Gryhm~ Holde: a vessle either this worldy or not, to which holds evil doers an devilish creatures

Hallowe'en in July is nearly here!


Ohh wonderful spookies and ghofsties to tromp 'round in the night will be coming for your pleasure on the 14th of July at my TDIPT Mercantile page~ hope to see you there!

Bits on Lacing a corset......



Trevette asked a wonderful question today that I have been asked before several times, so thought I would share my answer to her with you all~

Rachael, dear, I hope this finds you having a lovely day.

I'm writing to ask a big favor. Would you mind writing me about what happens to the two ends of the ribbon when you lace up stays? I mean I know only one ribbon shows on the front but it looks like you do end up at bottom with the two ends of the ribbon, so I'm wondering, what happens in the back?

In my head I can imagine a possible way , but not sure it would hold together or hold stays straight.

I went back and read your marvelous post and exquisite photos about making Marguarite's beautiful corset and want to say a huge thank you again for all the wonderful and generous information and photos you give about doll clothing construction.

Please forgive me if this is asking too much. All my very best to you, Trevette



This is a good question Trevette~ there are numerous ways to lace up a corset, and these vary even more, on the period, type of corset or stays being laced, and if the wearer is dressing themselves, or having someone else help them. I have shown a picture of Grete in her stays, and how they are laced up the back, this is the most common, very simple way using a SINGLE stay lace, very long. It is laced up one side, ever OTHER hole, turned at the top, and laced down the other side. Care is taken to leave a long tail on the front end of the lace, so when you come back down, with your leftover end now, you have and end hanging to tie a pretty bow. Then both ends and the bow knot will be at the bottom back of the corset, and these are simply tucked up under the back. If there is alot hanging, I wrap this in a little coil before I tuck it up under to keep all nice and tidy.

Now if you will also notice, I have drawn two loops at center back~ if you were a person dressing yourself, this is how you would lace your stays~ you will have a single LONG lace, with a knot directly at one end. You will lace up one side, every other hole like before, turn at the top and come back down the other side, only this time, you will tie your lace in a knot at its end, after all is laced thru. Now at the center back, you will pull out two loops of lacing, like I have drawn, of equal amounts, with both knots and ends of your lace at the very bottom of the stays. You will leave a few inches of a gap, so you can easily step into your stays/corset, and slide it on. Once in the proper position around your waist, you will grab these loops, the one on the right with your right hand, one on left with your left hand, and PULL them forward directly out in front of you, this will tighten the corset on both sides, top to bottom all at the same time. But there is a trick to it! (You will take the right loop in the picture above, across the BACK of the corset's LEFT side, and around to the front where you will grab it with your right hand, and same with the other side)There is usually enough lace length to wrap around the waist once or even twice, and tie in the front in a little bow. Once the petticoat is on, the knot is tucked beneath the waistband to conceal. I hope this makes sense :)

This is a great working illustration of why the invention of the front metal busk was so important and innovative in its day~ a woman could have someone lace the corset in the back and knot it off~ permanently. She was then free to get in and out of it by simply opening and closing the front busk~ no more strings everywhere!

Anything BUT!! the Lazy Days of Summer~

See? This is what I get! I must apologize for not posting more often, I'm trying to catch up~ but shoosh~ what can I do when my loving children bring me such wonderful 'gifts' all the time? I cant stand frogs.....to say I freaked out when Tressa showed me these, is a gross understatement. Just look at the evil look on her face~ what do I do to deserve such treatment?

We have been so busy this summer~ my to do list is a million miles long, and it is so horribly hot and dry. I think every day this week has been over 100, and we have not had any rain in eons. I took this picture up behind the house week before last~ something I did not need to see so close. There are some spots still smoldering, huge stumps mainly, they can burn for weeks underground, but for the most part, the Track fire has been put out, God Bless the jumpers and all those forestry firefighters!

Hmmm.....perhaps Tressa tortured me with frogs because I have been making her knit with me? could be! This is my first pair of knee high stockings knit from wonderful Noro yarn my Mother sent me, I have found I really am in love with knitting. I will try and refrain from saying obsessed....but, that could be true too. I have found visions of sweaters, and early pinballs entering my mind....along with dollys.....hmmm, perhaps I should knit dollye some stockings? Sounds like a plan!

Life is great, and I am so enjoying being so busy. Theres never a dull moment around here.. Josh is eating Pip's mud cookies(really, made out of dirt!), the goats have gotten out.....I am continually on the hunt for the lone blasted cricket that is living in my windowsill driving me crazy ....its fishing and camping, more fishing and somewhere in there dollys to work on, patiently waiting always, bless their little heartes. My brother & Pa stole away and were here from Washington for a very short day last week~ miss them so much allready. Summer is always filled with road trips! But in all the hustle and bustle, I absolutely l-o-v-e hearing what you all are up to, and take pleasure in the smallest, simplest little details~ I thought you may enjoy some of my favorites~

Early c1840 embossed leather children's shoes~ embossed morocco leather just like what was so commonly used to bind books~ common for books, but not so for shoes!

