Sailmaker on Board
If you had asked me, “When did the Age of Sail end?” I would have thought about it a while, guessing that since steamboats were invented about 1803, sailing ships must have been… Continue reading
A Compendium of Sail Information
The most interesting thing to me about the Age of Sail is the textiles used to make the sails. But as I have tried to find out more about them, I have been… Continue reading
Ladies of the Clipper Ship Prima Donna
One of my ongoing topics to research is the history of sails. Lately, I came across these 19th century clipper ship cards, that are just too good to keep to myself. Only the… Continue reading
Souvenirs from Washington
On our way to the Maryhill Museum of Art, we had time to meander and stop at little towns and scenic overlooks. In the historic district of Ellensburg, we had a delicious breakfast,… Continue reading
Theatre de la Mode Dolls at Maryhill Museum
Last week I got to go with my husband to a conference in Seattle, and afterward we had two days to see some of Washington’s other sights. I could have had a difficult… Continue reading
Top Five Joys of Quilting
Number 5: The sound of a well-tuned sewing machine, stitching steadily as a train clacking over tracks. Number 4: The scent of Magic Sizing steaming up from under a hot iron. Number 3: … Continue reading
Costumes for “Good Times” at the Hippodrome
Today I am bringing you a fabulous description of theatrical costume production, in an excerpt from the 1920 Dry Goods Economist: One thousand dozen boxes of thread, 500 dozen boxes of sewing silk,… Continue reading
Food I’m Pretty Sure You Never Thought Of
First of all, let me say that I am not ignoring the recent string of terrible events, but unlike all the “experts,” I believe that it’s okay not to know what to say… Continue reading
Does Your Marriage Suffer From Clubitis?
As I have been sorting our family archives, I have been finding little fashion and culture tidbits like this trade card: Tellingly, it was kept in the family, not because anyone aspired to… Continue reading
Women at Work 100 Years Ago
Poring over images from the New York Public Library digital collections today, I came across these great costume designs by Will R. Barnes. They were labeled “Women at Work: ‘Doing Our Bit’.” I… Continue reading