Just a Reminder:
Rebecca’s Civil War dress, “Apple Butter Sweet” ends Thursday (tonight) night on Ebay. You can can see it by clicking the picture at the right side bar or by clicking HERE. Here are a few pictures…
Yesterday I did a post on a book that I have in my sewing library. (HERE) It was on the Regency styles and I happened to show a picture of some bonnets and one in particular I pointed out that made me chuckle every time I saw it…#25 if you couldn’t guess…
Well, Susette sent me an email wondering if I thought this lace scarf could possibly be a mourning veil? She said it was 16″ by 2 yards long and very delicate with finished edges, so it wasn’t just a piece of lace. She had inherited it from her great great grandmother and wondered if it could possibly be a veil that she used for for funerals. Here is a picture of the lace…
Susette got on Etsy and found this picture of a mourning veil and it was close enough to the size of hers, that she was convinced this piece of lace that has been a mystery to her for years was used as a mourning veil.
The next thing I know, Marilyn found a site that showed veils worn by Jackie and Ethyl Kennedy, and Coretta Scott King. They weren’t quite the same but it was the same idea… a veil covering the face. It was pretty neat to see this all come together… congrats Susette, on solving the mystery!
Then when I showed this green dress…
…and Joy mentioned that the green fabrics were sometimes laced with arsenic… She left a link to a very interesting article… if you care to read it… gives me the willies!
It may be a while before I can make a green dress…
Joy also mentioned that there are Wellie Wishers at Costco and Hearts for Hearts dolls at Target.. Christmas is coming, you know…
My hubby and I worked on our floor, hopefully for the last time! There were about a dozen spots that we had marked with blue painters tape where there seemed to be a little bit of a discrepancy from one plank to another. How did we find them? Well, I scooted around on my behind and scraped my finger nail against the ends of each and every plank!! If my fingernail caught a high spot…sometimes only like 1/32nd of an inch, I marked it.
We didn’t want any chairs moving across the floor, or a shoe to catch on that little lip sticking up, so we lifted those planks up and my hubby used his rasp to smooth down the floor underneath! (try doing THAT with any other kind of flooring!) We vacuumed the sawdust and replaced the planks. It worked wonderfully and we got all the areas taken care of!!! YAY! Now I can relax and not be worried that something is going to “snag” my planks. It took us almost all day Tuesday.
Wednesday, I worked on my curtains… I don’t know how 2 panels with just a header at the top could take so long, but it was an all day project. I think because the fabric is like a kleenex and so soft, it was just harder to work with. They are up but they aren’t hemmed and steam pressed… I just had to get them up… and will show you a picture when they are finished…
I cut George’s hair yesterday and 5″ off Rebecca’s hair today! Tomorrow I have a dentist appointment and my mom has a doctor’s appointment…
Boy, it seems like I’ve been wearing LOTS of different HATS lately! Soon I’ll be back in doll seamstress mode!
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
You may be wearing a lot of hats, but you are getting a lot of things done. You should definitely be proud of yourself. And your house. And your newly neat family. And all of your talent. And maybe most of all your willingness to go the extra mile and do the right thing, even if you are going the extra mile literally by scooting around on your bottom finding tiny problems on your new floor.
I sometimes buy a pretty dress on Etsy and find the seller has used only three snaps (neck, waist, middle of a long skirt) to fasten the back. I think, “Jeanne would have used seven.” Again, the extra mile, this time figuratively.
Thank you Marilyn,
Another busy day for me…it’s 6:45 and I’m just now starting my dinner….and trying to answer a few comments as my chicken bakes.
You always say the sweetest things to me…thank you so much!
Blessings, Jeanne
Thanks to Joy for an interesting article. 19th century clothes look so beautiful but could be hazardous.
When I went to a costume conference, there was a session on avoiding damage to the health of costume crew members. Costumers use dyes and paints and spray paints and costume labs need good ventilation and access to outdoor workspace. Artists need the same. The fixative for charcoal and pastels is not good for lungs, for example.
Hi again,
That article was something else, wasn’t it? I never would have guessed sewing and costuming was so dangerous.
Glad you got so much done ! It’s always a good feeling of having accomplished many things in a day as well as doing things right! Like in your new floors. Hope you’ll share a photo of the finished curtains and your floors.
My goodness, Joy’s article was interesting. I had no idea about green fabrics back then! Weird!
Hi Paula,
I will share my new floors and the curtains as soon as I get them finished. I have GOT to get my flooring post finished so I can send it to Karpet Korner”s Facebook page like I told them I would….
Thanks Paula,
Blessings, Jeanne
What an interesting article! Wow, just think how poisoned Scarlett O’Hara must must have been after wearing the green “curtain” outfit.
Hi Debi,
Your comment made me smile and then I thought of the Carol Burnett spoof on that where she came down the stairs with the curtin rod across her shoulders…what a hoot that was!!!
Thanks Debi,
Blessings, Jeanne
Congrats on finishing up the floor and curtains (well almost) too. A huge project.
Once the medical appointments are over, perhaps you can squeeze in some Jeanne time. Or maybe just think of it. Know there is always something else that comes up.
