May Giveaway

Mrs. C at The Hectic Eclectic recently hosted a pay it forward crafty contest. I also love the idea of a crafty giveaway and so I'm hosting a May Giveaway.

Leave a comment below for a chance to win this black and white toile plastic bag holder. If the comment feature below isn't working, leave a comment on my facebook page.

Made from 100% cotton, this Waverly Fabrics toile is commonly found in commercial fabric stores like Joann's. (It would be easy to match the fabric if you're inspired to make kitchen accessories.)

The deadline to comment is this Friday, 18 May 2012; the winner will be announced this weekend. Cheers!

  

18th Century Mamas

Here's a celebration of 18th century mamas and their kiddos for Mother's Day...

 

Princess Augusta Charlotte, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttell, 1767

National Portrait Gallery (UK) Accession Number NPG D33048

Catherine Countess of Egmont and Charles George Perceval, Second Baron Arden, 1765

National Portrait Gallery (UK) Accession Number D1829

Georgiana Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire

National Portrait Gallery (UK) Accession Number NPG D9192

 

 Portrait of Lady Elizabeth Pennyman with her daughter

Publish'd 11 June 1772

The British Museum Accession Number 1902, 1011.2342

Charlotte Sophia of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Royal Charlotte Augusta Matilda, 1770

National Portrait Gallery (UK) Accession Number NPG D33076

Lady Mary van Dyck (died 1645) 

Published by John Boydell in 1770, who was discussed in this post last year.

National Portrait Gallery (UK) Accession Number NPG D28482

Mrs. Green and Child, 16 October 1770

The British Museum Accession Number 1902,1011.2302

A similar print is also in the collections at the National Portrait Gallery (NPG D34903)

Marian Hastings with Baroness von Imhoff, 1700

National Portrait Gallery (UK) Accession Number NPG D36438

Christian Banister and Son by Gilbert Stuart, 1774/75

Redwood Library and Athanaeum Special Collections

Christian Stelle Banister, daughter of Capt. Issac Stelle of Newport, RI married John Banister in 1768. She is shown with her only child, John Banister Jr. who lived and died in Newport and left no descendants.

Mother and Child in White c.1790

Provenance: New Haven, CT

National Gallery of Art, Washington DC Accession Number 1980.62.39

Countess of Walgrave Laura Elizabeth and Maria Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh, late 18th century

National Portrait Gallery (UK) Accession Number NPG D 10800

Apron Strings

Earlier this year I was the lucky winner of The Hectic Eclectic's apron giveaway (many thanks Mrs. C!) which inspired the following research regarding 18th century apron strings.

I've specifically been looking for examples where ladies have tied their apron strings in the front. Is it a knot with the strings hanging? It is a bow? Is it centered or off center? Did ladies with embroidered aprons tie them in the front or is this a lower class trait? Here are some sources, listed in chron order, that begin to answer these questions.

Detail from William Hogarth's The Enraged Musician, 1741

Strings tied in front in a small bow; it looks like the apron dips, which Hallie described in a post earlier this year.

Detail from The Enraged Macaroni, 1773

Lewis Walpole Library Accession Number 773.07.13.01.2+
Strings also tied in front and again it looks like there's a small dip in the apron.

Detail from A Girl Buying a Ballad, Henry Walton c.1778

Tate Gallery T07594

It looks like the strings are tied in front. Unfortunately I can't tell if the apron dips or if its worn beneath her gown's bodice. 

A Market Girl Holding A Mallard Duck, 1787 by John Russell
Strings tied in a bow. (I love that bonnet!) 

Detail from At the Inn Door, fourth quarter 18th century by Henry Singleton

V&A Accession Number 1834-1900
Strings tied in a small bow.

Detail from the print Spring and Winter, from A Collection of Drolleries 1770-1797

Lewis Walpole Library Accession Number 785.10.9.1

Strings tied in a small bow.

Detail from Free Women of Color with Their Children and Servants in a Landscape by Agostino Brunias, Brooklyn Museum Accession Number 2010.59
The museum dates this painting as c.1764-1796.
Judging by the high crown of the ladies' hats in the center and the high waist of the short gowns on the left, I would guess this painting probably dates from the 1790s.
Another example of an apron tied in front that dips and has a bow with short strings.

