If I Had My Own Blue Box:

Favorite paintings of the week

I stumbled across the painting Saturday Afternoon by Enoch Wood Perry, and was just captivated by the way the woman was reading.

Her feet are right up next to the fire. The book inches from her face.

The painting has so much more to offer though.

There are two different versions in terms of brightness online. This brighter one is easier to see.

While this one has a richness to the color:

Either way, this painting is packed full of great pieces to look at and talk about.

Then I saw this, Women Weaving, by the same artist:

How I wish I knew where this was taken from. Several of the other pieces say New York.

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on January 15, 2015 at 5:11 pm Leave a Comment

The Ultimate Winter Wind Hood

Here we are, the first bonnet of 2015.

This winter hood is taken directly from an original in my collection. The original is a dark, royal blue on the outside with black silk on the inside. I went all black for this one. This is one of those hoods where I really wanted to know why it went together the way it did. All the measurements are as exact as I could get. I kept with the original seam construction as well, right down to the use of salvage which I’ve come to love for its great reduction in bulk. I did make two additional changes besides the color. The original has a piece of half inch broken cane. As it is only a fragment and the pinholes that previously held it only showing in a small area, I could not determine exactly where it ran. I have not included that. There is a piece of black ribbon attached flat along the bavolet seam on the outside that is just off. I suspect it was either added later to cover pinholes from where a decorative ribbon was placed or to cover wear. (Here is the Etsy link.)

Now, I’m sure you are wondering why I’m calling this “The Ultimate Winter Wind Hood.” When I finished it and tried it on, I was greatly impressed by how wind resistant this hood is. The brim comes very forward of the face. At the same time, the ribbons inside the brim draw the interior of the hood down around the head, holding it snuggly and comfortably in place. The photo to the left an show you sort-of how those ribbons draw the interior down.

The bavolet that appears flat and rather long is just right for keeping the wind off the neck. It sits right around the neck so to not let the wind catch underneath.

Trying it on was truly a moment of understanding.

Back to the exterior, you’ll see an interesting combination of quilting. All the quilting is made of diagonal stripes spaced at 1.25″. But, the front of the brim and where it turns under to the inside the quilting makes diamonds, while the mid to back section of the brim is simply diagonal stripes. I happen to really like the way the look comes together. The bavolet and tip both have the full diamonds. (I can tell you, this is a lot of quilting.)

For 2015, I’m going to try to share the time and materials for projects. (which I know may be a little weird since many of the pieces will be available for purchase. But, I really like how others share their numbers on their blogs and for challenges.) So, here we go…

research and drafting – I didn’t count.
Cutting, marking, quilting and sewing – 19 hours
Approx 2/3 yard of black silk taffeta
Approx 2/4 yard of 1/2″ wool batting doubled
4 yards of 1/2″ black silk taffeta ribbon
1 yard of 1 1/4″ vintage black silk faille ribbon
Black cotton thread which I almost ran out of.

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on January 10, 2015 at 9:15 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: Anna's Millinery

Keeping Warm this Winter

If I Had My Own Blue Box:

Keeping Warm this Winter – January/February edition of the Citizen’s Companion

Keeping Warm During This Winter

Most everyone who knows me well knows I am by far not a fan of cold winter weather. I am continuously cold to the bone and fearful of ice all winter long. Between my general dislike of winter and the impending cost of keeping our homes warm we will all be facing this winter, I couldn’t help but be curious about the techniques our 19^th century counterparts used to keep themselves and their homes warm in the winter cold.

To get a general understanding of how our mid-nineteenth century counterparts saw their winters, let us look at some reports on the weather and descriptions of the home in winter. These reports come from the January 10^th, 1856 New York Times presenting a cold spell of weather from a few…

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on January 8, 2015 at 10:33 am Leave a Comment

A Practical Look at Winter Clothing

If I Had My Own Blue Box:

I’m sure you’ve noticed my focus on being prepared for cool and colder weather as of late. It may seem a bit early since it is just now Labor Day, but for some of us the cold fall and colder winter weather will be here soon.

