How Much Do You Know About Sewing?

Let's start at the source, when and where it all started.

Archaeologists believe that stone age people across Europe and Asia sewed skins and furs, or grasses and leaves together, making clothing. They used ivory, bone, and antler needles with thread made from various body parts taken from animals.

Did you know that in the Middle East during the Neolitic period, (aka the New Stone age between 10,700-9,400 BC), brought forth the first textiles. This material was defined as felt or spun fibers made into yarn and woven to make fabrics.

The sewing machine dates back to as early as 1755 when Charles Weisenthal applied for a patent, and Isaac Singer introduced his home use version in 1851.

The saftey pin was invented by Walter Hunt around 1849.

Chinese archaeologists reported finding a complete sewing set, including a thimble, dating back to 202 BC.

Scissors can be traced back to around 260 BC according to Archimedes. However, scissors made from one piece of metal were found in ancient Egyptian ruins dating back to 1500 BC. Modern cross blade scissors were invented in Rome around 100 AD. In the end, Leonardo da Vinci is credited with the invention of scissors, since he used them to cut his canvases.

The oldest known bone sewing needle was found in France and is known to be over 25,000 years old. Sewing needles made from silver, bronze and copper were used in ancient Egypt.

The Native American Indians were known to use the pointed end of agave leaves and porcupine quills for sewing needles, and agave leaf fibers were used for thread.

The year 1850 brought the needle-making machine, and by 1866 England was producing 100 million needles a year.

I guess before all of the above happened, we all ran around naked!

And the last little tidbit that you should know, is that those people who collect thimbles are known as digitabulists...

As I review my writings I notice that today's clothiers, seamstresses if you will, are all women, but yet the tailors are mostly men. I remember my grandfather sewing. He spent time at sea as a ship captain and had a lot of time on his hands, like most sailors. They passed time by making things and he used to macrame shade pulls and key chains. I remember that he made a white belt for me, all hand woven cord. I also recall his teaching me as a young boy how to thread a needle. That was fun at the time but sure helps later in life, especially when I pop a button.

I've had some experience at sewing and tried my luck at making pants.  Yeah, I bought the patterns, selected the materials, cut and sewed the pieces. Alas, they all wound up having to be draw-string pants since I couldn't master the art of attaching a zipper to them. I called them my "Plan B" pants. We all have our limitations and this was one of mine.

Jimmy Halloran is Co-Owner of ConnecticutHandiworks.com, an online retailer featuring handcrafted items made in Connecticut.

jimmy130@live.com  /  860.942.7571  / 

PO Box 26 Hampton, CT.

  06247

The Common Thread...

Judi, of East Hartford, comes from a family of seamstresses. Her grandmother had ten children and made all their clothes. Her mother sewed for her and her two sisters. She, in turn, sewed for her children. Hence, the common thread...

Now that Judi is retired, she and her sisters get together for "sister weekends," taking turns going to each other's homes, carrying their sewing machines with them. There they sew together, sharing in each other's projects and talking about new ideas that they have dreamt up.

Judi tells me her "creations are original, coming from my thoughts and efforts" as she strives for quality in her work. Most of her projects evolve from her imagination. When she sees something in her head, she has to make it "because it doesn't go away until I create it." Sometimes it drives her crazy, she explains, but it always gives her a sense of satisfaction once something new has been made.

Judi's got it bad... This love of sewing crafts, embroidering, making clothes, mending and quilting things. She's not alone either, her sisters have got it, too. I can almost hear them chuckling when they get together.

Judi's lastest creations include her line of pouches, and I can't help but love the Hearts and Flowers, a long strap pouch which consists of embroidered, lined, denim jean pockets with a zipper. You gotta see this! Truly a must-have accessory...

A full line of scarves is available, most made with silk-blend material, as well as a series of whimsical, yet practical, pincushions to brighten a sewing corner. It's not surprising that she offers something for her fellow seamstresses!  In addition, Judi has created her own line of place mats that come in sets of four. These colorful mats are edged-stitched and bring beauty and compliments to a table.   

The latest idea Judi turned out is definitely something that you will never see anyplace else. It's a game just perfect for a Valentine's Day gift -- handmade game of Tic-Tac-Toe with a Valentine theme. The Os are hearts, the Xs are kisses with a heart in the middle. These make up the game pieces. The board is imitation white leather embroidered in red with velco squares. '"Be the first in your neighborhood to have one"...

What an imagination this gal has...

