Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-12-17
WEAVING WAS AN ART
IN THE DAYS Of HoMEsPuN WON.
en- USED TO WORK HARD.


In the days Of homespun four ounces
Of lint, cotton or half pound Of lock
wool was days stint in spinning.
though clever spinner could easily do
twice as much. Wool was often colored
before spinning 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 favorite for the
long stockings worn with knee breeches,
rs well as for homespun gowns They
were woven in checks, stripes and cloud.
ings. One of the prettiest was dice
cloth-a kind of basket weave--of alter
nate white and black or gray threads, \
thirteen to the group. 1t was trouble |
some to weave-a thread too many made /
halk in the pattern. Children and
servants had simple checks in blue or
copperas and white Linseys for winter
wear We're 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 hulls, bark and root came TWEEN
ty shades of brown. Green walnuts and
sumach berries gave a beautiful fast
black that did not stain the wearer.
Hickory bark or peach leaves gave a
glowing yellow; swamp maple. black
ish purple; sugar maple, light leather
tint, and oak bark. set with copperas.
handsome grayish color la fact, a
skilled dyer could get twenty colors
from the woods and fields,
Except for haunels, carpets and
blankets the warp was usually Of flax on
cotton, \ 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 a very coarse wool thread was ssiot
in. When the cotton came up very
fine thread caught and held it almost in
! visibly. Beaten up thick the effect was
that of a messy, 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.
r Size was estimated by the number Of
"A
i cloth the regulation yard wide. The
! coarsest was 400. From that it went up
q 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
q counterpane was homespun high water
y mark. Wooden ones had usually the
e figure in colors skipped up on whit,
q or blue ground. Those of cotton were
= left white and bleached till they dazzled
l. the eyes OF some easy patterns q
% clever woman could weave eight yard.
Z, in day.
II OF honeycomb, huckaback and dia
'e mond draper three yards was good
l. days work, Fancy patterns We're NOR,
IT tedious. The crown of skill and patience
was knotted cloth. The weave was per
n fectiy plain. but at intervals of an incl
d big soft cord was woven in and pulle,
Il up in little knots all along its length
of Over the body of the cloth they forme,
ri regular diamonds. For thu center the,
! made an elaborate arabesqne design
As Down one side of the spread the make
ne generally drew them up to shape he
= initials, with either the date of making
Is in roman letters or her husbands nam
n opposite. To balance her own.
II There was room. and 10 spare. Bed
e in those days stood four feet from tn
floor. Counterpanes were three yard
by four without the fringe, which wa
:. either woven with dates and initials i
= the deep open heading or knitted /
= open lozenge pattern to which deep tn.
~ sells were attached. 1t fell over IA va
= ance, also homespnn. and was eitht
= fringed or edged with Melted points q
the bottom.
Weaving was not the sum of housl
:. wifery in TINT ern. The good dame
m knew IA much of embroidery as the
= favored reat-granddaughters. One
:, them has left behind her monument;
=. piece Of work. in which can be found i
~ less than nineteen different stitehe
many Of them among the rarest an
most difficult known
The netting needle and slirrup file
=, mp many day The bed was the plet
:. de resistance in furnishing then Ii ".
a. tall four poster. aud, besides counte
~ pane and valance, had netted curtain
- and Melted points, eaging the long n
" low and bolster eases Window TN
90 tains were netted. too, besides edgin!
- and fringes for all kinds If honseho
:. - articles. In particular the toilet
:. that fell over the high square bureai
had often netted fall half yard de-
around them. In addition caps rnffit
purses and tiehus were Melted. The Ia
lrs ter We're called dress handkerehiefs, n
an folded high about the throat over {
ne low cut gowns. On them the nett
w lavished her choicest art,
nd Sometimes the mesh waa a. fine d
old most as bobhinet. Melted eapes we
ere high in favor, but the square with lol
M ends was accounted better for yoni
'ng women. Sometimes they had fringe
OF tassels about the edge, or even ruff
ms of the net with a big pattern run
ket The handsomest finish was embroider
ms For that the net was tackled smoo
gar over cloth. the figures were wrong
ion through both. then the under fabrl
Inc were cut away, leaving somethil
- closely approaching old rose point.
The women who practieed these Al
made tatting, knit lace. stockings. m
tens. tufted gloves, oyershoes. comic
n. ers. carriers, galluses and many thin
asf besides. Before their works folk
~. them it might be well if some collect
a. should gather up and keep safe for lai