I love the to look at this 18th c lace and know that someone toiled hours and hours to make it

Love this early 1820 pink and blue roller print girls gown....and of coarse the wearer too ;)

Oh! What a treat! What a feast for the eyes and imagination~ a wee hand carved antique 19th c tortoise shell hair comb, but sized for dollye

I am planing on an entire post about this wonderful 18th c Dresden work kerchief~ discarded because of 'damage' (it has a wonderful darn), and lookie what I discovered in one corner~ (this photo greatly magnified), the embroiderers initials and date, '65~ that's short for 1765!

I hope you all are having a wonderful summer, and have a Happy & Safe 4th of July Holiday. Take a moment to remember where you came from, and where you want to go, and enjoy the ride!

Dollye Update tonight, 7pm CMT

Mifs Emma Porter would love to meet your acquaintance this evening at the TDIPT Mercantile~ hope to see you there!

2011 Early American Life Directory of Traditional American Craftsmen



I am SO Honored to be chosen for the EAL Directory of Top 200 Traditional American Craftsmen again this year, and even more so, because my dollys were chosen to be photographed for the Magazine this year. The August Directory issue is out now, and here is my Antoinette gracing page 66 (((Enter HUGE Smiley face here))). And yes, I am a bit jealous Antoinette got to visit the Kentucky Shaker Village before I did~ she is pictured above in the Centre Family Meeting Room....does she look a bit dreamy~eyed to you? She has told me that her mind was wandering the whole time she was there, and that it was very hard to concentrate and be still for the cameras.

It really is a magical place, and they do so much to get the community involved~ you can go and stay at the Inn, they are having an antique show and sale on the 19th of June I think, and there are garden side suppers and all sorts of wonderful things going on now~ I hope you will click on the link on my sidebar to go and check them out. If I was within a days drive, I'd sure be there!

Nina was requested to go first for the photo shoot, but being such a big girl at 27" tall, Antoinette offered to go in her stead, and was delightfully welcomed by the EAL staff. Besides the honor of having my dolls chosen for the Directory again this year, I simply must thank the staff at EAL for keeping watch over my sweeties and handling them with such love and care. What a perfect start to the summer!

I have been working on dollys and knitting knitting knitting~ Ohhh I am hopelessly absolutely addicted~ my peonies are blooming....the baby kids are not so much babies any more~ a wonderful loud musical choir greets me whenever I step outside and they hear me talking....and speaking of talking~ here is a picture of one of my kittys~ Mr PappaGeorgio (Georgie to me)...he is the loviest cat we have ever had~ and he is constantly talking :)

Freezin my Brain on Memorial Day Weekend!

I hope you all had, or I guess I should say, are having, a great holiday weekend! I don't prefer all the holiday rush rush and crowds, so we did our camping trip during the week last week at Lathrop State Park here in southern Colorado. Above you can see one of our Spanish Peaks to the south...I am normally looking a the other side of them from the porch here at the house. It was a really fun trip~ the children are already out of school for the summer, and the weather was fairly warm, in the 80s I guess, but a bit windy

Josh and I walked the Hogaback trail several times, and each time we saw different things. I thought this tree particularly stately looking...like a picture postcard

Up at the top of the rock dike, they have done core samples on the cedars, and some are over 400 years old! Here is my Josh in front of one of them, all twisted and gnarly....fitting for being that old Id say. He is really loving his 'cut' Dad gave him.....before we left, they locked themselves in our bathroom, and WHAT a ruccus! I knew they were up to something with all the giggling....and out Josh popped with all his hair gone for the summer. He really likes not having to comb it :)

We saw some huge white pelicans, a couple of bunnies, 2 white tail deer does....a bull snake, lots of birds~ here are some of the new fuzzy little geese babies~ so much fun to watch. I took this picture on a walk with Pip to go to the Ranger station for an ice cream... which brings me to the whole 'Brain Freeze' comment before.............nope~ I didn't have any ice cream!

There is a wonderful yarn store in Walsenburg, on the way to the park, and my oldest crochets, so we stopped in and both decided we wanted to knit stockings.....(yes~ can you believe it Ma?) I have never E*V*E*R done a thing with yarn, and let me tell you, I would have to seriously second guess anyone who ever says knitting is 'ohhh so relaxing'!!!! This weekend I have taught myself to knit, and above is my very first ever knitting, and seriously people, I have to concentrate so hard it really makes my brain hurt! Heck I probably have my tongue out and everything~ purling is so difficult for me....but I am getting it. I bought two skeins of this fabulously soft striped wool~ I think I will try and make a dolly blanket out of this...no stockings yet!

Welcome Summer!