If I Had My Own Blue Box:

We spend a decent amount of time talking about staying safe and hydrated in the summer heat. We should give equal time to the cold wintery conditions as well.

At the very least, know the signs of frost bite and hypothermia:

Frostbite from the MayoClinic

Hypothermia from the CDC

Areas to watch for Frostbite: From my observation of reenactprs and interpreters in historic clothing, there are several areas to watch for frostbite.

Women who wear fashionable bonnets and hats often have exposed ears , leaving them susceptible to cold air and wind. While you are enjoying yourself in the excitement, you might not notice the toll it is taking on your ears. The same can be said about the back of the neck , which is also left more exposed with the hair dressed up and a silk bavolet being the only protection. Be sure to check your ears. A winter hood and scarf are your best protection.

Next, are the feet. Period footwear was not designed our slushy, salt treated roads and walks. This can lead to wet, cold feet. Be sure to have dry socks and get your shoes/boots completely dry each night.

For women, the knees can also be a spot that gets colder than we are accustom depending on the length of the stockings and drawers. This area can easily be forgotten about during the day and surprise you come evening. Wool stockings pulled over the knees, long wool flannel drawers, and knee warmers can save some surprise pain.

Our hands are a frostbite risk in any century is we don’t have warm, dry gloves. Please keep them warm too.

Layers – 19th Century Wisdom

Honestly, I am far more comfortable in my 19th century winter layers than I am trying to fuss with modern winter layers. It will be fun tomorrow to see how I do because most of those pieces are still packed. My ideal goes like this:

• Wool stockings (over shoes if they can be found)
• Flannel drawer if it is really cold
• Regular cotton or linen chemise
• Wool petticoat
• Quilted petticoat
• Crinoline/cage with pettis
• Wool dress
• Wool undersleeves if need be
• Coat for outside, shawl for inside
• Hood
• Scarf if needed
• Gloves and mittens, maybe a muff

I would love for you to share your period cold weather safety tips in the comments.

I have a couple previous articles that may interest you:

• Are You Ready for Winter?
• Keeping Warm this Winter

Wow, this has been quite the fall. I have been procrastinating writing a proper update because I just don’t know what to say about a few things. I feel as though quite a bit has happened since my State of the Sewing Address in early October.

Me

In a nutshell…. Shortly after moving at the end of September, it became just Clara and I. Around the same time, my blood lab numbers spiked nearly as high as they were in the hospital. I had some downright pissed off organs. Basically, October going into November has been an epic emotional roller coaster. This week that roller coaster is pretty deep underground because we got some crushing family news with the loss of a dear loved one.

Currently, I am in a grey area while I try to find a new normal, as well as “balance and routine” as my awesome gi doctor calls for, while working out those many details. (One of those below.) I am currently checking the radar for the storm that is headed our way. Its timing and status will determine just how much I enjoy my massage appointment this afternoon.

Shop

I am quite pleased with filling my Etsy shop’s Holiday Shop in advance of Thanksgiving this year. It is all ready for browsing and shopping. There has already been a nice response to my miniature straw hat ornaments. I added a new bunch last night. I may add a few beaded strawberries next.

Sewing

By filling my Holiday Shop early, this means I can transition some of my sewing back to straw and to some of my own holiday projects. Working with straw will help me with the goal of “balance and routine.” There is a wool table mat idea I want to work up with reindeer. This is if I can find the dense black wool.

Events

This weekend is Preparing for the Holidays at GCVM. This has become a favorite event because it promises a day shared with one of several very skilled friends and lots of interested visitors, young and old. This year I am going to try something new: I will be demostrating the pinking machines. This is going to cause some era mixing because I simply don’t have attire contemporary to the machines. I am anxious to see what happenes in terms of the quantity of silk. I will have roughly 6 hours of potential pinking. Given how quickly these machines can work, that can be a lot, I mean A LOT, of pinked silk. I may bring a sewing kit to ruche some of it.

