Jack O'Lanterns might be my favorite part of the American tradition of Halloween. Perhaps this is because I don't have much of a sweet tooth or love of the horror genre, but I genuinely enjoy carving pumpkins and seeing my neighbors' creations. Walking down a neighborhood street, … [Read more...] about Grinning Pumpkins: Why Jack-O’-Lanterns are the best part of Halloween
Project Log: 18th Century Handsewn Shortgown Jacket
Intellectual Effort and Tedium I hold great respect for the good people who made it through life in the tough centuries before my birth. I want to know them better and appreciate their ways of life, and I believe they were more like us than many will admit. As a twenty-first … [Read more...] about Project Log: 18th Century Handsewn Shortgown Jacket
Lost Greetings: Postcards from the Past Revisited
Mr. Willoughby was a favorite teacher of mine during high school, and I still count him as a friend in adulthood. A former Army officer and veteran of the Vietnam War turned history teacher, he formed lasting relationships with his students. And, the giant bulletin board hanging … [Read more...] about Lost Greetings: Postcards from the Past Revisited
A Makeshift Lucet: How to make your own forked weaving tool from recycled cardboard
What is a Lucet? A lucet is a fiberwork tool usually consisting of two parallel posts joined on one end to form a "U" shape. Some have a single handle at the bottom; some have a hole in the base of the "U." A few examples of such tools, as well as cording likely made using … [Read more...] about A Makeshift Lucet: How to make your own forked weaving tool from recycled cardboard
Advent of Photography: Portraits for the Rest of Us
What if you had no photos of anyone you've ever known? Lately, I have been browsing various museums and historical society websites in search of portraits from the earliest age of photography. Whether they are daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, or albumen, they captivate … [Read more...] about Advent of Photography: Portraits for the Rest of Us