In my browsings I stumbled across this 1859 magazine published out of Buffalo, NY called The Home Monthly with a practical take on winter clothing:

Winter Clothing – Style and Material

We do now propose keeping our readers in the latest Parisian style, for we have no Genio Scott, Genin or Brodie to consult, and we hardly think we shall fail of our purpose without them. We do not choose to cater to fastidious fondness for the very latest pattern, and encourage ladies in exhausting their entire time with thoughts in the “where-withal shall we be clothed.”

Every lady ought to be dressed

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on January 8, 2015 at 10:29 am Leave a Comment

Winter Images

If I Had My Own Blue Box:

Grahams 55 Sketches above the dam 6

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on January 8, 2015 at 10:27 am Leave a Comment

Dressing For Winter – A Visual pt 2

If I Had My Own Blue Box:

More examples to expand on yesterday. This set includes several from Canada. Keep that in mind.

This is a painting I don’t have the title for worth looking at: Painting by Mari ten Kate

A German painting: Painting by Johannes (Hans) Gabriel Jentzsch

Be sure to see this blog as well.

Here is some information on the artist that follows: Blog page: Life in snowy North America

Winter 06

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on January 8, 2015 at 10:26 am Comments (1)

Dressing For Winter – A Visual pt 1

with many people in a deep freeze and many others planning for winter events, here is a post from a little while back.

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on January 8, 2015 at 10:25 am Leave a Comment

Announcing the 2015 Winter Fanciful Utility Swaps!

As I’m sitting here curled up with the snow coming down outside, I am already longing for color. With this, the first trio of 2015 Fanciful Utility Swaps will be all about color!

First, we will pick up the “Greene Swap” we didn’t get to last fall, making it the “Greene & Green Swap”. Then, in the following months, we will swap other period color fabrics.

This season’s swaps will include:

The Greene & Green Swap – For those of us with Susan Greene’s book, Wearable Prints, we will be swapping fabrics similar to those in the pages of her book. (Group1) — For those who don’t yet have her book, we will swap Green Fabrics appropriate to the nineteenth century. (Group2). (Of course, you can do both groups.) There were lots of popular greens of the century, including the infamous poison green.
The Red Swap – We will swap popular nineteenth century Red Fabrics.
The Blue Swap – We will swap popular nineteenth century Blue Fabrics.

What is a Swap?

This is a chance for to exchange fabric with a small group of people. Each group will have 8 people exchanging pieces of fabric. All you need is a half yard of fabric and envelopes along with your copy of Fanciful Utility.

To Participate:

1: Sign Up Day!
On sign-up day, groups will be assigned on a first-in basis; the first eight will be the first swap group, second eight in the second group, etc. **Please be certain you will be able to fully participate by mailing your fabrics on the Mail-Out Date.**

“Greene/Green Swap” – Sign-Up Day: January 20th
“Red Swap” – Sign-Up Day: February 20th
“Blue Swap” – Sign-Up Day: March 20th

2: Mail-Out Day:
Place a 9×9″ piece of fabric suited to the mid-19th century in envelopes for each of the 7 other people in your swap group, stamp them (be sure to double check at the post office, but the small 9×9″ pieces should mail in a regular envelope with a normal stamp), and send them off no later than the Mail-Out Day.

“Greene/Green Swap” – Mailing Day: January 30th
“Red Swap” – Mailing Day: February 28th
“Blue Swap” – Mailing Day: March 30th

3: Get Fanciful!
Use your Fanciful Utility templates and techniques to make a project from the book, or copy your own from 19th century sources. We’ll all look forward to seeing your projects! You don’t have to sew right away, but don’t keep us waiting forever to see all the fun things!

(If you need a copy of Fanciful Utility, you can purchase them from the publisher at www.thesewingacademy.com

Fabric Guidelines:

For the cotton and silk categories, your fabric should be early to mid-nineteenth century appropriate. (If there is a want for an earlier or later group, we can do that.) Prints and motifs should reflect those available in the 1840s, 50s and 60s. Cotton should be 100% cotton. Silk should be 100% silk.
To keep the swap and sewing possibilities interesting, please avoid solids as best we can.
Fabrics that do not work well for sewing cases should not be swapped. These include sheers, gauzes, heavy, thick, easy-to-fray, slippery and stretch fabrics.
For the “crazy swap” category, think crazy quilt in a sewing case. This could include satins, velvets, textured fabrics. Quality synthetic fabrics are invited.