While this is a very light survey of 18th century artwork with aprons, there's enough evidence to suggest that tying apron strings in the front with a small bow is a good choice for someone reenacting the second half of the 18th century who's focusing on a working class impression.  

So when cutting linen/cotton tape for apron strings, how long should the strings be so they're not too long or too short? For someone my size (medium) the tape could be approximately 88 inches long. This means I need to trim a few inches from my apron strings.  

Newport Staymakers

After spending months hand-sewing my stays (and unpicking and restitching them), I've been wondering...

During the 18th century where in my town--Newport, Rhode Island--were the staymakers based? 

Knowing that Newport was the fifth wealthiest seaport in the American colonies, and over half of the city's population was female, there must have been men working here. 

Upon searching The Newport Mercury, I found several ads that helped scratch my curious itch.  

  

A detail from the 1782 print The Staymaker

The Tate Gallery Accession Number T03828

Dated 7 February 1763. Note that Mr. Burditt's shop is "in Thames Street" near the Parade.

The Newport Mercury, 1764

While the Morton's and Mr. All are not staymakers, they appear to be selling ready made stays. Again note that Mr. All's shop is also"in Thames Street."

The Newport Mercury, 17 June 1765

Mr. Lyden's shop offers the supplies buckram and trimings. 

And yet another shop "in Thames Street."

If you're not familiar with Newport's landscape, where is Thames Street? 

Image kindly borrowed from Google Maps.

Thames Street (labeled as C in the map above,) is Newport's main shopping street and is steps from where these businesses were located. 

"The Parade" mentioned in the 1763 ad was the town's center in the 18th century. (It's labeled as B on the map.) In the colonial era this location was also known as The Mall, but today it's called Washington Square.

So why is this important? The end of Long Wharf (labeled A) is where many ships would load and unload. The town's Brick Market (1763), which is located at the end of the pedestrian area labelled Long Wharf Mall at the foot of the Parade (B), had to have been a popular stop for many shoppers. To help put this location in better context, the city's impressive government building, the 1739 Colony House, was at the top of the Parade and D is the location of the town spring. For the staymaker and the related merchants this surely must have been a desirable retail location. (Not much has changed...The Gap, Banana Republic and J. Crew are some the stores near there today!)

The Newport Mercury, 23 June 1761

This particular ad required that I call upon the expert sleuthing skills of the city's historical society. While we weren't able to determine the location of Mrs. Cubett's home or the house for this particular member of the Champlin family, the research librarian helped me determine that Elizabeth's full name was Elizabeth Wanton Slocum Cubit (b. 1700). She was the daughter of Gov. John Wanton which makes her the first cousin, twice removed of the young woman I portray Mary "Polly" Wanton Lyman (b.1763)--though they were not very close in family or social circles. Interestingly Elizabeth was thrown out of the Friends Meeting for marrying Mr. Cubett. But back to our staymaker, John Ewen (possibly also spelled Ewing or Ewen) might have been a foreign itinerant merchant.  

And the last ad, from 1828, fittingly (no pun intended) sums up the staymaker's career.

The Newport Mercury, 10 April 1828

Check it Out

After months of overworking my seam ripper, accidentally stabbing myself, and receiving much needed guidance from my patient adviser, (along with overcoming many other roadblocks,) I just stitched the last few lining seams in place and my stays are finally done!

From what I've heard and researched, plain linen (which I find too boring) or blue checked linen were the most common. According to Textiles in America, "In John Holker's manuscript of about 1750...blue-and-white linen-and-cotton checks were made in the Manchester area 'for home consumption and for export, especially to the colonies. They were used for sailors' blouses, children's clothing and linings.'" (p197). I searched high and low but couldn't find a blue check linen that I really love, much like the lining on this pair of stays...

Stays c1725-1750

The label reads, "Another interesting-albeit hidden-element is the lining 

made from two types of blue-checked linen."

Philadelphia Museum of Art Accession Number 1903-136

...so I used a scrap of black check linen for now, until I find the right sized check pattern in blue linen. Here are some pictures..."check" it out!

 I was a little short on fabric here and had to piece together two smaller scraps...I kind of like the 

contrast it creates in the check pattern.

 I took advantage of the selvedge edge.

 I'm so glad it's done!