Outings

We spent the afternoon visiting New Bedford's Whaling Museum. It's one of those places that is an amazing place to visit and people from all over come to see New Bedford's history but when you live near it you never visit. I have taken Alice there a few times already and every time she is in awe by the enormous size of the whale skeleton's. Pictured above is KOBO (King of the Blue Ocean) a rare Juvinile blue whale that was accidentally struck and killed by a tanker. It was brought ashore in Rhode Island in March 1998. I tried to take a panoramic picture of the skeleton. Not all the seams match, but you get the idea.



They were also having a textile exhibit. New Bedford is not only known for their whaling but also widely known for their abundant textile mills. This exhibit was dedicated to textiles made throughout New Bedford history starting in the late 1700's. I almost hit the floor when I saw the first example of a work done by a child. A 4 year old child!!!! A quilt by a 4 year old girl!! My daughter is 4, I can't imagine her making a whole quilt! I am going to stress that this girl was 4 one more time then I will be done. She was 4!!!

Among the other textile wonders were a child's dress from 1881 that was hand stitched and embroidered. Even after the sewing machine relieved women from the tedium of stitching long seams by hand , mothers still felt obligated to hand-sew their children's clothing. By 1900 companies specializing in children's clothing started to import hand made frocks from Portugal, and Puerto Rico where fine sewing skills were common and labor costs were low. Looking at garments like the ones pictured below blow my mind, to think of the time that was put into one garment. Today clothes are mass produced and are practically disposable. Will our clothes stand the test of time? Most likely not!Other examples were a wedding dress made for Mrs. Gideon Nye in 1860 and then refashioned later into a wedding dress for her granddaughter Annie D. Swift in 1890.
A maternity dress made for Quaker, Susan Waln Morgan Rodman, circa 1822. The dress was originally made for her mother some thirty years earlier in the 1790's. This dress was later refashioned for Mrs. Rodman to wear during her pregnancies. The skirt front tied seperatly around the waist, and the bodice was detached from the skirt at the front, making the front adjustable for wear during pregnancy.
I could go on and on about everything textile. I suggest that if you are in the New Bedford area you should check out KOBO, his friends and the array of fine sewing and quilting examples at the Whaling Museum. I am going to leave you with a picture of the miniature whaling vessel at the museum. The 89-foot, half-scale model of the Bark Lagoda, was built in 1916 inside the museum. You can step aboard and see what life was like on a whaling boat.

Flutterby

In celebration of my daughter's 4th birthday we went to the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, RI. They were having a butterfly exhibit and since Alice LOVES butterflies I though we would check it out. It was amazing. Well worth the price of admission plus the fee for the exhibit. It is an enclosed greenhouse planted with butterfly plants and hundreds of butterflies floating around so close you could touch them. We probably could have spent the whole afternoon there had the space been a little larger. Her are some pictures that we took on our outing!



Pictured here are the Monarch, Zebra Longwing and Giant Swallowtail.

Generations

It's amazing how much some peoples lives are intertwined. My best friend Mariann and I have know each other since before we can remember. It is all because of the relationship between her grandmother and my great aunts. My aunt Annie, pictured on the left, and her very fabulous grandmother, Helen, right, were friends since girlhood. They shared trips to New York city and hours of conversation at the beauty parlor. It was all because of them that our families are bonded forever. My aunt Louise became Mariann's father's godmother and when Mariann was born fate brought the families closer. Helen's granddaughter and Louise and Annie's great niece were the same age. Mariann says that she can remember the day we met. She has always been a constant in my life, like a sibling. We have shared life events, good and bad, through it all we have been like sisters. We are continuing the bond that these women started over 50 years ago. To you Mariann, I love you. And always will.

floral beauty

I spent the last 2 days working on my garden. Laying out some new beds with brick pavers and rocks. My back can tell you that I have been working really hard. Alice had fun making mud puddles and helping plant some new flowers. At the end of the day I still worked on some sewing. Here is the new wristlet that I made. Perfect for a summer stroll. You can buy it in my shop.




Here are some pics of the pretty flowers growing in my garden. I think I could work out there all day given the opportunity.

rainy day

Today was a partly cloudy day with showers off and on. You know the summer kind when it's raining and sunny at the same time. Perfect day for the zoo. I love going to the Buttonwood Zoo on days like this. The less crowds the longer you get to spend with each animal. Well, the partly cloudy day turned into a thunder storm of epic proportions day, but we did get to spend some one on one time with Emily the elephant before the worst of the storm hit. Read about Emily and Ruth here. I think Emily was really showing off for us. She is so sweet.

what's in a name

Little Red Appleton. I chose that name for my Etsy shop in honor of the great Aunts who taught me to sew.

Appleton is the street that they lived on in the house my great grandfather built. My grandfather, mother and I all grew up in that house. I have extremely fond memories about 152 Appleton Street.

Red is the color of Revlon lipstick that the two of them wore with out fail. Every morning they would apply that bright red color to their lips. Even if they weren't going any where special. You never know who was going to stop by the house!

Little is how I will forever see myself when I think back and remember my dear aunts, Annie and Louise.

etsy...how do I love thee

Started up an etsy shop this spring.

I have a deep seeded love for all things vintage. It probably come from long summer days spent with my two great aunts. They are the first ones who opened the door to the world of sewing. They used to make me practice on face cloths and socks, until I could move on to more complicated projects. Embroidery and hooking rugs were two of my favorites. I could spend hours with them listening to AM radio and sewing my heart away. They used to tell me I had an old soul.

Teenage years hit and it was totally un-cool to sew. I fell out of it until my 20's when a friend of mine awoke the sewing bug. She helped me make curtains for my new apartment and taught me the basics of how to use a sewing machine. My husband bought me a sewing machine for Christmas that year and the rest is history.

After my daughter started school this year I decided that my "me" time could be productive. And started up my etsy shop. I try to use vintage fabrics when ever I can..... although I am obsessed with repro depot. I feel by using vintage fabric it lessens my eco impact and makes my products earth friendly.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade LittleRedAppleton.etsy.com