I hate 3 hole binders. full stop. For decades I would use them for different projects and get frustrated with their limitations. Don’t misunderstand me, a standardized multipurpose temporary binder was an ingenious invention and has contributed to advancing civilization to where it is now. they are plentiful, cheap and insanely adaptable to whatever your […]
My New Year’s Resolutions so far are…eat less…and make more. Unfinished projects are piling up around here. I’ve had a lot of vintage items on my to do list for no reason whatsoever, except that I keep finding how to instructions in the 19th century magazines I’ve been reading. After a terrible weekend I decided […]
What started as a picture of a 19th century pill bottle from a Portland apothecary shop, turned into a tour of my sideboard. I need to pick up a cork for it, so i can actually use it. Unless I drop it on a hard surface it should survive. My house has 3 rooms and […]
From 1860 American Agriculturalist
This crocheted pouch is an example of needlework projects women were supposed to be doing whenever they had down time, cause god forbid they get bored. The ability to add images and engravings to printed magazines mid-19th century, caused a flood and a hunger for needlework, textile and craft projects. This one i found a […]
After finding the Humphrey Carpet Bag instructions, I got ambitious to make one. Since 19th century carpet fabric isn’t that easy to find, I figure I will start with just upholstery fabric which is practically everywhere. This started as a zippered throw pillow sham that I picked up at Goodwill. Upholstery fabric most often, rayon […]
I was reading 1886 Scientific American (rooting around on archive. org is something I do to relax) and I found Humphrey’s instructions on how to make a Carpet Bag and as far as I can make out, these are the ONLY period step by step instructions on the internet. I have transcribed the article Click […]
Ok let me explain…no there is too much, let me sum up…. you know how a man see’s Vanishing Point and gets a mad passion to own a 71 Dodge Charger? and then drags one home from the junk yard to sit in the yard…all you see is a rusty lawn ornament and all he […]
A photographer friend of mine whom I see rarely and who also lives alone, invited me to the Highland Games (Scottish folks celebrating their Scottishness) She had to shoot pictures of men in kilts throwing very heavy objects and I’m always up for that. She drove 3 hours from where she lives in Massachusetts and […]
I was holding off writing about this until I got further along with my experiments, but things keep getting in the way. I found John Humphrey’s directions on making a Carpet Bag in Scientific American Supplement #531 (Oct 1886) and figured ‘how hard can it be?’ Originally published in the Amateur Work magazine, Humphrey’s directions are targeted to […]
