May Ye A Blessed Christmas Have~

  This 2012 has been a rough year. Friends have suddenly passed away, and there currently is so much hurt in the World, it is at times difficult to be so 'Merry'.  I believe the things that happen in our lives mold us to who we are, and recent events have made my heart grow bigger by the pounds. Not a moment passes that I do not realize how Blessed I am to have such a wonderful family, such beautiful children. God has already given me the greatest gift on earth~ He has made me a Mother. I hold life Dear, and in turn, try and bestow in my children to do the same, to have grace and respect for all things living and not, and to have  Patience, Restraint and Compassion in all that they do.
    For all that I know, for all who I know, I wish you the Merriest of Holidays, and hope you have Blessed New Year

Blessed Be

 My feeble mind cannot comprehend....cannot understand how a living soul could be so selfish...
                  or how God could let this happen.

  As a Mother of four, with a little one in 1st grade, I have no words to offer this Day, only tears.

Celebrations Along the Olde Towne Road...

   On News Stands January 1st~ the Winter 2013 issue of Prims is jam packed FULL of awesome~ness :)  I have a 4 page article starting on page 24 and just couldn't wait to share~ look! That's Me on the cover!!!  I am so HONORED to be included with  some of my friends and best Primitive Artists around~ just look at Wendy's Dawgs (her little Ele-fonts are my favorite).  There is still time to ask your Santa for a copy for Christmas, many sellers on eBay and ETSY already have in hand and will ship lickety~split!

Fly Fringe

18th Century Knotted Silk Fly Braids & Fringes...

 Ladies get your knotting shuttles ready..... it's no wonder why 'knotting' was a popular 18th form of 'busy work'.  It is made with filament silk and a knotting shuttle, very similar in looks to a tatting shuttle. One could vary the colors, and where they knotted the silk, to make either a simple braid or something quite complex.  Known as 'Fly Fringe' or 'Fly Braid', it could be purchased ready made or made at home. An open robe gown could use literally hundreds of yards of trim.  

  As you can see in the trim above, the knotted filament silk was woven into the 'braid' of the trim, hence the term, 'fly braid'.  These trims are so delicate and feminine, they were often unpicked from  'old' clothing and reused in whatever the newest fashions were, as well as little snippets cut and saved from special garments.

  This trim was reportedly part of a purse, with silk covered mirror still surviving with braid attached.

   Small and extremely delicate, this is a very simple fly braid with a single knotted tuft about every inch in length of the braid.  It is edging both lengths of a 14" wide skirt flounce or robing.

   Here is a tiny braid without any knotted fringe~ this would have been referred to as silk gimp.  I purchase this tiny strip, nearly 2 yards long but just 1.5" wide for a document piece, and was absolutely thrilled when it arrived with fragments of its original bodice back~ sized for a very young girl 6-8 years old

   Lightweight Brocaded silk taffeta plaids (dress silkes) such as this were often called  "Florence" in the early to mid 18th c

  This is a beautiful example of a fancier "fly fringe"~ note there is NO braid, only knotted filament silk in creme to match the blossoms ~ and its absolutely stunning against the dark bottle green background

  This trim is still technically a fly braid, even tho the braid itself is a fringe trim~ every 4 or 5 scallops of the trim, there is a grouping of knotted fringes. And unlike the many fragments I have here at the Museum,

this fly fringe is complete on its c1750 set of silk satin Christening sleeves, and robe, as seen in the very first photo