Tie a Yellow Ribbon in Addy’s hair…

Well, not exactly “tie” a ribbon…more like “wear” a yellow ribbon! That’s what Addy’s doing now. I made a hair bow out of the same linen that her collar is made from. It has a snap clip on the back so it can work anywhere in her hair and is easy to put in place. I thought maybe I might add some flowers to her hair, but in the end I decided to keep it simple since the dress is kind of busy with buttons and flowers and lace… (oh my!)

Linda said if I made a hair bow it should be big enough so the edges would peek out as you looked at her from the front. I can’t figure out why my camera doesn’t capture it, but when I stand and look at her, I see her hair bow peeking out, but when I try to take a picture of her, I can’t see it very much unless I angle my camera kind of downward… must be a 3-D kind of thing.
Anyway, here are a few shots for you Linda… :o)

Several people thought the lace was ecru or off white, but it’s a very pale yellow, as the “winner” will be able to see.

Marilyn thought the cookies should be molasses as Chocolate chips weren’t “invented” yet…She did a little research, (or maybe she already knew this…)

“Chocolate chips were created with the invention of chocolate chip cookies in 1937 when Ruth Graves Wakefield of the Toll House Inn in the town of Whitman, Massachusetts added cut-up chunks of a semi-sweet Nestlé chocolate bar to a cookie recipe. (The Nestlé brand Toll House cookies is named for the inn.) The cookies were a huge success, and Wakefield reached an agreement in 1939 with Nestlé to add her recipe to the chocolate bar’s packaging in exchange for a lifetime supply of chocolate. Initially, Nestlé included a small chopping tool with the chocolate bars. In 1941, Nestlé and at least one of its competitors started selling the chocolate in “chip” (or “morsel”) form.”

Thanks for the history lesson Marilyn! :o)

I was tying to find a recipe for cookies in my Delineator magazines (one is from 1894 and one is from 1896.) I didn’t see any recipes for cookies, but I did run across this page in one of my other Civil War books… it was talking about hair styles and hats and bows…

If you click on the picture it should enlarge so you can read it easier…

I looked through the same book and took a few pictures of the women’s hairstyles back then. Almost every single one of them had a center part and generally some kind of hair accessory, but not very many hats. I’m sorry that these pictures aren’t great. They are pictures in this book and are only about 2 or 3″ square, so when they are blown up they are a bit fuzzy…but you can see those parts pretty easily!

We are helping someone with their house…long distance. They are in Wyoming and we are trying to do a few things to help with the selling of their house. They moved away quickly and their house hasn’t sold yet. We are just giving them a few days of our time to see if it will help sell the house… I think it will! So that’s why I ONLY was able to get a hair bow made. I also had to take my mom to the doctor for a bad cough…

Okay… I’m done!
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne

16 thoughts on “Tie a Yellow Ribbon in Addy’s hair…”

  1. Who Hoo, she’s perfect. Well done Jeannie on your creation.
    A magical civil war imagintioning.
    Perfect fabric and style.
    Detailing is fabulous .
    Spectacular start to the new year, keep them rolling.

  2. Charlotte Trayer

    The hair bow is lovely! Using the same fabric as the color was a great idea, as then they match perfectly. Often ribbon can be just a shade or two off, and looks even more so because of the different “surface” (shiny, matte, pile, etc.).

    So interesting about the hairstyles and hats! Thanks for sharing that.

    Hope your mom is doing better now. Perhaps she’s on a medication that causes a cough? That happened to my husband one time–cough was a side-effect. Strange. Once he stopped that med, he stopped coughing!

    Good luck on selling the house for your friends! It’s so kind of you to help them.

  3. Oh, perfect, Jeanne! What a nice way to “top off” everything with this beautiful big bow! I can’t say enough for the whole appearance of the outfit, and boy, Addy is going to really be upset when you take it off!

    I’m so glad you showed a close up of the lace. I certainly didn’t think it was yellow, but more like off white or ecru, but this yellow lace is just perfect! I can’t say I have seen much in the way of colored lace, so this must be a very special piece!

    Thanks, Marilyn, for the history lesson on Toll House Cookies. If that was how history was taught, I might have like it better! I never cared for history in school, because it seemed it was just about one war after another, and they happened a long time ago, nothing that was relevant to me in my teenage years! Another thing, Civil War times seemed so dour and depressing to me, just look at the big smiles in the faces above! But just look at sweet Addy, in her pretty dress, now that’s what I like to see!

    You and George are so caring and the perfect friends to have! Thank goodness for people like the two of you! Hope your momma finds relief from her cough!

