WHAT I'M DOING TONIGHT

Hi, Prim friends - I could look at 19th and 20th century needlework  books forever. I don't know what it is about

them, a simpler time? Attention to every detail in their

homes and wardrobe? The unhurried fashion that the

women seemed to go about in their world. But still they

managed to cook, clean, launder, be caregivers, then had

a quiet time at night to do their mending and marking of

linens, and some beautiful cross stitching or embroidery.

Needlework endures today, with our efforts to re-create

the work of so many girls and women that went before us.

I'm glad I'm a female!

Demonstrating the proper height and distance from table for needlework. The thread is drawn up as shown.

It's that attention to every detail again, these ladies certainly were efficient and organized.

Do a Google search on vintage needlework books and see

what you come up with. Demographics determine where the

search will go, I won't get the same results as you for example.  The books for American young ladies are really

fun, they include toys, games, rhymes and needlework and

sewing crafts. My favorite is the The American Girl's Book by Eliza Leslie. 

This book has some wonderful crafts projects for young

girls and they are wonderful early Colonial examples that

we can re-create. 

So I hope you enjoyed the glimpse into 19th century girls'

pastimes.

Good Nite Primmies,

Susan

                                      

A Source To Share With You

Hello, Primmies -
Is everyone relaxing today? We are. I've had time to really look through some favorite blogs and I found a nice source for linen fabric and flosses for cross stitching. The store is on eBay and it's link is Home Sweet Home Needle Crafts. Their ID is hshneedlecrafts.
If you are signed in to eBay you can click the
above link, otherwise put their ID in the search . They have fat eighths (13"x18")
pieces of linens, some already hand dyed by
Weeks Dye Works and others. The size works
for most projects, I have a book of historical
samplers and the fat eighth is usually enough for the projects. They will cut larger pieces if you need it. The prices are fair I think, they vary according to count and mfgr. but they are anywhere from $9.00 to
$11.00. 
I'm on the hunt today for places to buy 
sampler and cross stitch supplies so I might
be back with another store link.
Have a blessed day,
Susan

No Matter How You Say It...

To my very dear blogging friends, you have all made me feel like dancing this year. You've been here with
words of praise and words of condolences and also
encouragement when I needed it. 
So even though we won't be out tonight, know that
I will be dancing in my heart from meeting all of you
in 2011.
Happy New Year to you and your loved ones,
Susan

A Look At Life In 1871 From A New England Woman

Hi, Primmies, it's Friday and tomorrow  is New Year's Eve. I feel like my household is very disorganized right now. I know it's because we have tried to make 5 rooms fit into 3, so I'm going to

break a rule and make a resolution. I don't make them because I

usually don't keep them. But for 2012 I'm going to have a more

relaxed view on things. I got a kick out of reading advice to young housekeepers setting up their homes for the first time. I thought

you'd like a glimpse of how Mrs. Mary H. Cornelius would advise

you regarding housekeeping. The excerpts below are from her writings in Young Housekeepers Friend revised in 1871 from her

Newton Centre,MA home:

At least the servants didn't have to cook on Sunday.

And I wonder how many homes employed domestic help in 1871. I always had the impression that only a privileged few had that luxury. 

I also got a little treat from Mr. Glen Oaks. He found a copy of the first American collection of 'receipts' for

five dollars on Amazon. It's reprinted as The First American Cookbook from the original American Cookery, 1796 by Amelia Simmons. This is reported to be the first cookbook written by an American and

published in the United States. Amelia Simmons wrote her book in the spring time of 1796 where she

lived in Hartford, Ct.

What's fascinating is that a lot of her receipts were
"borrowed" from English cookery books most notably a woman called Susannah Carter. Copying another's works was acceptable practice during this time period and even much later on. Ms. Simmons herself was

copied from even after filing for the first Federal copyright law of 1790. The book was welcomed also

because English did not use ingredients that Americans used. So Ms. Simmons set out to right a collection of receipts for making meals that she had

eaten all of her life in America.

I will be scanning some pages from my copy and include them in another post. They are such fun to

read and the nice thing is that this book includes a

glossary with the meanings of 18th century phrases

and measurements.

Enjoy your Friday afternoon,

Susan

Thursday Tip : (Faux) Blackened Wax Fruit Tutorial~Thrift Shop Bowl Makeover

Good Morning, Primmies -
I love the blackened beeswax ornies and bowl fillers but I'm not set up to work with melted wax. It's not that I wouldn't love to make my own candles and
tarts, but we just don't have a good place to work
that wouldn't ruin our teensie kitchen. 
So when I came across this tut I thought, "Great,
I can manage this". It might not appeal to the most
purist of primmies but I don't mind a shortcut or two.

Rhonda of It's A Kattywhompus Life very graciously allowed me
to post her method of making faux blackened wax fruit. Click the either of the links to go to her blog post. Rhonda started with the above thrift shop wax fruit:
It's a Kattywhompus Life: (Faux) Blackened Wax Fruit Tutorial~Thrift Shop Bowl Makeover:

And she ended with this very nice 'blackened wax' fruit. Ta Da!
Read her post for the very small list of supplies that you will need, how she did it and her bowl re-finish.
I hope you enjoy this.
Have a good morning, Prims -
Susan

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