Just a Little Bit of Cowgirl!

I just finished making a dress for my granddaughter and her doll, using a print based on the American west. These prints became popular during the 1940’s and 1950’s from all the cowboy comics, TV shows, and movies (remember the Lone Ranger, Gene Audrey, and Roy Rogers?)


The bandanna print is actually a much older design (from the Hindustani bandhnu with means, tie dye. Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders of the Spanish American war wore bandannas and they became associated with cowboys who also wore them. I remember making a circle skirt in a bandanna print, to go with my saddle shoes, while I was in high school.
This Colt .45 fabric is a vintage piece that I found, which perhaps might have been used for drapes in a boy’s room or den.

After World War II, many Americans went west for the new jobs and wanted, “back home,” and cheerful items in their new ranch (track) houses. California, Franciscan, and Fiesta Pottery Companies made dinnerware in bright colors to go with the popular style. Tableware, textiles, and furniture with country, Western, or American scenes were also produced.

The fabric with a motif of Southwestern fruit is a vintage tablecloth that belonged to my Grandmother. Made by the Weil & Durrse Co. or Wilendur of a sturdy sailcloth that is still bright today. They made beautiful textiles for sixty years, starting in 1938, and are very collectible.

Looking at all these designs reminds me that, “What goes around, comes around”. Most designers will tell you that fashions cycle every twenty years. The longer I look at fabrics, the more I think there is really not anything new. In graduate school, I took a course in the history of textiles. We were required to trace designs from textiles from each period of history and also learn their meaning. The motifs were used to communicate as part of written history. As we traced the motifs we began to see how most were adapted and or continued from generation to generation. For example the, “tree of live”, is used in some form throughout the ages.

Designing is the Best part

Designing is the Best Part

I’ve always been designing and making things. When I finished high school,

I was too scared to go to New York to study fashion design, and instead

became a Home Economics teacher. Of course now I’d go in a heartbeat.

Lately I’ve been making matching outfits for my Granddaughters and their

dolls.

The other day I was looking through my huge collection of knitting and

crochet books and found a book from the 70’s. The patterns for vests

reminded me of when we all had Aunt Ruth make us groovy crochet

vests to go with out bellbottom jeans. My grandmother tried so hard to

teach me to crochet, but I loved knitting. I found an instruction book on

crocheting, and this is the first set of vests that I have made for the girls

and their dolls, with two more to go. Coming up with the designs is the

fun part, so they will all be different.

Some of the old books on needlework are wonderful. I often think of

how excited women must have been to receive the latest magazine

with designs and a whole book must have been a luxury. I know I

love to browse through them for inspiration. I hope that one of my

grand children will treasure my collection as much as I have.

This book, Fancy Work Recreations Knitting Crochet Home Adornment

is by Eva M. Niles and published n 1884. Needlework has always

been an important way for women to express themselves, and was

one of the first ways that women had to support themselves. I haven’t

parted with any of my needlework books, but if I have a duplicate,

it sells very quickly.

Eva Marie Niles was from East Gloucester, MA. She was the author

of several books on needlework in the 1880s, and contributed

many needlework and quilt designs and related information to

various magazines during the same period. Some think that

she was the first to publish designs for the, “sunbonnet babies”.

I wish that I could find out more about her. She must have

been unusual and accomplished women for the 1800’s.

"Family Corset" and the Royal Tea

I just finished the spring semester of my welded metal sculpture course. I found it hard this semester to spend as much time as I usual do on my projects. We traveled a lot, had lots of wonderful company and the flu in spite of having the flu shots.

My last project was a sculpture called, “Family Corset”. The idea of this sculpture came about because my sister Susan invited me to the Ritz in Scottsdale to a tea and viewing of the Royal wedding.

Our Grandfather was English and immigrated to Canada where he met our Grandmother. As we grew up, we were always interested in the royal family. Susan said that I HAD to wear a hat, dress and heels. So I dug out one of my Grandmother’s hats, a sheath dress that I made from vintage fabric from the 50’s, my favorite heels, and even wore nylons, although it was 95 degrees in Phoenix. (She forgot to add gloves.)

