Crochet Chain Fringe

     When you are making a shawl, you need to finish the edge with some type of decoration.  Lace crochet and picots were popular.  Some shawls had curly-ques on the edge and others had fringe.  Standard fringe requires cutting individual strands of yarn and latching a certain number of them in each stitch desired on the edge of the shawl.  The technique pictured below is another way of creating a fringe using single chains. To my way of thinking, it is much easier and creates a more finished edge.  The fringe can also be created and sewn on garments.  Godey's Lady's book has a photo and similar directions for this craft. The tutorial below is much easier to follow.

 

Get an illustrated step by step tutorial at this website.

http://www.crochetspot.com/how-to-crochet-chain-loop-fringe/

ARNie's Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

I wanted to thank everyone for such a lovely weekend during the School of the Victorian Lady, and your patience with my migraine.  I enjoyed meeting new friends, and re-connecting with old friends.

At the Tea, I brought a couple of things, but the Flourless PB Cookies were the big hit.  This would be a great recipe for a child's first baking experience, since there is no leavening to affect the timing, and with only three ingredients, the process is quick and easy.

For veteran bakers, the recipe is simple, but your ingredients can drastically affect the final product, because there are only 3.

I used a course granulated 'turbinado' sugar...HEB has the Central Market Free Trade Turbinado (on the baking aisle with the sugar.)  Sharon Baird had 'Sugar in the Raw' for us on the drink table, and it is a turbinado. These sugars have a flavor similar to brown sugar... which is what my traditional PB Cookie recipe uses, and Jiff actually adds molasses to their peanut butter.

You WANT those large sugar crystals, because they add a light crunch to this recipe, and it allows you to use less sugar. You get that burst of sweetness when you crunch down on a sugar crystal.

I used a 'natural' peanut butter, so there was no added sugar or salt or molasses or -most importantly- no added oils.  My batter was very stiff, even with a jumbo egg, unlike the source recipe which was soft enough to use a piping bag. 

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of smooth peanut butter (but I guess you could use chunky, if you'd like)
1/3 cup of course granulated sugar- I used turbinado, but other versions are available
1 egg
pinch of salt (if your peanut butter doesn't have any)

Combine the peanut butter and sugar.  Stir in the egg until well mixed.

With a tiny cookie scoop, maybe a melon baller tool, or just a plain old tea spoon, make small dough balls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  I got the entire recipe onto one institutional sized cookie sheet. 

This is another critical element of the recipe, these are really 'dense' and can have the effect of eating a spoon of peanut butter... so the smaller size minimizes this effect.  Keep the cookies to the size of a quarter, for the best results.

Make the traditional Cross Hatch by rolling the tines of a fork over the dough balls.  If you just mash the fork into the dough, it breaks apart.

Bake at 325F for 15 minutes, or until the dough is dry to the touch... I usually know when to check them, when I begin to smell them.

After they are out of the oven, I carefully slid the parchment paper with the cookies onto a cooling rack.  I got around 30 quarter sized cookies.

For the original, and other recipes, including gluten free, check out this YouTube account:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqPOdhc0E74&list=TLS0ovjnsJBc1O2k-dT8cyzhR_V4u-45Fi

Victorian Bazaar and other announcements

Greetings and Salutations, from ARNie!

My humblest apologies for delays in my correspondence, I've been battling respiratory infections and asthma.  Consequentially, my part in the Conference was not confirmed in time for the major announcement.

I have, once again, volunteered to set up the Victorian Bazaar at the Ladies' Conference in March.  I am asking ladies who will be in place by lunch on Friday March 8, for any assistance they can offer me in unloading the lightweight fixtures I am planning on bringing.

Also, if you are planning on bringing things for the bazaar, please leave a comment to this post with your name and a list of items, so I can adjust the number/types of fixtures I bring, plan our space, and have name placards printed for you.

With my needing to be in place at OQ8 to help ladies with their Bazaar items, I won't be at the Arts and Crafts Lecture in OQ2 Friday Afternoon. Instead, I will again be offering lessons on knitting and crocheted lace, and a new addition, tying decorative knots. 

These will be impromptu lessons from 4 to 6 pm in OQ8, as we've done in the past.

The knots lesson will need 9-12 inches of cord, such as can be made with the lucet or the peg knitter that we studied last year... or... cord, rope, twine, super chunky yarn- no larger than a pencil- may be substituted. 

For the lace trims, you will need any yarn or thread you prefer, and appropriate sized needles or hooks.

For those who do a great deal of needlework, I will also have Nostepindes and Lucets (carved by Larry Garret) available with lessons on how to operate each tool.  The Nostepindes are used to hand wind 'center pull' balls of yarn/thread.

Victorian Needlework Book

Project Gutenberg's Encyclopedia of Needlework, by Thérèse de Dillmont
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20776/20776-h/20776-h.htm

This needlework encyclopedia is available through Project Gutenberg and contains lots of pictures and instructions for various needlework forms.

