Tip-Sharing Tuesday: Hurrah for the Major General!

Dear Reader,

Thank you for stopping by today; we hope you are enjoying your spring as much as the boy in the picture above. My mother gave the picture to me the other day, saying that my uncle had been given it when he was six or so, so it is a real antique! I don't know who painted it, but it makes me think of boys today, and wonder if many of them have time to do nothing but wait for a rabbit to come out of its hole? In fact, how many boys have a green place where they can run and play with their best four-legged friend? There seems to be a movement in this country, back TO the country, which gives me hope for the future. May there be wild places for the little ones to enjoy, without worrying about competing for a prize, or about fitting in with anyone else!

We had the fun opportunity of seeing Mr. Graham performing as the Major General the other night (My mother kindly offered to babysit). We were, unfortunately, the only ones of the audience who dressed up for the show. One of the cast members told us, after the show, "Oh, how nice! You came in costume!". We didn't have the heart to break it to them that we "come in costume" every day of our lives! We love dressing up, and try to be respectful of others' eyes even when at home.

Here are a few photos from the show:





It was very well done, for a small-town production (I could be a bit biased here!). We would loved to have been in on the costume-making! Maybe in the future we'll have that opportunity (After we catch up on the mending, of course.).
And after several weeks of watching various video productions and the movie, we also have increased our vocabulary immensely by having memorized most of the script!

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For today's Household tips, let us turn to Modern Priscilla, from December 1907.

Hints for Needleworkers

*When cutting out embroidered scallops, use curved manicure scissors and the work will be more neatly done.

*For many sheer fabrics a bone crochet-hook will be found very useful for punching the holes for eyelet embroidery.

*To make dress shields for thin waists, cut white flannel the size desired, trim the edge with lace, and put in the sleeve the same as the rubber shields. They will keep the waist dry and they look nicely.

*When making dresses from goods that will shrink, or for growing girls, run a tuck by h and, or with a loos tension on the machine, on the right side of the goods very near the bottom. Turn up the hem and the tuck will be on the wrong side. When ready to lengthen the dress, take out the tuck and no stitches will show.

*Painted aprons, bureau-scarfs, table-covers, and bedroom curtains can easily be made at home and will be washable if carefully done. Use stiff lawn for the foundation material, put the pattern in a hoop the same as for embroidering, and if the figure stamped is wild roses, buy some of the dyes for cotton and mix the pink with a little water. With a small brush stain inside the outlines, using only a very little paint so that it will not run over the outlines. When the pink is dry, tint the leaves a light green in the same way. Outline the edges with matching colors of washable threads.

May the Lord bless you and yours today, in all that you do.

Love,

Marqueta

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"A man is not hurt so much by what happens, as by his opinion of what happens."

~Montaigne

"Nothing can bring you peace but yourself." ~Emerson


"The sovereign voluntary path to cheerfulness, if your cheerfulness be lost, is to sit up cheerfully and to act and speak as if cheerfulness were already there." ~William James