It was a grand affair with valet parking, a beautiful setting, champagne, paparazzi taking photos with a Royal guard, and a lovely tea while we watched the wedding on huge screens.

Seeing everyone dressed up made me think of the many times my Grandmother, Mother and we prepared for an event. When I would complain about having to wear a dress, they would say, “If someone honors you with an invitation, than you should honor them by looking your best”. My Grandmother usually never left the house without her corset, gloves and hat.

It also made me think about how special it is to dress up and share time with the women in our family, and about how the opportunities of the women in my family have changed over the generations. Each generation has had more choices, and at the same time, I can see the same values are following and guiding them.

The sculpture is made from a frame of forged and welded iron ribs, vintage fabric, fiber and buttons, from four generations of my family. I have left it unfinished to represent the future generations.

It measures 8 X 14 X 17 inches.

Key to fabric: Silk velvet and braid , Great Great Nana Hitchcock; crochet lace and beads, Nana Elam; buttons, Nana Taylor Liberty print, my dress for Sarah's High School graduation; Silk print, dress from my honeymoon & Lace, Mother.

Wow, it’s been almost a year!

If I don’t watch out it will be a year since I last posted. In some ways being an expert on multitasking is fine, but I always seem to have too much to do.

This past year I’ve concentrated to building up my store on Bonanza. Sales are picking up as more people are finding the site. It was an adjustment after selling on E--- for so many years. Selling online is changing very fast, and I have learned a great deal on how to take advantage of the new selling tools. Sometimes I’d like to send everything to an auction but I love to research the items, and then there is the wonderful satisfaction when someone buys what to them is a treasure.

One of the items that stands out is a booklet from Plainfield, New Hampshire published by the Mothers and Daughters Industry in 1904. This is a fascinating booklet by the women in a community who started a cottage industry making rugs and Swedish weaving and other crafts. This was the first clubhouse for women in the United States and an important piece of the history of the craft movement in our country.

The other item is an advertisement for Burnett’s essence of Jamaica ginger and vanilla in the New England Grocer newspaper about 1850. It was bought by a historical society in Mendon MA, where the factory was located, that had never seen the advertisement in color.

On a trip to Taos, New Mexico, one of the art galleries indicated an interest in carrying my jewelry. Recently I had time to make two more bracelets and hope to make more.

Both bracelets are formed by forging steel and then adding texture using gas and meg welding.

While making one I was thinking of my granite rocks in New Hampshire covered with moss, the contrast between and hard cool stone and the soft, and often damp, moss.

The other is decorated using gold leaf on an abstract rose. I was thinking back to how often the rose flower had meaning in my life such as my Grandmother’s perfume, my Mother’s bushes, my first corsage, my wedding bouquet, etc. This time I added a display stand.

I recently bought a wonderful hand tooled leather belt with a rose on the buckle and "Roses are red violets..." along the belt (How many times did we write that on our Valentines when we were young?) by Lindsey Griffith (check out her blog to see more of her work http://lifeshouldbeanadventure.blogspot.com/ ), to go with a red vintage dress that I found in an antique store. The dress is almost the same as my favorite during the 70’s. Low and behold it’s right in fashion this year. That dress had so many memories!

Using, "all that stuff" part 2

It is almost the end of another semester. I have been taking art classes at our local community college, and for the past few years have become, 'stuck", in the medal welding sculpture class. Our teacher has created an advanced class, for those of us who have become, "perpetual students." Now we have studios at home (we prefer things like plasma cutters, angle grinders, and other tools for Christmas and our birthdays) We have developed strong friendships, enjoy getting together for inspiration, and also like to help the newer students.

This is my latest project, called: Moonglow Mother's Garden 8 1/2 X 13 inches, aluminum on wood, steel and vintage Lucite sewing buttons

These buttons, made of Lucite plastic are called, "Moonglow', by collectors of vintage plastic, especially sewing buttons and jewelry.