Jimmy Halloran is Co-Owner of ConnecticutHandiworks.com, an online retailer featuring handcrafted items made in Connecticut.

jimmy130@live.com  /  860.942.7571  / 

PO Box 26 Hampton, CT.

  06247

Hand-Me-Downs...

Not necessarily clothing, but lessons regarding how to make clothes that are handed down from one generation to another. Today I'll focus on Karen and Missy, clothiers of Plainfield.  Karen learned the importance of making and providing clothing for her family from her Mom. The hand-me-down process led to Karen's teaching her daughter, Missy, who has in turn passed this information down to her two daughters, a 19 year-old, and a 9 year-old. There we have it, once again, old world traits being handed down from one generation to another. I think I know who Karen's Mom learned from and wonder whether Missy's daughters will carry on the tradition by teaching their children.

I met Missy at the craft fairs, and then one day I stopped in to say hello at her home studio and outlet shoppe. There I found Missy instructing her youngest daughter in the use of a hot wax gun. This learning process starts at a very early age. The child knew what she wanted to make, and Missy watched while this project took shape, lovingly guiding and complimenting her as she progressed. The studio was filled with completed works of art, many of which were unique items I had never seen before. This is what happens when a whole family produces their own creations, one idea building upon another.

What strikes me most are the baby clothes: crocheted baby beanies and newborn baby sweater sets which include a sweater, hat and booties. Sooo cute... The newborn baby sweater sets come in a wide choice of colors. These sets are all hand crocheted, made of 100% hypoallergenic acrylic. Now get this, sized 0 to 3 months. Starting life out at size zero! Is that too much, or what?

Jimmy Halloran is Co-Owner of ConnecticutHandiworks.com, an online retailer featuring handcrafted items made in Connecticut.

jimmy130@live.com  /  860.942.7571  / 

PO Box 26 Hampton, CT.

  06247

The Clothiers...

Those that make and sell clothing. I've always believed that if you want something done right, you must do it yourself.  I'm not sure if this is a motivating factor that drives those who produce their own clothing. Why sew, then? When I ask around, many say that they have been taught how to sew at an early age from their mothers and grandmothers. It's second nature. Many find it a form of relaxation and socialization. The sewing circle comes to mind, where family and friends gather to sew and talk stories. Some like to crochet at the beach, others hand stitch while watching television. It's something that can be done anywhere at any time, which makes it convenient. I'm amazed how these talented people can perform this difficult task, while at the same time holding a conversation. I'm not wired that way.

If you have ever produced something, and we all have in one form or another, you will identify with the emotions involved. It starts with the rush one gets in having an idea that you plan to actualize; thinking about it, planning it, and creating it to make it real; tweaking it and improving it until you are satisified; then enjoying and appreciating what you have just accomplished, perhaps looking at it over and over with the idea of improving it the next time. Man, I just want to create something! Oh, I am. I'm doing it right now.

We are all good at something. These people that I am writing about are good at lots of things, but it is their sewing, crocheting, knitting and embroidering that I am focusing on. These are their stories:

Carol of Coventry minored in art at the University of Bridgeport and considers herself to be an "artsy" type person who sewed a lot in her youth. I was told that she made TEN bridesmaid gowns for her wedding! Okay, I'm impressed. We have a serious sewer here...

One thing leads to another, and knitting has finally become a passion of Carol's. I say "finally" because nothing is easy. In the beginning of this learning curve her first project, knitting a baby blanket, "came out terrible." As a self-taught knitter Carol had to rely on books which were written for right-handed people. Carol is left handed.

It's not possible, when looking at a finished product, to know what it took to get the point of starting the project, no less turning out a work of art. We don't just arrive. It seems as if we must experience failure before we attain success. The learning curve is one of life's most difficult but rewarding challenges.

Carol turns out the most beautiful knitted capes you will ever come across. Her pastel rainbow poncho cape, made of machine washable homespun acrylic, is my favorite. The learning curve never ends and Carol is "learning new things every year." I can't wait to see her next creation.

Jimmy Halloran is Co-Owner of ConnecticutHandiworks.com, an online retailer featuring handcrafted items made in Connecticut.

  jimmy130@live.com  /  860.942.7571  /  PO Box 26 Hampton, CT. 06247

Buy Connecticut...

When I started my campaign to promote Buy Connecticut I had two thoughts in mind. First was that the quality and reasonable prices of the items produced by the local artists and handicrafters in my community should be available to everyone. The second was, well, read on...