Photo by Ruby Foote

This weekend will test what and how I packed. I packed two sets of clothing in anticipation of fall events. I have already discovered I can not remember where I packed my boots. I am also noticing the difference between the fall I packed for and the winter it distinctly is. I suspect, the wool and quilted petticoats may be in that one last pink tote that would not fit in the car. Fingers crossed.

Looking Ahead

One of the things I have to figure out going forward is some financial stability. Basically, I need to sew and sell an absolute every month to get by. I recently had someone encouraging me to use Patreon and a couple other platforms. I would like to get your thoughts on Patreon I am trying to decide whether Patreon is the right match for me, if it is a good fit or distraction. Here is what I would like to know from you:

• Do you know what Patreon is?
• Do you feel comfortable supporting artists and educators with it?
• Would you encourage me to use it?

I think that is all for now. I hope everyone has a warm, safe Thanksgiving. I plan to enjoy chocolate cream pie and self healing.

For a few years I have toyed with the idea of making mini straw millinery ornaments. I finally took the time to make some. Each of these inch and a half to three inch straw hats is sewn by hand using the same techniques I use for my full size millinery. I decorated them with ribbon, flowers, and feathers.

These hat ornaments are available in the Holiday Shop section of my Etsy shop. Please take a look.

The third day of the Symposium was my workshop day. This year’s workshop was “A Band of Millinete.” This workshop was all about making the foundations for headdresses.

Each attendee received wire, fasteners, buckram, crinoline, a handout packet full of references, and yards of Hyman Hendler ribbon. The goal was to make 4 foundations and one finished headdress.

I was over ambitious.

I had figured we would make all the foundations before lunch. Then, have fun making the flurfy ribbon headdress after lunch.

Not so much.

Somewhere around 2 most people were starting their 4th piece or their finished piece. I don’t think a single person finished.

I have discovered I do not like ending a class without attendees having finished peices to feel proud of and take home. I miss having that “lookmat what we did” feeling and photo.

So. This will be a major planning factor in future workshops.

I do think people still enjoyed it and learned some things.

I already have heard requests for next years: theorum shell pin cushions and bonnet/hat stands. We shall see….

This weekend was the Genesee Country Village and Museum’s 5th Domestic Skills Symposium. Attendees from multiple states and Canada traveled to the Genesee Valley at the near peak of autumn color, for three days packed full of presentations, workshops, and period food.

While I needed to be at work on Friday, Saturday I decided to try something new.

For the first time, I put together a table of Fanciful Utility and FanU sewing items for sale and give attendees a sneak peek at the pieces I am offering in the Holiday Shop this year.

I had no idea how this little adventure was going to go. But, a coworker inspired me to give it a try and see what happened. It turned out to be a lot of fun because I got to talk with readers and fans. I was surprised by how many people already had Fanciful Utility. I even met a few blog and Etsy followers I didn’t know I had.

There were three groups of items I brought. Of course there was Fanciful Utility along with some starter kits and vintage needle packets. I also brought some of the mini-projects I share each year.

I brought an assortment of the pieces that will be going into the Etsy Holiday Shop this week.

There were some favorites. I only have two scissors cases left. I will need to make more. People loved the heart shaped velvet pin keeps that were inspired by a beautiful original at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. These feel so good in the hand.

I also brought an assortment of favorites from previous years. I was reminded how much people love the strawberries and seashells. I had one person who asked about shells with theorum. I would love to do those for sale as a workshop.

All in all, this was a lot of fun to do. I didn’t quite meet the passing thought of “hmmmm, I wonder if I could buy a washing machine?” sales wise. This was definitely for the experience and for just this event. It is not something I want to do regularly.

I will be adding pieces to my Etsy shop’s Holiday Shop section this week. I need to take photos and write all the listings. I did figure out the crazy bright lights in the hall bathroom are useful for photos. They are far to bright for regular use. Alas, the cloth has lots of wrinkles. It appears I need to buy a pn iron as well as a washer, dryer, and drill.

