If I Had My Own Blue Box:

August has felt like an odd month. I had bursts of creativity and productivity buncing with boughts of burnout.

The highlight of the month was my little sister visiting. I simply don’t see my siblings enough. We failed to get photos of us.

Time travel was supposed to fill the rest of the month, but life got in the way. I did get to do a Regency millinery demo for the Emma portion of Novel Weekend.

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I released two mini publications this month: my first modern pattern and a fun In Detail. There will be an announcement following one of these soon!

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August’s millinery was an assortment of eras:

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As summer wraps up, it is time for our fall challenge:

Mad for Plaid Challenge!

This September and October, I challenge you to make something Plaid. This can be a plaid garment, plaid accessory, or plaid item of material culture from any era and any region. You can make your challenge item as simple or as complex as you wish.

How to Participate:
Join the Facebook Group: 2021 Mad for Plaid Challenge. There will be questions to answer so I know you are a real person.
We will begin discussion officially September 1st. (I am in the midst of back to school. I will try not to be too distracted.)

What to do:

Make a historically researched item that is plaid. This can be a plaid garment, plaid accessory, or plaid item of material culture from any era and any region. You can make your challenge item as simple or as complex as you wish.

Rules:

This challenge is for fun. Each person will choose their own goals for this project. I ask that we support each other in those goals. Participants may choose any era or region to work in.

Coming challenges….

• Holidays (plural)
• Pretty, pretty Paisley

What is the In Detail series?

My In Detail series is an electronic publication that takes an up-close, or in detail, look at original pieces of material culture, usually useful, handmade pieces with a whimsical or fanciful side. Each publication is packed full of photographs and information about the object, how it was made, what was used, how it has weathered time. Most editions of In Detail include a section showing you how to recreate the item for yourself. I try to write 3 or 4 editions of In Detail each year, depending on how frequently I find an item of interest. In Detail is available in my Etsy shop. Patreon Patrons at the “Straw Sewer” level and above, receive In Detail as well as additional Patreon exclusive versions of In Detail.

Current Editions of In Detail:

This edition of In Detail explores a paper pieced pin ball made of silks. The directions section provides information on creating a pin ball or an ornament.

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This edition of In Detail is a little different as it has a surprise twist and more of a story before it explores Earl’s ball. This e-publication starts off exploring this corded ball and concludes with directions for making your own ball. Look for this e-publication in my Etsy shop.

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This edition of In Detail brings back the project I offered while recovering from surgeries years ago. This pin ball is created from little pillows.

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This edition of In Detail is a sweet velvet needle-book with red embroidery on the cover.

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This is a Patreon Exclusive In Detail looking at one of my favorite pin cushions from a nineteenth century publication.

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I fell in love with this velvet slipper pincushion and was excited to offer it as the second edition of In Detail.

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This Blue Ribbon Sewing Case was my very first edition of In Detail. This is an amazing sewing case made from a blue ribbon. Note: this is the edition that does not include directions for making the subject.

Yes, I know. It is Friday, not Wednesday.

This week’s video announces not one, but two publications!

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I mentioned the spoon project in the video. This is the Spoon Memorial by Made on the Moors, a collaborative art project honoring the women persecuted as witches during the witch hunt in England. Find more information here: https://www.madeonthemoors.co.uk/medicine-spoon-memorial-1

Favor request: If you normally watch my videos here on my WordPress blog, could you take a moment and subscribe to my YouTube channel? This will help me have a better idea of how may people are watching. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbVZo_2AOLN7E9lKVOOi28g

Or, should I call this a dark, dismal Wednesday?

I had a plan for recording this morning’s video: I would share the samples of my latest In Detail because they are much more fun when you can see them spin around. I would share my Whimsy Witch Hat project, a mini-pattern requested by a friend, and the straw hat I am working on, which is far too tall to ever be able to ship. I would share Marna’s video showing off her latest apron find and talking about what goes into Indi-patterning.

But, at this moment, a video is not happening. I am having miserable allergies. Puff – Check. Red and swollen – yuuup! Watering – endlessly, Running – hideously so. Absolutely not suitable for the camera.

I am convinced it is the rain and damp that kicks off my mold allergies. Each time is it wet out, I get gross. The air filters are on. On max. (I’ve been considering an additional on for the living room space.) Maybe, Maybe, I will look less gross in a while and record my video. If so, I will add it below.

Instead, please enjoy this video from The Domestic Lady’s Dressmaker. It is an unboxing with insight into what goes into indi-pattern making. (Hope this works because it is a FB video.)

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=168062325414078&id=100063867660900

I am tired. I am hungry. I am a bit brain numb. But….. The Summer Edition of In Detail is Ready!!!!

In Detail: Paper Pieced Pin Ball is available in my Etsy Shop.

Patreon Patrons check Patreon for today’s post.

Don’t miss the previous editions of In Detail

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This darling straw bonnet was a gift from a friend interpreter. She rescued it and shared it with me. While it has seen better days, it has some beautiful details.

Favor Request: If you usually watch my videos here on my WordPress blog, could you take a moment and subscribe to my YouTube channel? This will help me have a better idea of how may people are watching. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbVZo_2AOLN7E9lKVOOi28g

This weekend, I was invited to talk about Regency era millinery with a focus on Jane Austen’s Emma. As it turns out, Austen does not talk about millinery much in Emma. Given this, I decided to try to pull from the various Emma movies while showing a sampling of pieces from the era. If you don’t know, the Regency era had a wide variety of millinery.

The event itself felt relaxed. Visitors were able to stay and chat, asking a wide variety of questions without being hurried. I found I was off my game between being on day 4 of a migraine Saturday morning and not being ready for the heat. I felt like I was tripping over my words and stumbling though much of that I was saying Saturday morning. I recorded this little video Sunday midday. Afterwards, I started thinking “Wow. I used to do this five and seven days a week like it was nothing.” Now, a day is tiring. Two days kicks my butt. I feel so very out of shape with myself.