I bought another dolly. Bad me. I believe she may arrive today. And guess what her name is? Jeanne! She is by Sylvia Natterer and a Minouche, 2015. Around 14 inches so will be interesting to see next to a LD. The body type appears to be more toddler like, so doubt if the clothes would fit. But, we’ll see. There is quite a following with these dolls. Made as play dolls, but tons of adult collectors. And much less expensive than LD’s. 🙂
Hi Joy,
I’m back home now, but it’s too late and getting too dark to start on hemming my curtains…maybe tomorrow.
When I saw the doll you bought, I looked her up on Ebay…I’ve seen those dolls faces before but never in person. I do hope she arrived today and stole your heart. I looked up the “Jeanne” doll…didn’t see that one on ebay…but found her in the completed listings.
Blessings, Jeanne
I must have read the blog too early and missed all the conversation of the black lace rectangle. I’d like to add the possibility that it is a “Lace Mantilla” or “Chapel Veil”. To try to summarize, as a Catholic, women were required from the beginning of the church’s time until the Council of 1983 to cover our heads when entering church. When the reformed Christians broke away, they too, took this custom with them (Martin Luther King). The Kennedy’s were Catholic. This would explain the many photos of them taken when leaving church services, that I, too, saw during the 60’s. I have two rectangles and one triangle black lace mantillas. I love them and have wonderful memories associated with them. They are often considered treasured heirlooms today, and passed down through families.
Here’s a link that has some photos of them being worn today, a company called Veils by Lily sells them still, although it’s very rare to see them. https://www.veilsbylily.com/?utm_source=Google%20Sale%20Campaign&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Sale%20ads
Hugs, Ali (Allie)
Hi Ali,
Thanks for your information about the lace veils…I’m telling you, everyone on here has something to contribute!
Thanks so much,
Blessings, Jeanne
I am trying again, after writing something earlier this morning. I do believe I forgot to click onto “Post Comment” in my haste to get to something else, or, it must have been a senior moment!
It was very interesting to read yesterday’s blog with Susette’s pictures and comments about the lace she has from her great great grandmother. I too, have several lace matilla’s and my Josefina wears one of mine, a white one. I did have a beautiful black one, but can’t figure out what happened to it. Ali has a very interesting source of veils *above), and they have several I would be interested in, but where to wear it? No one wears them in church anymore, but they are really beautiful, and reasonably priced.
So you sure got a lot done yesterday, Jeanne! Boy, this hot weather takes away a lot of energy but it doesn’t seem to be bothering you! So glad the floors are now done, and the drapes soon will be. You are Wonder Woman!
Hi Linda,
I’m “sure” you just forgot to hit post!!!
I always loved that black manilla scarf of Josefinas. It always caught my eye when I’d see it for sale…I just like lace…in case you couldn’t guess.
Yes, it was brutal today…when I was taking my mom to the dr this afternoon, it was 95, but I never looked to see what the heat index was. I probably didn’t need to know
Stay cool, dear friend!
Blessings, Jeanne
I feel kind of silly not knowing the lace was for Catholic Church services but I was raised Episcopalian, “low church,” so is that an excuse?
I remember finding out years ago that a “cold cream” my Nana used her whole life contained a minute amount of mercury, if you can imagine. What a scary article Joy found. Read it clear through.
So glad you are such stickler and know how to fix the floors. All ready for your ladies today. Won’t they be surprised. Have fun!
Don’t be so hard on yourself! You’d have no way of knowing that, if you’d never been in a Catholic Church back in those days!! It’s a perfectly good reason why. : ) Hugs, Ali
Hi Susette,
We’ll let you off the hook this time…but next time….??? Thanks for starting that conversation…we all learned a lot!
Oh, my ladies didn’t come today…it will be sometime next week…but I’m getting things sort of in order for then…
That cold cream sounds as bad as the green powder!!! I think I’ll stick with Dove!
Thanks Susette,
Blessings, Jeanne
Very nice booklet, Jeanne on Regency styles. Can we assume Elizabeth modeling a Regency dress is up next? Speaking of AG, I find things so odd now, some dolls are getting “cubed” and some have huge collections. Because of the eras I prefer, I don’t think there will be anything to buy from AG for the conceivable future.
Interesting article on arsenic, Joy. I was aware of that and it was also in green wallpaper from the Victorian era.
Glad you solved the mystery, Susette. If you recall, Josefina has a black lace Mantilla with her Christmas outfit and she is Catholic. If you aren’t Catholic, you probably wouldn’t know. I’m Lutheran (Martin Luther)-Missouri Synod, but I went to a Catholic grade school. Sometimes for morning mass, we would see an older lady come in wearing one of those chapel veils. I wish people really dressed up for church as they use to.- hats and gloves *sigh*. We’re having a Renaissance Faire for the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. I’m trying to throw together a costume because I love the idea of dressing the part when you attend an historical setting.
Glad you got the floor all finished. A lot of work, but a beautiful result.
Thank you Laura,
I hadn’t planned on a Regency…they just popped up. Felicity is coming up soon, but I only had a fat quarter of the Fall Fancy fabric and wanted to make her a dress out of it. I found a half yard if it but it’s coming from Australia…I also want to make a hat mold because I want to make her a green hat.
If you get a costume put together…we’d love to see you in it!!!
Blessings, Jeanne