The first plastic was developed in 1862, and until the present day, many types have been invented. Lucite, was introduced by duPont in 1937 and the molded form, sometimes called thermoset or Moonglow, was very popular during the 1950's and 60's for buttons and costume jewelry. It was probably called Moonglow, because of it's glowing colors and similarity to moonstone. The aqua necklace is vintage 50's. It was very typical for jewelry to be made in sets, called parures (a demi-parure is missing a piece) of a necklace, earrings and bracelet, sometimes combined with gold or silver plate. To me the designs are still fresh today and can look very modern.

This sculpture was inspired by the jewelry, that the women in my family and I wore, during the 50's and 60's. We, "dressed up", in those days.

My Mother loved to garden and always had flowers in the house. Sunday is Mothers Day and it reminds me of how my sister and I would get up early, to join our friends in the neighborhood, to pick and make corsages for our Mothers to wear to church. At that time of year there wasn't much out besides violets, but we had fun, and our Mothers proudly wore our creations.

Using, "all that stuff"

Some of us seem to be born with a gene that compels us to save everything. We may save many things because they have family connections or remind us of an event or experience. As an artist, I can't help saving things that I, " just like", because of the workmanship used, it's material, shape, texture, or color.

I thought that I would share with you a few pieces of art I've made, using some of the things I couldn't part with. I love texture and color, and find that using items I find around the house, often gives me inspiration for a new piece.

Cuff Bracelet- steel, silver and aluminum, about 1 1/2" wide, forged & welded. I made this after watching Ken Burns documentary, "The war'. Both my Grandfather and Uncle saw heavy duty in WWI & II which had a big influence on our family.

Pendant- aluminum, silver and a found vintage piece of enameled copper. I was experimenting with heating aluminum, and loved the way my torch shrunk and distressed it.

Round Bobbin Case Sculpture- welded & forged steel with vintage sewing bobbins & wire, about 18 X 18 inches. It represents the development of the bobbin case which was a huge mechanical development (still studied in engineering schools today) and important for women worldwide. After the bobbin case was invented, which allowed the sewing machine to use two threads, the use of the home sewing machine spread throughout the world. It was the first labor saving device for women and the first thing to be sold on an installment plan. The first Singer sewing machine cost $3,000, which was years pay in 1850. Men wouldn't buy it because it was too expensive and also, "women are not fit to operate mechanical machinery". Singer started to sell it on the installment plan. Now only did it save women time but for many it gave me their own source of income and another way to express themselves creativity. I often thing of how excited a women, way out west, must have felt when the railroad brought her first machine.

Yellow Wall Sculpture- torched & hammered copper, painted with translucent oil paint on a wood, with torched and hammered aluminum. It represents artifacts, from the towers at ground zero, on display at the state museum in Albany, and the mystery that an object that has been misshapen with age or damage holds, 14 x 14 inches.

Taking Children Antiquing

At about the same time as we had our first child, my late husband and I expanded out antique business. We added an addition to out existing building just for the antique shop. Soon I began to see a problem with the parents with children. All the children were curious and the parents spent all their time in the shop saying, NO! or Don’t Touch!. The first thing we did was have a truck of sand dumped next to the shop and added trucks and other things for the children to pay with. Everyone loved this. I also had a cabinet in the shop, where I kept small tins and boxes and other items that were unbreakable and let the children explore it.

Soon our daughter became too big to be confined in the backpack or carriage. We didn’t want to give up antiquing and freak out all the dealers. I came up with the idea of telling her that she could touch anything she wanted and ask about it as long as one of us held it. This worked like a charm for all of our three children, with nothing ever being broken.

We spent many days as a family going to flea markets and antique shows. It wasn’t long before they started collecting and, “picking” for us. I think that they really benefited from being exposed to the antique community. They did a lot of traveling, learned history and business and met a lot of interesting people. Although, at this point, none of them are, “in the business” full time, I can see that our encouraging their curiosity and appreciation of the past has been a positive influence on their approach to life.