10th Annual School of the Victorian Lady, March 7-9, 2014

Frontier Ladies Living History Association
10th Annual School of the Victorian Lady

Fort Concho National Landmark, San Angelo, Texas

March  7,-9 2014

Ladies and Gentlemen,

            I am excited to present to you the brochure and agenda for our upcoming School of the Victorian Lady at Fort Concho in San Angelo, Texas.  We will begin on Friday, March 7 in Officer’s Quarters 1 learning about the Arts and Crafts Movement and how it affected Victorian Design.   It is exciting to have Juila Putnam as our keynote speaker.  Julia is the Chair of Shackelford County Historic Commission and is the owner of the Pre-Civil War Era fort, Camp Cooper and owns the notorious frontier character, John Larns house.  Larry Garrett will lead a hands on basket weaving session where we will all have our own willow market basket to use in our living history presentations.  We will honor Margaret Hoosgstra of the Texas Forts Trails at our Saturday afternoon tea in Officer’s Quarters 2.  Margaret was instrumental in getting the fabulous new Texas Forts Trails coffee table book published and she will share this exciting story with us!  Three of our members, Ann Dixon, Donna Hector and Stella Gonzales will have presentations that will enlighten us about specific women who lived in the Victorian Era. Mitch Baird will lead us in an interesting foray into what was going on elsewhere in the world while the west was being “won.” Our Victorian Bazaar continues to be a success and each person can participate in placing items for sale.  The bazaar will be in Officer’s Quarters 8 and will be open to set up after 12:00 noon on Friday.  The bazaar will be open throughout the conference and will end on 12 noon Sunday.  Please bring items appropriate for our living history presentations including clothing, jewelry, knick knacks, material, etc.  You may also bring items for door prizes if you desire.  Our lunch will be Tex-Mex menu of fajitas and all the fixings with an ancho chili- chocolate cake for desert.  Please plan on attending and send in your registrations.  A limit of 25 participants will ensure all will have plenty of space to enjoy this wonderful 10^th School of the Victorian Lady!

Sharon Baird

10th School of the Victorian Lady 

Download Conference Brochure

Friday-March 7, 2014 in Officer’s Quarters 1

4:00-6:00   Arts and Crafts Movement Influences on Victorian Design.  Light refreshments will be served        
     
                     Saturday-March 8 in Officer’s Quarters 8


7:30-8:45  Breakfast            

9:00 -10:00        Historical Research  Presentation about the life of
                            Laura Clarke Carpenter,  an actual officer's wife at
                            Ft. Lancaster and Ft. Stockton

10:15-10:50       Notable Women of the 19^th Century by Stella Gonzales

11:00-12:00       Julia Putnam Chair of Shackelford County Historic
                           Commission Owner of Camp Cooper and
                           The John Larn House

12:00-1:15         Lunch  

1:30-4:00           Market Basket Weaving Hands On with Larry Garrett
                           in Officer's Quarters 2

4:15-5:00          Afternoon Tea with Honored Guest,
                          Margaret Hoogstra  will discuss the  Forts Trails new
                          Coffee Table Book

              Dinner on your own

Sunday March 9 in Officer’s Quarters 8

7:30-8:45        Breakfast   Officer’s Quarters 8

9:00-9:45      “The World at Large,” What was going on while the West
          was being Settled? Presentation by Mitch Baird, Site
           Manager of Fort Griffin SHS

10:00-10:45   Victorian and Early 20^th Century Embroidery
           Techniques Learn Mary Thomas’s techniques and designs

11:00-11:30       Donna Hector discusses Frontier Women

Download Conference Brochure

Ladies Conference 2013 Report and Video Check it out

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the Gentlemen:

The Old Fort Griffin Memorial Regiment Presents "The School of the Ceremony"
The school will be held at Fort Concho March 8, 2014.  Lead instructor will be OFGMR Infantry Captain Lee Ragan.  Subject matter will include morning and evening formations, reports, and various ranks taking different roles.  There will also be instruction in parade marching.  Be prepared to take notes, as there will not be printed material.  There will be an air-conditioned barracks available for those not wishing to utilize hotels or RV’s.  Classroom instruction as well as practice on the parade field can be expected.  A $10 registration fee will cover breakfast and lunch.  We look forward to seeing you there.
YMOS,Timothy Phillips, Sgt.

 

 

 

 

Tucks for period dresses

Creating lovely period garments require sewing skills that yeild vintage results.  However, they do not have to be difficult with all the modern techniques that yield the look without the hassle..  Here is an updated video version of making tucks and curved tucks.  The next posting will be examples of period dresses 18850- 1900 that utilize tucks for decorations.

Skirt Lifters

What is this little gadget?

This article tells about a small tool used by ladies to keep trains and dress hems up off the muddy ground.  It is from the FDIM Museum. Located in downtown Los Angeles, the FIDM Museum is devoted to the exhibition and interpretation of dress and textiles.  The blog here is a good way to research and get ideas for your next antique purchase or reproduction dress.
The article is by Joanna Abijaoude. 

A skirt lifter resembles a pair of small tongs, or scissors with padded circular discs instead of blades. The Museum’s example is brass and features a decorative butterfly that sits in between the handles. A small ring at the top would have held a cord, ribbon, or chain to suspend the tool just below the waist. Modern historians refer to the object as a “skirt lifter,” while period sources predominately use the term “dress holder.” Read more at
http://blog.fidmmuseum.org/museum/2013/08/skirt-lifter-c-1876.html

Example of "skirt lifter in use"

 

I wonder...would it work on frontier forts for cactus and other "grabby" things?