The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-19
IN THE DAYS OF HOMFSPUN
Our Grandmothers Spua anA wovs and II an
and Melted nnd EmbroiaereA

Our Grandmothers Spua aaA Wow and Il an
and Melted nsa Embroidered.
In tho days OF homespun four ounces Of lint
cotton. or half pound OF look wool was
days stint in spinning. though clever spin.
ner could easily do twice as much Wool
was often colored before splnning-dysd
black or red. then carded with whits
Tho resultant thread. steel or rcd mixed.
was wonderfully soft and harmonious in
color. Old silk carefully ravelled. thon card cd
with white wool or cotton. made the silk mixed
that was such favorte for the long stockings
worn with knee brooches. as we'll as for homo.
spun gowns. They wore woven in checks,
stripes and cloudines. Ono OF tho prettisst
was dice-cloth-a kind OF basket weave, Of al.
ternate white and black or gray threads thir.
teen to the group.
1t was troublesome to weave-a thread too
many made balk In the pattern. Children
and servants had simple checks In blue or
copperas and white. Linseys for winter wear
were gorgeous In green and scarlet and black
and blue Dyeing was part OF tho home work,
as we'll as weaving and spinning. From wal
nuthulls. bark aud root came twenty shades
OF brown. Green walnuts and sumaoh berries
gave beautiful fast black that did not stain
tho wenrer. Hickory bark or peach leaves
gave glowing yellow: swamp maple. .
blacklist purple; sugar maple. a light leather
tint and oak bark. set with copperas, . hand.
some grayish color. In fact, Q skilled dyer
could get twenty oolors from tho woods and
folds.
Except for nannels. carpets. and blankets.
the warp was usually OF max or cotton. A very
pretty carpet had half tho warp OF coarse wool
doubled-a strand OF green and one Of brown.
In weaving. when the wool came uprermost .
very coarse wool thread was shot In Whom
the cotton N M n an 4
and held it almost invisibly. Beaten up thick.
the effect was that Of a m ossy. clouded Turkey
Or plain. like webbing. the woolien Wool
threads passing over and under the cotton
Size was est mated By the num Der OF threads
ton yard wide. The eoarsest was four hun
a limit except that Of the spinners' skill IIl' and
patience. There was scarcely anything they
and cotton and llnsey house linen. bed BED linen linen.
blankets. and counterpanes. The counterpane
ones had usually the figure in coors skipped
were LETT white and bleachod till they d dsezlod
OF honeycomb. huckaback. and diamond
fancy patterns were more, tedious. The crown
OF skill and patience was knotted cloth. Tho
an inch big soft cord was. woven ven in "a and
pulled up in little knots al! along its length.
For the ney 6ay IeT an
elaborate arabesauc design. Down one sde
OF the slread the maker generally drew them
making in Roman letters. or her husbands
meme ann opposite. to balance her own.
days stood four feet &c S" aS the cor
were three yards by four. with
dates and initials in the deep open heading or
M 9nsn n to which deep
also nOmrSDun, and fripua1
edged with netted points Mt the bottom.
b Meay avn E Tas not the sum Of h"nsewlfery IL
i,mhrHidery as their favored great grand
I.cre Of work. in which can be
ound no less than nnet-en different stitches,
many OF them among the rarcst and most diff.
lomesrun linen is taken double and stitched
bread. Then. through Sits in tn" under side.
he figures wcro st1lred with lint cotton. tho
M above the plain surface;
The netting i needle and stirrup flled up
nany dfS IhG Gs fdoN was the ecs q r
poster. md. besides counterpn ne md valance,
iad nettrd curtains and Noted points. clgine
rinGss for al kinds Of h0nseh9d artes
square bureaus lad often nettcd fall hal! a
,ard deep around them. In addition. caps. rug
eei ara ehHs ss Tao tnsss
nigh about the throat over tho low-cut gowns
IN them the nc.ter aviShed her choicest art
SOM times the mosh was ns ilnc almost as
Iobbin"t Melted canes were high In favor.
nut tho square with long ends was accounted
,stter Tor young women; Sometimes they had
uflie OF the net with n big pattern run In The
landsomest lnish was embroidery. For that
he net was tucked smooth over cloth. the
lGyros We're wrought through both. then tho
hing closely approaching old rose point
Tho women who practised these arts mato
atiing. Knit lace. stockings. mittens tufted
'loves. oveiSho"s ,comforters. Earters gal
works. follow them. it might he we'll il some
oll"ctor should gather up and keen safe Tor
aior gen 'ratl"nH II representative array Of the
lomesl uu masterpieces