    Are you ready for some S N O W? 🙂

  4. It was a good idea to take your mother to the doctor since this is flu season. I’ve also had two friends with pneumonia this year. A doctor would spot either one. For a quick review of flu vs. cold, it’s probably flu if the onset is very fast and if symptoms include chills, fever, a headache, and muscle aches. Early treatment works best.
    Speaking of research, the chocolate chip information is from Wikipedia — I forgot to give credit, though I recall intending to.
    Your hairstyle research is interesting. I read that shampoo appeared during the 20’s and I remember when creme rinses appeared about 1964-5, I think, so hair was probably less clean in Addy’s era and less easy to control, and the combed back and rolled or made into a bun or braid would be a good solution. Margaret Mitchell described women at a ball as wearing their hair in buns at the napes of their necks, or in curls caught back and tied there. All of that makes Addy’s hairstyle seem exactly right. The yellow bow is a great addition. When Addy first appeared, she was called “the best dressed slave in America,” though she was soon the best dressed former slave. Isn’t it nice that she still is?

  5. It is such a pleasure to view your work, Jeanne. I enjoy all of your research and how you capture what you’re looking for in an ensemble. The upcoming owner of Addy’s creation will be so pleased, I’m sure.

    Blessings.

  6. Love the addition of the bow. Just perfect.
    Oh, those hairstyles. And the photos. No make up and probably in most cases forced to stand still with a brace behind the head so no movement was possible. Early photography was so interesting. Glad it has improved to selfies in a way. 🙂 Interesting info from Marilyn. I’d forgotten about creme rinse but remember in the mid 60’s having scented shampoo that I loved. 🙂
    Sounds like you and George are teaming up again. I’m sure your special touches will help the house sell quickly.

  7. I love the dress and all the accessories. Your work is so perfect. I don’t know how you can see such tiny detail! It is absolutely beautiful!

    Hope your Momma is doing better. She is in my prayers as well as you and George. Sounds like you are staying busy and as always, being a blessing. Tried to send you a text message a couple of weeks ago. Not sure it went through. Love and miss you.

  8. The hairbow is a perfect addition. I love taking fabrics in a dress and using them for embellishments. When my daughter was small I sewed for her a lot, usually her church dresses. I often took fabric and made my own trims to add to collars, cuffs, etc. Takes time but well worth it. The cookie information was very interesting. I have some cookbooks that give some of the history of baking things and the Toll House story is in one of them.

    I had an interesting thing happen yesterday. I showed my hubby the pictures of the Dumpling in your blog post. He thought she was very cute. Then I took him to the Facebook page and showed him some of those. He’s hooked. So maybe down the road….

    1. Barbara, oh my goodness, I love that story! You got your husband to like the Dumplings. I feel sure that there is going to be an unexpected, but very welcome, visitor to your house very soon (chuckle).

  9. That dress turned out so pretty. I swear the look on her face ,just shows how much she likes it and oh yes, the bow is just what it needed. Goodlluck on that listing…your pictures are lovely.
    Joy….was your favorite shampoo “ Gee your hair smells terrific”? I know it was my favorite….and before that “Halo”.
    My Grandma said ladies washed their hair in raw eggs too. Yuck… funny how now hair on my Granddaughters is most often parted in the middle, long and straight which seems like the least flattering way to wear it.
    Hope your Mom gets over that cough!

    1. Oh, Kathie, I remember putting raw eggs in my hair too, but as a rinse. Of course, I didn’t live in the Civil War era, but I remember doing that sometime in the 50’s or maybe 60’s. It was supposed to give your hair a shine and body! I’ll take conditioners any day now!
      My shampoo of choice was Breck, but I do remember Halo, and the Halo jingle. Didn’t it go something like this: “Halo everybody, Halo! Halo is the shampoo that glorifies your hair, so Halo everybody Halo, Halo shampoo Halo!”

    2. I can remember Prell, but my favorite was Clairol Herbal Essence. No eggs here, but I used lots of lemon juice in the summer. 🙂

  10. Dear Jeanne, I love Addy’s ribbon. I think it brightens her face.
    Black women would definitely have kept their hair braided in those days. Addy’s designer, for Pleasant Company, did a great job of making her look realistic. She looks adorable in your dress.
    I hope your Mother gets better soon.
    Now it seems you can add “realtor” to your list of talents (chuckle).

  11. Hi Jeanne,
    Addy’s outfit is adorable. I love the addition of the big yellow hair bow, so sweet.
    Hope you Mama is on the mend soon. It’s a good thing you got her to the doctors.
    I’m glad to hear you are enjoying the sweater. So tell the truth is that brown sweater still around or did you finally send it to “old sweater heaven”?
    I know you know the feeling of waiting for home up dates… so I don’t need to tell you how nice it is to finally have my living room done… well nearly done. We have an older home like you. We’ve been doing one room at a time as we have the money. All rooms need new wiring, insulation and walls, yikes! So far the master bedroom, guest bath and now the living room… happy dance : )
    Have a lovely afternoon
    Hugs
    Ingrid

  12. Addy looks beautiful and the hair ribbon is the perfect choice. Linda was right that it should peek out on the sides. Addy is going to be very sad to give this one up.
    I also have the Toll House cookie story in one of my cookbooks, but have to agree that I’m glad chocolate chips were invented. Molasses or ginger spice are indeed cookies of the Civil War. I have The Betty Crocker Cooky Book ( yep, cookie spelled cooky). It has the most popular cookie by decade starting in 1900 or 1910 I think .
    I hope your mom feels better soon.

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