Swapper Guidelines:

Please be certain you can fully participate in the swap before you sign-up.
If something arises after you sign-up that will effect the date you are mailing your fabrics, please email your group so everyone is aware.
If you fail to fully participate in a swap, you will not be able to sign-up for future swaps. (We do understand medical and family emergencies. I need to be able to ensure swappers will receive fabrics when they send fabrics out.)

Q&A

Yes, you can participate in 1, 2 or 3 of the swaps.

Yes, if we end up with multiple groups, you can participate in more than one group to swap more fabric. If you participate in 2 groups, you should swap 2 fabrics.

Yes, you can swap large and small scale prints.

Yes, you can swap now and sew later.

Yes, we would love to see what you’ve made with the swapped fabric.

Yes, you can use your own fabric in your swapped project.

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on January 1, 2015 at 4:52 pm Comments (7)
Tags: FanU Swaps

Looking Back & Looking Forward – 2014 & 2015

It is that time of year when we think about what we’ve accomplished as we wrap up the current year and about what we want to accomplish in the coming year.

I’d describe my current state as one of a bowl of thought soup churning around not yet sure of what is what.

In 2014….

When the year started, I decided I wanted to try to sew a bonnet a week minus two weeks for Christmas, 50 bonnets. Just as Thanksgiving week wrapped up, I passed my goal.
That same week I made a new blog daily view record and broke a comment milestone.
I developed my millinery impression’s pieces a bit more with a ribbon holder, bonnets stands, a ledger/journal and an colorful interactive.
In the fall, I had dual workshop day for the museum’s Domestic Arts Symposium.
I, um, broke the planned plan, developed a bigger collection and had to buy more archival boxes.
I ran a few series on the blog this year, one surveying the millinery of 1864, another looking newspaper articles written by rural people for rural readers, and “Their Life, Their Words” looking at the every day life of women.
We had two sets of Fanciful Utility Swaps, one in the spring and one in the fall that has just sort of kept on going.

In 2015…. I don’t so much have any “New Year’s Resolutions”. I have “things I would like to do”:

My big millinery goal is to get the planned plan on paper, in fabric, in film and finally in print or in a lecture hall.
As it was such a nice goal, again I am going to set the 5o goal.
I want to spend more time in the village and at a couple historic sites.
I want to hold another millinery sewing day. (I’d like to eventually hold a millinery retreat.)
I want to do an afternoon excursion Canandaigua Lady for a small bunch of us in historic attire. Something relaxing, low-key and pleasant. The Canandaigua steamboats seem to be used for daily commuting into the city and along the lake, allowing us to wear day attire and enjoy each others’ company without stressing before hand.
I want to do a few workshops at some point.
I have been procrastinating reorganizing, okay flat out re-doing the millinery ribbon blog. Part of me wants to move it again to have a better url. Part of me has no idea when I will find the time. I have a stack, large stack, of posts for that blog I have not done.

What everyone is looking for…. The projects:

I am going to hook a rug. Actually, I am going to make a sewn rug (earlier method) and hopefully a hooked version of the same. I really like the idea of doing one in a Baltimore album quilt square style with jewely greens and reds. I sorta started a pinboard.
The multiple pieces that go with the above mentioned planned project.
I will make one of the coats. I have the black wool and the ivory wool/silk just waiting and waiting. *(though, it would be a good idea to use the black wool for a hood workshop. The slightly felted flannel would make a snuggly warm hood.)
I will make something for me. *(This has been lacking in the recent years compared to further previous; one dress a year verses many wardrobe additions.)

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on December 31, 2014 at 2:00 pm Comments (1)

Glitch

Some of my fabulous subscribing readers may be getting anouncements of articles that aren’t there yet.
The mobile version of WordPress tried to make some upcoming post live today as I reviewed them.
I’m sorry about the confusion. Please, think of those as friendly teasers for what is coming.

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