Historical Thoughts While Sewing

Yesterday started with sunshine which turned to cloudy, then it rained. The wind blew hard in the evening. The high got to 16C. This morning it is cloudy and 12C at 6 a.m. A day of showers or drizzle they say. 

Lifestyle

It was a morning of laundry and budgeting. I went downstairs to get the print out so I could work on it and ended up at the puzzle table. We got about 40 pieces put in before lunch. The budget was done during lunch. 
There were 12 new cases of the virus and 1 death reported. We are hoping that both will drop to 0. We also learned that restrictions are slowly being lifted. Most are outdoor activities to help alleviate depression. Social distancing, self isolation, etc. are still in place but you can walk in parks, go to your cottage/summer residence, community garden. I doubt if we see much more for 2-3 weeks as new cases will be monitored. But, it is a start. 

Sewing

I had a relaxing time sewing yesterday. I enjoyed the process and thought about many things around Laura Ingall Wilder. 

Mary Laura dress by Thimbles and Acorn

I thought about gingham and how it was a staple fabric during Laura's time both for clothing and home decor. I also thought about how Laura probably knit the lace for her dress. And did she do an embroidered stitch around the handkerchief while hemming it. 
The fabric I chose for the Mary Laura dress is a printed gingham look from the fabric store I worked in. It is orange and white which is not traditional; blue/white and red/white were the traditional colors of the time. 

As I sewed the skirt, I wondered if Laura's dress was hand sewn or if Ma had a treadle machine. Were the seams finished with a whip stitch to prevent fraying? Or were they turned under and carefully stitched by hand. 
The skirt was not finished yesterday but Nellie was excited to try it on. Only half of the ruffle is pinned on at this point. 

I had a wonderful time sewing and thinking about the history of this dress. 

Knitting

The sweater is finished and ready for buttons. I will do photographs of it today. The fit of this one is a bit big. A sweater you'd wear outside on a cool day. I'm casting it on again using smaller needles. 

Today

I'm cleaning our bedroom, sewing on the Mary Laura dress and starting to knit the sweater in a smaller size. I may even do more on the puzzle if I have time. 
Until the next time.....................................