Since I have had a variety of questions in the last couple weeks, I thought it would be a good time to do a Q&A.

When will you start making hats and bonnets again?

After 2 plus months, I started sewing hats this past weekend. I am making just a couple styles at the moment because only a couple crown blocks are unpacked. I will expand the styles I am making as I unpack more blocks.

I will start making bonnets when a couple criteria are met. A. I need a place to put the bonnet blocks. My bonnet blocks, especially the plaster blocks, are more delicate than the smaller, wooden hat blocks. B. I need a good place for bonnets to dry on the blocks. Previously, I put pieces on the washer to dry during the blocking and sizing processes. Here, a washer and dryer still need to be purchased. While I have made drying mats for the hats to dry on the counter, the kitchen counter just isn’t going to cut it for bonnets.

Will you make men’s hats?

In the nineteenth century women’s hats and men’s hats were different beasts. They where made by different people. WhilenI would love to offer men’s hats, I just don’t know if doing so is viable cirrently. In order for me to make men’s hats, I will need to find and purchase an assortment of blocks in men’s sizes and men’s styles. Ideally, I would have a minimum of 3 to 4 sizes of each style. This would be both a matter of expense ($60-120 per block) and space for storage.

So, the short answer is: Not any time soon.

Why have some prices increased?

The prices of most hats and bonnets has increased because my costs have increased. The main cost increase areas include: Etsy fees, the per hank cost of straw, and the shipping fees on most materials.

Please keep in mind each hat takes 8 to 12 hours to sew by hand, block and size, while mid-century bonnets take 10 to 15 hours and larger Regency bonnets take longer. Each piece also has the time to find and cost of blocks, millinery research, wire, and sizing. I have to be reminded to consider the “over head” expenses: tissue paper, bags, tape, labels, cards, storage, soaking containers, towels, scissors, sd cards, etc.. When I actually do a spreadsheet, the materials and time totals come out to $128 to $137 per piece. So, I am still trying to make them affordable. I do anticipate an increase with the increase in tarriffs coming.

Will you be making head-dresses this year?

Yes, I plan to make head-dresses this fall and winter. That is actually what my November workshop at the GVCM Domestic Skills Symposium is on. Following that workshop, I will be putting pieces in my shop.

Why the change in seasonal sewing plans?

Usually, I switch to making winter millinery from mid fall through mid winter. This year, I will be sewing straw all the way through the winter. This is because I have a significant budget change and need to sew and sell an absolute minimum of $550 each month. Ideally, I will do more each month so I can save for July to September when I don’t have a school paycheck.

Some how it is October. This past week the weather shifted. i found myself cold and in want of sweaters. The sweaters are still packed away, by the way. Yesterday morning, the sky turned read and breaking light was tinted an eerrie pink.

This weekend is the Agricultural Society Fair at the museum. You know this is one of my favorite events. This year, I have been looking forward to it even more than usual because it had been marking a sort of end post for this moving mess. Well, with the more recent developments, that I have decided Not to talk about yet, that end post is going to be rest somewhere in the future. I only have two entries this year. I don’t think Mom is entering. Oh, and to add to my “but, but, but fair” whine…. I caught school germs. Come on. What do you think is going to happen when you cram All the people with All their germs into a smelly gym for an hour to scream and cheer, just 4 weeks into the germ exchange season school year?

But, on to what you want to hear about… … sewing

I finally started sewing this week.

MILLINERY

I am starting out with general sewing because I don’t have all my materials or millinery blocks out yet. I also haven’t figured out where I am going to dry pieces as I still have to buy a washer and dryer. My hope is to have two or three hats sewn and headed to my shop this weekend, then start working on my waiting list. I plan to sew straw straight through the winter rather than switch to working on winter millinery for the season.

