Treasures

The last people who viewed our house said there was too much junk outside. Admittedly, yes, we have a lot of old things about. But they should have seen it twenty years ago. The last two residents before us trashed the place. First there was a little old lady who had lived here with her husband and family, and died here alone when they were all gone. She couldn't keep the place up. All the old farm equipment was left out in the grove, and the trees grew around it. 

After she died the farm was rented out, and the renters apparently threw all their garbage into the grove or wherever they liked. Growing up Jen and I found many "treasures" while roaming our five acres. You wouldn't believe the amount of Butternut coffee cans we found out back. One of our principal treasures was an tiny cologne bottle we dug up somewhere. We also spent hours trying to dig antique china plates out of tree stumps. I don't believe we ever got a whole plate. It's sad how much history was wasted when those people threw it out.

Anyway, due to the comment from our viewers, this week we have an all-metals collection bin sitting in our yard, being filled with all the old farm equipment, rusted bed springs, old pipes and miscellany of "junk" from our grove and outbuildings. One always finds some sort of buried and forgotten hidden things when cleaning out, so here's today's find: 

Treadle parts for an old sewing machine, and raspberry truffles. Both things I love. Dad found the parts in the corn crib, tied together with rusty wire. They're all in decent order and not too rusted, and I think they could be used again. The bolts were even there. The wood rod has the date May 18, 1884. I doubt we'll find the rest of the machine, so these will probably become wall hangings in my sewing room. Someone in this house was sewing clothes more than a hundred years ago, maybe even in the same room where I sew now.

Wool

When I visited Scotland last year I knew I had to buy some wool to take home with me. I ended up buying two metres of a light-weight gray and raspberry plaid. I think I bought it in Golspie; there was a nice little fabric shop there that had all kinds of yarn, wool and cashmere scarves, spinning wheels and bolts of wool. I'm sure the prices were reasonable, but everything seemed so expensive in Scotland. Even this wool, the cheapest in the shop, was 17 pounds for the two metres. Probably the most I've ever spent on material, but it was worth it.

The wool sat in my fabric bin until about two weeks ago when I got it out to start cutting. And then I got terribly, horribly sick and was bedridden for a miserable week and the fabric sat on my sewing room floor with the pattern still on top of it. Now that I'm finally feeling better I've taken it back up to accomplish my goal.

My goal was a Edwardian-style walking skirt with a high waist, hook-and-eye side closure, and moderate hemline. The skirt seams are french seams and I did the hem by hand. I had enough material left to make a matching vest and beret as well. The vest(Simplicity 4079, $1 at Hancock's) turned out fairly well, and I even had the patience to line it. I doubt I'll wear the vest and skirt together much, because I would look like a Scottish zebra, but I'm happy with the outcome.

As hard as it is to get a decent self-photo, it's actually harder to get someone else to stop what they're doing to take a picture for you.

Wednesdays are Happy Baby Slobber Days

So lately I've been spending my Wednesdays with my second cousins, Mr. S and Miss O. They're cute and pretty well behaved, and I get to hold the baby all day long. The only catch is I have to get up at 6am after a late night, and even after good nights I so hate getting up early. But anyway, it's been fun. The above is Mr. S modeling a ladies 17thC cap.

And below is Mr. S. again, asleep against all odds in the play chair.

One Long Tea Party: an update on our moving situation

Two months ago my family made an offer on a house closer to Omaha. The house(named "Tea Party" for various reasons) is larger and newer than our current beloved home, but also largely unfinished(and thus affordable).

We've been learning a lot about Short Sale, which is actually not short at all. Short sale takes forever. Apparently it's a family tradition to move slowly, since it took us five years to find a house and make an offer. However, two months waiting for an answer is growing to be a long time, and the suspense is becoming painful.

The bank was supposed to give an answer this week. There's been nothing so far.

One Year

One year ago I was on my way to Helmsdale, Scotland with the W family.

Reflecting

on the beautiful places

I visited

cemeteries

ancient fortresses

the ocean

the barren hills

standing stones on Orkney

Castles

churches

I'm ready to go back.

Sewing Day

Last Saturday was Sewing day 2012 for dance group. Four girls out of ten are sewing their own costumes and I'm sewing the rest, so sewing day was meant to show the girls the ideal and then get them started on their own costumes. Four ladies dressed up for the mini-fashion show, and three of them wore stays. Last year the stays ratio was one to five, and this year it should be three to five. We're slowly improving. The stays are made with Butterick B4254 out of leftover pink linen.

I used plastic zip ties from Menard's for the boning.

I'd like to encourage some diversity between costumes, especially since everyone's using the same pattern. Here we have a Scottish lady modeling one of the rental bodices that I didn't have time to put eyelets in, with both a cheap cotton tartan and red linen petticoat.

The petticoats are pleated on to a simple band and tie around the waist. The bodice is made of brown linen and trimmed with the red. Of the 20 yards of white linen I bought, I have none left; of the 20 yards of brown I have four yards left.

Here is the test bodice. It turned out a little short, but fit well. The bodice is cotton and the gold petticoat is linen.

I wore my white quilted cotton petticoat and a new jacket.

Extreme Clothes Makeover

People give you strange things when they know you sew. A large spool of pink thread; a silk nightgown; linen suit coats; bags and bags of poly-cotton sheets. A few weeks ago it was a 1970's girdle, which I tore up to use the hooks and eyes. It had a sort of chain-link boning in it that I'm sure I'll find a use for.

On Sunday it was two ladies' fur coats. I tried to get the boys to model the coats for you all, but they wouldn't stand still long enough. So you'll just have to take my word for it; the coats are big, poufy, and covered in HAIR.They're a little worn in parts and ripped in others, but I'm thinking that these interesting pieces will make nice additions as cuffs and collars to Regency spencers, or warm trim for men's caps.