The history of Connecticut is found in many forms all around us.  I see it as I drive around and notice the large, old, abandoned brick factories that are now closed and boarded up.  These were huge thriving businesses built along rivers that powered the machinery that made wonderful products used locally and sold across the country. Those were the days when everybody had a job. Companies would provide housing for their workers and their families and pensions for their retirement.  It was not uncommon for employees to spend their entire lives working for just one company. Whole families were known to work there as well, one generation after another. These were good jobs.

What the heck happened? We didn't stop using the products that were made at these factories. So what was it? Was it the decisions of business leaders to have their products made in another country for less money? Could be. All I know is that it wasn't all that long ago that this happened. What I notice now is that we no longer manufacture many products here and that too many of our residents are unemployed and can't find work. People don't have the money that they once had. They don't have the jobs.

Politics is not my strong suit, and it seems like the more I learn about economics, the less I know. Even the experts aren't sure how we got into this mess and no two people think alike on how we are going to get out of it. This leads me to think that we cannot afford to wait around for others to fix our problems. We must "go for self" by taking responsibility for our actions, our decisions and the choices we make. Asking ourselves, "What can I do about it?" is a good place to start.

First, let us identify the problem, if we can, and then provide some possible solutions. Without asking why the real estate bubble burst, or why the banks aren't lending or whether we have hit the bottom on foreclosures and bankruptcies or when the jobs will return, let's focus on the issue of today's money. Our money. The money we work hard for. The money we spend on purchasing. Where is this money going after we buy something? Will it be circulated among our neighbors? Or, will it go to people in other countries? Are we giving our money away? Simply put, when money is spent on products imported from foreign countries, our hard-earned dollars leave this country to pay the wages and improve the economy in other parts of the world. That said, I don't know about you, but I was taught that charity begins at home. This is my second reason to Buy Connecticut. Yes, all that I mentioned above are contributing factors to the overall problems we are experiencing. Yeah, the jobs are gone but that doesn't mean our money has to follow them.  Why don't we keep our money here allowing for circulation?

Let me be clear, this is not a push for boycotting. What I am saying is that there is a need for a heightened awareness to a problem that exists, and so far we are not doing anything about it. So what can be done about it? Where to start? We are talking about the potential for change here.

The analogy I would like to start with is that of recycling. Not long ago we all just discarded our recyclables with the garbage and threw everything into the landfill. Remember that? Now we are aware of the need to protect the environment. We reuse our paper and cardboard; we find other uses for our plastic, aluminium and glass containers. Recycling businesses opened up for second-hand items like wood, windows, metals, fixtures, and so on. We look at recycling differently now with our new sense of awareness. What we are doing, each of us, is protecting our environment, trying to make Mother Earth a better place to live for ourselves and our children. We are all working together, doing our part, pitching in for a common goal. We have also created new jobs with this recycling concept.

Is putting effort into changing our spending habits and bettering our local community any different? We are always faced with choices. Whether to buy that item, made by someone on the other side of the world or from your neighbor is your choice. The folks that make products here, the artists, farmers and handicrafters, their job is to make something available for you to buy. They offer you something of quality for a reasonable price. We can't afford to lose these jobs. I can only ask that before you buy, read the label to see where it was made and think about where you want your money to go.

Don't discard your money,  recycle it...  Buy American/Buy Connecticut.

Jimmy Halloran is Co-Owner of ConnecticutHandiworks.com, an online retailer featuring handcrafted items made in Connecticut.

jimmy130@live.com  /  860.942.7571  / 

PO Box 26 Hampton, CT

  06247

Products From The Hive

If what they say is true about busy hands being happy hands, then Bill from Tolland must be the happiest guy in the County.  He's got his hands in a slew of various projects, and bee keeping is one of them.  Another project of Bill's is filling the role of President and Founder of Opportunity Works Inc. of Connecticut.  His interest and goal is to create jobs for people with disabilities.

I asked Bill how he got started working with bees and he explained that it started out as a 4-H project which involved getting him and his son interested in doing something together.  For those who may not know, 4-H, in the United States, is a youth organization adminstered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development."  Their motto is "To make the best better," while their slogan is "Learn by doing".

For the last 20 years Bill and his son Ryan have operated their business together, tending to 30 hives and harvesting the honey and beeswax to create products like honey, bee pollen (often referred to as nature's most complete food), and a variety of beeswax candles.  Did you know that the honey bee is the only insect that produces food eaten by man?

Bill and Ryan both rave about this sweet business of theirs.  The creamed honey, the honey-filled hard candy, their honey stix...what a yummy line of work!  Did you know that it takes the nectar and pollen from 2 million flowers to make one pound of honey?

