The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-09-23

tiny spinning wheel. The association
has been at work about six years. IL Is
Interesting TO know that all the thread
used IN the embroidery is hand dyed
with indigo by one woman i'm Deerfeld
The workers make bedspreads. table
cloths and centerpieces. doilies, curtains
and hangings OF all kinds.
Meanwhile a thought occurred to
some other fertile Drained Yankee wo-
men. III Deerfeld blue and white. colo
NAL needework was so fashionable
and profitable. were there not also pos
sib'e revivals OF other colonial indus
tries IN the village which would bring
IN their price2 The colonial mothers
wove and braided rag rugs and carpets
Tor their hoors. and their descendants
use the same kind OF floor coverings to
this day. these articles being both cheap
and Durable. Now, why could not the
Old time floor coverings be made COM
merclally profitable too? The reputa-
ton OF Deerlield embroideries noated
the Deerheld homemade and handmade
rugs, The women turned their atten-
tion To making these as artistic and at
tractive as possible. and presently they.
too became "A noted product of the
Deeriield women's hand industries. All
the hoor coverings are woven upon
hand looms generations old. Weaving
is pleasant work and the rugs that
the women turn out sell from So TO 81
apiece.
There We're yet other colonial hands
crafts that could be revived profitably.
II was found. There was the making OF
baskets, braided i'm the same way as
those straw hats were which New Eng
land women used 10 make at home and
send their brothers to college on the
profits OF the industry Now Deerfield
women are braiding fancy baskets by
hand-beautiful ones. too-and sending
themselves or their daughters TO coll
lege with the money. Other Deerfield
women have gone into wood carving
and brasswork and are succeeding well.
Finally the hand workers of the little
old town became so artistic and so
prosperous that they united and formed
the Deerfeld Arts and Crafts society.
IL holds an annual exhibition that
draws visitors from far and near. It's
officers have now the general oversight
and direction of the colonial handicrafts
OF the village
Two Deeriield women thus started the
present fad among the wealthy for old
fashioned. handmade articles The fad
mas spread 20 all parts OF the Union. the
manufactures TO several parts. The
homemade rug industry thrives espe-
cially. The women OF the Cranberry is
lands add to their pocket money by the
serviceable hooked rugs" they make OF
rags. In Center Lowell, Me-. the Saba
tos rug. made by pulling yarn through
the meshes of coarse canvas, is yet
more in demand. A Sabatos floor COW
ering in size 3 by feet sells for
SZo. And since the fad began even
homemade flannel. precisely like what
our grandmothers made and could not
sell at all. brings in the market 81. so to
- a yard. Meantime some capitalists
are about to set the women of Ohio and
West Virginia TO making wooden tapes
try with yarns spun from the fieeces OF
their own sheep. The women will be
taught how TO make the tapestry. This
last Is perhaps the crowning glory of
the new handicraft movement.
The success OF the movement shows
that we have in America a class of
population rich enough to indulge it's
tastes at any cost and that there are
women in the country with commercial
shrewdness enough to profit by the fam
cies OF the rich. IL means prosperity
for many of the sex along a line of wo-
mans work that is as old as the world
The revival is remarkable on that ac-
count. LILLIAN GRAY