The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-08-01

IN THE DAYS or HoMEsPuN WON
EN- USED TO WORK HARD.


Our Gsandmothers Ussd 70 Spend AEuah
Time SPINNING. Weaving, Knitting. Net
ting and Embroidsyipg-Thay AkAnn-
factnred All THEIR Own Cloth.
In the days Of homespun four ounces
Of lint, cotton Or half pound Or lock
wool was a days stint in spinning,
though clever spinner could easily do
twice as much. Wool was often colored
before sptnning-dyed black or red, then
carded with white. The resultant
thread, steel or rcd mixed, was wonder
fully soft and harmonious in color.
Old elk carefully ravelsd, then carded
with white wool or cotton, made the silk
mixed that was such favorite for the
long stockings worn with knee breeches,
as well rs for homespun gowns. They
were woven In checks, stripes and cloud
ings. One Of the prettiest was dice
cloth-a kind Of basket weaya-of alter
nate white and black or gray threads,
thirteen to the group. It was trouble
some to weave--a thread too many made
"a balk in the pattern. Children and
servants had simple checks in blue or
copperas and white. Linseysl winter
wear were gorgeous in green and scar
let and black and blue.
Dyeing was part Of the home work, as
well as weaving and spinning. From
walnut bulls, bark and root came TWEEN
ty shades Of brown. Green walnuts and
sumach berries gave q beautiful fast
black that did not stain the wearer.
Hickory bark or peach leaves gave q
glowing yellow; swamp maple, black
ish purple; sugar maple, light leather
tint, and oak bark, set with copperas, a
handsome grayish color. In fact,
skilled dyer could get twenty colors
from the woods and fields.
/. Except for hannels, carpets and
blankets the warp was usually Of fax or
cotton. A very pretty carpet had half
the warp of coarse wool doubled--a
strand Of green and, one of brown. In
weaving when the wool came upper
most very coarse wool thread WASH
in. When the cotton came up very
fine thread caught and held it almost in
visibly. Beaten up thick tho effect was
that Of NOISY, clouded Turkey fabric.
Other carpets were woven in stripes or
plain, like webbing, the wooden wool
threads passing over and under the cot
ton warp two at time.
Size was estimated by the number Of
threads that, laid side by side, made
cloth the regulation yard wide. Tho
coarsest was 400. From that it went up
and up with hardly limit except that
of the spinners' skill and patience. There
was scarcely anything they couldn't
weave on the looms-jersey and serge,
and cotton and linsey, house linen, bed
linen, blankets and counterpanes. The
counterpane was homespun high water
mark. Wooden ones had usually the
figure in colors skipped up on white
or blue ground. Those Of cotton were
left white and bleached till they dazzled
the eyes. OF some easy patterns a
clever woman could weave eight yards
in day.
OF honeycomb, huckaback and dia-
mond draper three yards was a good
days work, Fancy patterns were more
tedious. The crown Of skill and patience
was knotted cloth. The weave was per-
fectly plain, but at intervals Of an inch
a big soft cord was woven in and pulled
up in little knots all along its length.
Over the body of the cloth they formed
regular diamonds. For the center they
made an elaborate arabesque design.
Down one side Of the spread the maker
generally drew them up to shape her
initials, with either the date of making
In roman letters or her husbands name
opposite, to balance her own.
There was room, and to spare. Beds
in those days stood four feet from the
floor. Counterpanes were three yards
by four without the fringe, which was
either woven with dates and initials in
the deep open heading or knitted in
open lozenge pattern to which deep tas-
sells were attached. 1t fell over a val
ance, also homespun, and was either
fringed or edged with netted points at
the bottom,
Weaving was not the sum of house
wifery in that era. The good danes
knew as much of embroidery as their
favored great-granddaughters. One of
them has left behind her monumental
piece of work, in which can be found no |
less than nineteen different stitches,
many of them among the rarest and |
most difficult known.
The netting needle and stirrup filed |
up many day. The bed was the piece |
de resistance in furnishing then. 1t was
D tall four poster, and, besides counter
pane and valance, had netted curtains
and melted points, edging the long pill
low and bolster cases. Window cur
tains were melted, too, besides edgings
and fringes for all kinds of household
articles. In particular the "toilets"
that fell over the high square bureaus
had often Melted fall half yard deep
around them. In addition, caps, rufiles,
purses and tichus were Melted. The lat
ter were called dress handkerchiefs, and
folded high about the throat over the
low cut gowns. On them the METER
lavished her choicest art.
Sometimes the mesh was as fine al
most as bobbinet. Melted capes were
nigh in favor, bat the square with long
ends was accounted better for young
women. Sometimes they had fringe or
Sassels about the edge, or even ruffle
If the net with big pattern run in.
The handsomest finish was embroidery.
For that tho net was tackled smooth
over cloth, the figures were wrought
through both, then the under fabrics
were cut away, leaving something
closely approaching old rose point.
The women who practiced these arts
made tatting, knit lace, stockings, nit
ems, tufted gloves, overshoes, comfort
FRS, garters, galluses and many things
besides. Before their works follow
hem it might be well if some collector
should gather up and keep safe for later
generations a representative array q
he llomespun misrepresentation Yor'
Ann.