There are many benefits, uses and ways to take bee pollen, too many to mention here.  However, did you know that bee pollen is approximately 25% complete protein, containing at least 18 amino acids?  Bee pollen also provides more than a dozen vitamins, 28 minerals, and 11 carbohydrates, not to mention that it is low in calories -- all while tasting delicious. Bee pollen has been found to strenghten the immune system, rejuvenate the body, stimulate organs and glands and bring about a longer life span, at the same time increasing sex drive.  Okay, that does it!  I'm going on a honey diet...

Jimmy Halloran is Co-Owner of ConnecticutHandiworks.com, an online retailer featuring handcrafted items made in Connecticut.

jimmy130@live.com  /  860.942.7571  / 

PO Box 26 Hampton, CT.

  06247

Looking For Something New

Since coming to Connecticut a few years ago I have enjoyed going to different activities with the hopes of finding something different, something I haven't seen before.  I like the craft shows best, and just love to watch people making things by hand.  They all seem so happy and can't wait to tell you about what they do, how they do it and what got them started, as if they want you to do it, too.  It doesn't matter if these events are held at the Fairgrounds, on the Greens, in the church basement, at the High School gym, at a Flea market or even a tag sale.  If it's possible that I might find something that I haven't seen before, I'll be there.  I'm drawn to them.

Going to these events shows me how others live.  What they enjoy, what interests them.  I like hearing about how they developed an idea into something to sell, or seeing them make something from nothing.  It's an interesting process.  There is an enjoyment that comes from creating something.  Not only are they rewarded with the good feeling of accomplishing and completing the challenge of producing a handicrafted item, but they also get paid for it.  It is my belief that many talented artists who do what they love, would do it even if they weren't rewarded with money.  They would do it for themselves.  To me this is a great form of therapy.  It's important to like what you are doing.  It helps us feel good about ourselves when those creative jucies are flowing.  We need to feel productive.  We need a purpose.  To many, making something gives them that purpose.

Some people cling to the past.  Examples of this would be in the appreciation and collection of antiques or old tools, dolls and even old egg beaters.  I'm a clinger. I love old stuff.  The best clingers of all are those Revolutionary War re-enactments.  The way they dress, the way they talk,  camping out on these 'battle-fields" and cooking their food like the folks did back in the 1700's.  And the battles, why didn't these soldiers duck, I mean they just stand there, in a line, waiting to get shot!  Geeze.  I'd like to think it was pride, you know, with all the flag waving, the drums banging and bugles blaring, but I'm glad to see that style of fighting left in the past.

I find it interesting that some homes and barns today are made using post and beam methods, the same way houses were constructed hundreds of years ago.  People -- many people -- like doing things the old fashioned way.  It shows in their crafts and their products.  The candle makers, the wood carvers, the soap makers, the weavers, potters, handmade clothiers, glass blowers, handmade jewelry designers, bee keepers, the list goes on and on.  These are old traditions, yet something new emerges every time without fail.  As long as this newness continues, I will always be looking for that something new.

Jimmy Halloran is Co-Owner of ConnecticutHandiworks.com, an online retailer featuring handcrafted items made in Connecticut.

jimmy130@live.com  /  860.942.7571  / 

PO Box 26 Hampton, CT.

  06247

   

What Would You Call Someone from Connecticut?

If asked, I would say we were "Connecticuters," but apparently Cotton Mather thought differently about it and in 1702 he coined the term "Connecticutians". That lasted until 1781 when Samuel Peters got up one morning and claimed that the residents of Connecticut should now be known as "Connecticutensians."  In spite of all these name changes we really never lost that "Nutmegger" image, which at one time caused us to be known as the Nutmeg State. 

History has it that early inhabitants were so ingenious and shrewd that they were able to make and sell wooden nutmegs.  "Unknowing buyers may have failed to grate nutmegs, thinking they had to be cracked like a walnut.  Nutmegs are wood, and bounce when struck. If southern customers did not grate them, they very well may have accused the Yankees of selling useless 'wooden' nutmegs, unaware that they wear down to a pungent powder to season pies and bread."  (Elizabeth Abbe, Librarian, the Connecticut Historial Society; Connecticut Magazine, April 1980).