I do have an important request – The photos I took in July at the museum (Mumford) disappeared out of my phone during the last update. These included the photos of people wearing the types of hats and bonnets they want. I am a Very visual person. If you have photos of you or your friend who wanted a particular piece, please let me know.

HOLIDAY SHOP

I have several great ideas for the coming Holiday Shop. This year I will be offering a special Christmas Ornament! I am working on these now. I know several of you have been waiting for something like this for a few years. I hope you love them.

I am also making an assortment of these pretty little pockets. I will be filling them with goodies – either sewing notions or hair necessities. Some will be available for you to fill as you like. They are just the right size for a gift card, a piece of jewelry, or other small token.

I will be offering an assorment of sewing accessories. There is a great scissors case I have drafted. I need to get out my tote of velvets to work those. I know you will love these. Of course there will be a few fun pin cushions.

I have this wacky idea that I want to use the pinking machines for a Christmas ornament. There will be a few of those whimsical pretties.

Which brings me to….

Pinking Party

I ahve decided to have a Pinking Party. The date isnyet to be determined. I am going to try to have it at home if I can figure out the parking. Lots of tables with lots of pinking machines. This will be a local thing for local friends. If it goes well, maybe I will do another elsewhere.

Are you registered for my Band of Millinette workshop at the Genesee Country Village & Museum’s Domestic Skills Symposium?

Join me Sunday, November 3rd for a day exploring the headdresses worn in the nineteenth century and learning how to make the foundations for them. We will make two or three bases and make one fun headdress.

I have a special stock of ribbon set aside for this workshop.

I invite you to take a moment to guide me in my holiday shop planning. Please share your thoughts in this survey.

SURVEY HERE

Thank you very much,

Anna

I have been struggling with what to write and when to write ever since my “New Plan” post at the beginning of August. Let’s be real, that post wasn’t so much about “new plans” as it was about the decimation of plans. I decided to put the information on moving into the September Updates post so there would be some resemblance of normalcy, even if it is just for me.

Our new place is just 8 or so miles from our previous, in the town I went to school in. The place is the antithesis of what the old place originally was: modern, complex, neighbors, blacktop verses hardwood, private, treed, animals, shade, quiet. There are several advantages to the new place:

• There are closets and storage. A pantry, a linen closet, bedroom closets, coat closet, utility closet….
• There are electric outlets, more than just 2 per room.
• There are screens on the windows.
• Best we can tell, the lights should not flicker and the circuit breaker won’t blow when we run the microwave.
• I am hoping I will no longer burn my hands when I wash dishes. (Hot hot and cold being the only options)
• The tub and shower, yup we have both, ought to be constructed right and actually drain.
• Oh, and we have a new fangled thing called a dishwasher.

There are many things I will miss abput the old place. But, the reality is most of these things have been wittled away already.

• Quiet privacy
• Shade from beautiful old trees
• Cats to say hello each day
• Ghosts, both human and feline
• Squirrels all named George, deer herd and fawn twins, groundhog family
• Being able to walk to the fabric shop

Moving forward….

I am still trying to sort things out both physically and mentally. I would really like to dive back into all the projects. But, I think I need to focus on what is coming up and choose a mental health project of some sort.

The Agricultural Society Fair is coming up October 6th and 7th. I have two lonely pieces to enter this year. I am hoping to still do a demonstration of new domestic inventions/tools, including the punking machines.

Following, the weekend of November 3rd, is the Domestic Skills Symposium when I will be doing my Band of Millinette workshop that I am excited about. This program needs a lovely PowerPoint and some handouts to go with their supply kits.

What the mental health project will be, I am not sure. I need something that will slow me down and help me center while bringing back some joy. I want to feel how I did in July.

Eventually….

Eventually, I will get back to the projects the got dropped two months ago. There will be a winter hood book. There will be a Godey’s Dolls book. There will be straw millinery. There may be winter millinery. There will be more videos. There will be new FanU projects.

Thank you all for your patience, both in waiting for items and for listening to me whine and vent.