: February 17th and 18th
Find me in the Town Hall for a meet & greet with local Upstate New York authors. I will have signed copies of Fanciful Utility available for purchase. My display will have print copies of my e-publications paired with samples to see in person.
It has been a long time since I’ve done an in-person event focused on Fanciful Utility. This will be a first for all of my books. I hope, if you are in the area, that you will be able to stop out and say hi.
PS – I will also bring Clara’s bookmarks.
Also Happening on Site:
The Wehle Gallery will be hosting a building tour of the Stuart B. Bolger Library. They will also have a mini display exhibit on some watercolor books in the collection!
The Nature Center will be hosting a K-8 read-a-thon where they are inviting kiddos to bring their favorite blanket and book and read with nature. There will be read aloud story time and a themed hike through the woods to look at some animal tracks and trees found in the books in their collection.
The Historic Village will be talking about book sellers, book binding, paper making, mailing letters, and more.
Why the Doll Millinery?
Initially, I was going to do a post today showing you the cute trio of doll hats I made with blocks I bought. Then, I realized some of you might be asking what is with the doll millinery lately? Why are you making doll hats? Where are the regular 19th century hats & bonnets?
It comes down to straw supply. I keep hearing from my millinery suppliers that there is a material shortage. Simply straw isn’t getting braided into plait, and they don’t have the plait I need. For the list of human hats I have on my wish list, I have a very limited supply of the straw in the upper right. I have been trying to order 6-7mm straw to match the witdh of the dyed straw plait available. My preferred vendor messaged they only had the widths a available at the bottom. One being a very durable plait that makes a strong hat, but can also be tougher on the hands. The other being the same width I have a stash of. I tried a vendor I previously used for years, ordering their 5-6mm straw. What arrived is the same as my growing stash of narrow plait.
I have quite the box of this narrow 4-5mm straw plait.
This narrow plait is great for small doll millinery.
So…. I started trying to make some doll millinery blocks and ordered a few. Luckily, I found a few at affordable prices.
I should back up. Previously, I have made doll size straw millinery. I even taught a Millinery in Miniature class. I have avoided selling them because I find doll heads difficult to fit. With their porcelain hair arrangements or apple shaped heads, accurately shaped bonnets don’t often fit. Bonnets need to be adjusted and distorted. Hats are a good bit easier.
Back to the present.
With a stash of narrow straw and what appeared to be a strong, positive response to doll millinery in the fall, I decided to make more doll pieces.
This week, I focused my work on the larger doll blocks that arrived. These are millinery pieces for dolls with 12″-13″ head circumference. As you can see, each piece nicely fits a modern 18″ doll. (I have 1 more block on the way.)
I sewed each as I would a full size hat or bonnet, starting with the crown and working forward. I tried to create the layering I would expect on the pieces if they were full size. Each piece took about 5 hours of sewing, blocking, and wiring. I used almost a whole hank to make the three pieces.
I did try to ease down the brim of the middle bonnet because the block was so similar to an original millinery block in my collection. The difference being the up turned brim front.
Yes, I will be adding these to my Etsy shop. I have to decide whether to over them as a set or individually.
While she was wearing the cute Paisley shawl, I took another photo with her spoon bonnet.
Workbooks – What’s Inside?
When I started writing my publication on wadded hoods, I realized a standard pattern format wasn’t going to cut it. I needed to share their story as well as how to make them. Thus, the idea of a comprehensive workbook developed.
I now have 3 workbook style publications available: my Wadded Hood Workbook, Quilted Winter Hood Workbook, and Straw Bonnet Workbook.
Each Workbook begins with a look at original examples, highlighting key details of construction, technique, and material choice.
The second part of each Workbook walks you through making an accurate hood or bonnet of your own. The winter hood workbooks include pattern pieces and directions for making different styles directly based on originals. The straw bonnet workbook shows the process for making two different styles.
The directions are heavily accompanied by images showing the steps and methods of construction. I included tips to aide in enhancing the longevity of a piece, with site costuming in mind.
If I Had My Own Blue Box: 