So now I know a little more about nutmeg.  But you never know what you will find until you look.  For instance, did you ever hear about nutmeg butter?  Geeze, I thought, I'd like to try some.  Maybe some nutmeg butter on toast.  Hmmm...  That is until I found out that one of its uses, when mixed with other fats like cottonseed oil or palm oil, is to be used as an industrial lubricant.  What?  I think I'll pass.  Sorry, I just can't see myself eating something that I can also grease my car with.  How about you?

Jimmy Halloran is Co-Owner of ConnecticutHandiworks.com, an online retailer featuring handcrafted items made in Connecticut.

jimmy130@live.com  /  860.942.7571  / 

PO Box 26 Hampton, CT.

  06247

What's in a Name?

Connecticut, a Native American word, means "beside the long river," and here I thought it was another name transplanted from a town in England where so many of our towns have gotten their names.

I also thought Connecticut was the Nutmeg State.  Wrong again.  My license plates say we are now the Constitution State.  This change occured in 1959 when the General Assembly felt the need for a new image, I guess.  What the heck is a nutmeg, anyway?  Well, it's a seed from several species of trees, namely the Myristica fragrans, and is the source for two different spices, nutmeg and mace.  What's strange here is that these trees are indigenous to places like Indonesia, Malaysia, the Caribbean, India and New Guinea and some other warm climate countries.  How these trees survive the cold harsh winters of Connecticut is beyond me!

Getting back to this State name business.  These aren't the only names our State has been given.  During the Revolutionary War, Connecticut supplied most of the food and cannons for the Continenal Army, earning the name Provisional State.  Then, according to A Dictionary Of Americanisms On Historical Principles, Connecticut was known as "The Land Of Steady Habits," alluding to the strict morals of its inhabitants.  Officially, there is no one name adopted by the State for its residents.

What name should be next?  It may sound like I have a bias here, but I propose that we go with the "Handiworks State" for a new name.  We could have a choice for the State song like "If I had A Hammer," or "I Want To Be A Billionaire So Freakin' Bad."  And the State bird?  No doubt it's the Guina Hen because of their survival instincts.  Plus, they make me laugh by finding companionship in their reflection of my chrome truck bumpers.  All in favor...

Jimmy Halloran is Co-Owner of ConnecticutHandiworks.com, an online retailer featuring handcrafted items made in Connecticut.

jimmy130@live.com  /  860.942.7571  / 

PO Box 26 Hampton, CT.

  06247

Small Town Living

Small town living is something new to me. Growing up and spending 30 plus years in Brooklyn, New York with its population of 4.5 million people, and then living in the San Francisco Bay Area, California for the next 32 years kind of makes me a city slicker.

I needed to return to my East Coast roots. In 2007 I came back for the change of seasons, where I could be in touch with the cycle of life. Where preparing for the next season becomes an enjoyable way of life -- putting away the hammock and getting wood cut and stacked for a long, cold winter; watching the days grow shorter as the flowers die back and the leaves fall, followed by snow, lots of snow. Then comes the thaw, Spring arrives, the robin appears and the hummingbirds return to build their nests to raise their young. Getting ready for planting season, becoming aware of the smell of fresh-cut grass, watching new growth stick its head up in the garden, seeing new flowers and leaves on the trees, breaking out the Summer clothes and putting the heavy sweaters away, and putting that hammock back up. Ah, the familiar newness of it all.

Having a choice of 169 cities and towns in Connecticut in which to live, I chose Hampton, one of the smallest. Only 2,034 people living in 709 households? No problem, I can live with that. Only a General Store, a Post Office, a church and a Town Hall that's open only two days a week? No problem. No traffic light and only two stop signs in the whole town? Again, no problem. I'll adjust and cope with the laid-back beauty of it all.

Hampton was settled in the early 18th Century, when the first settlers were primarily farmers. Their houses, barns and sheds, all built on stone foundations, are still scattered throughout the area. Windham County, in which Hampton is situated, is 75% agricultural, and cattle are still raised and bred. The history in this "quiet corner" goes back to a time when the call came to declare independence from England and men went to battle in the Revolutionary War.

In a way, not much has changed. I mean, the war is history now, but people still hunt; plow the fields to raise their own food; make their own clothes, soap, honey, maple syrup and jewelry; decorate their homes with their art; home-school their children; build their own barns with help from their neighbors, and so on. A hardy talented and ambitious bunch, these neighbors of mine, and I am proud to live among them while I try out this small town country boy living....

Jimmy Halloran is Co-Owner of ConnecticutHandiworks.com, an online retailer featuring handcrafted items made in Connecticut.

jimmy130@live.com  /  860.942.7571  / 

PO Box 26 Hampton, CT.

  06247