The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1892-09-17
n THE DAYS or HoMEsPuN.

N THE DAYS or HoMESPuN.
Our Grnndmothers Spun and Wove and
Knit and Melted and Embroidered.
In the days of homespun four ounces |
If lint cotton, or half pound of lock
wool, was q days stint in spinnin &,
though clever spinner could easily do
twice as much. Wool was often colored
before spinning dyed black or red.
then carded with white. The resultant
thread. steel or red mixed, was wonder
fully soft and harmonious in color. Old
silk carefully raveled, then carded
with white wool or cotton, made the
silk mixed that was such a favorite for
the long stockings worn with knee
breeches, as well as for homespun
gowns. They were woven in checks,
stripes and cloudingA One OF the pref
test was dice-cloth--a kind of basket
weave, of alternate white and black or
gray threads, thirteen to the group.
1t was troublesome to weave -
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 the
home work, as well as weaving and
spinning. From walnut hul1s. bark
and root came twenty shades OF brown.
Green walnuts and sumach berries gave
a beautiful fast black that did not stain
the wsarer. Hickory bark or peach
leaves gave a glowing yellow; swamp
maple, blacklist purple; sugar maple,
. light leather tint, and oak bark. set
with copperas, . handsome grnyish
color. In fact, the skilled dyer could
get twenty colors from the woods and
fields.
| Except for fiannels, carpets and
blankets, the warp was usually OF max
or cotton. A very pretty carpet had
half the warp of coarse wool doubled
strand of green and one of brown.
In weaving, when the woof came up
permost, very coarse wool thread was
shot in. When the cotton came up
very fine thread caught and held it al
most invisibly. Beaten up thick, the
effect was that of messy, cloudcd
Turkey fabric. Other carpets were
woven in stripes or plain, like web
bling, the wooden wool threads passing
over and under the cotton warp, two q
| q time.
Size was estimated by the number Of
threads that laid side by side, made
, cloth the regulation yard wide. The
coarsest was four hundred. From that
it went up and up with hardly a limit
except that Of the spinner's skill
and patience. There was scarce
ly anything they couldn't weav'
; on the looms-jersey and serge
{ and cotton and linsey, house linen, bet
} linen, blankets and counterpanes. TIT
: counterpart was homespun high-wate
} mark. Wooden ones had usually thu
: figure in colors skipped up on whit
or blue ground Those of cotton wer'
3 left white and bleached till they daz
$ zled the eyes. OF some easy patterns
. clever woman could weave eight yard
. In day.
OF honeycomb, huckaback and dia
J. mond diaper three yards was goo
Q days work Fancy patterns were NOR
q tedious. The crown of skill and pa
thence was knotted cloth. The weav
was perfectly plain, but at intervals
+ an inch a big soft cord was woven !
4 and pulled up in little knots all alon
d its length. Over the body of the clot
4 they formed regular diamonds. Flo
the center they made an elaborate ara
$ besque design. Down one side OF tn
o spread the maker generally drew thel
4 up to shape her initials, with either tn
e date of making in Roman letters, or h
9 husbands name opposite.
Il There was room, and to spare. Bed
IT in those days, stood four feet from tt
floor. Counterpanes were three yart
10 by four, without the fringe, which WI
II either woven with dates and initials
IF the deep open heading or knitted
d open lozenge pattern to which deep Ia
A. sells were attached. 1t fell over q va
t. ance, also homespun, and was eth
A. fringed or edged with melted points |
. the bottom.
Weaving was not the sum OF hous
wifery in that era. The good dam
knew as much of embroidery as the
. favored Observation-Disclosures. One
them has left behind her monument
rs piece of work, in which can be found !
in less than nineteen different stitche
to many of them among the rarest al
n most difficult known. A piece of wol
5, somewhat similar is q stuffed con
ID terpane. The fabric-also homesp'
IN linen-is taken double and stitch
" into flowers and leaves with coar
d. linen thread. Then, through Sits
ne the undr side, the figures were stnff
ch with lint cotton, the medallion cent
ut and the stemless roses standing abo
N. the plain surface.
no The netting needle and stirrup I'LL
is up many day. The bed was the pie
lie de resistance in furnishing then.
Of was q tall four-poster, and, bcsid
,ls counterpart and valance, had nett
cir curtains and netted points edging I
de long pillow and bolster cases. w
he dow curtains were Melted, too. besit
he edgings and fringes for all kinds
on household articles In particular
Ter 'stoilets" that fell over the high. squs
in bureaus had often q Melted fall hal
ms yard deep around them. In additi'
lat caps, rufaes, purses and fchus w
In Melted. The latter were called DIR
handkerchiefs, and folded hi
he about the throat over the ]
IS cut gowns On them the n
err ter layished her choicest