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primitive pals #9
© Copyright 1997 Maria Pahls
dear friends
the fence post
(editor's letter)
it has been wonderful outdoors here in cincinnati, so i have set aside the primitive pals newsletter for a few days to get some weeding done in my perennial beds and also to give the roses (they need all the help they can get) a 'hair cut'. just looking at all of those thorny clippings can inspire! wouldn't twig wings with thorns be fun? (well not if you prick yourself!) but, an angel with "be thankful that thorns have roses" embroidered her dress would be neat! and..her name could be "rose".
i finally had a chance to plant my day lilies today and my new and improved spring border is shaping up wonderfully. i plan to dry some of the forget-me-not flowers (very tiny and blue with a yellow center)they are nice to glue onto tiny wreaths or little arrangements. i use silica gel and they preserve perfectly. well enough of my garden (can't wait to start planting the veggies!)....
maria pahls
miscellaneous letters sent in by readers
kathy w:
"Hi everyone.Right now I'm working on wall hangings, but went to the fabric store just the yesterday, and got two new patterns... never seems like I can just buy one. Seems like when I get a new pattern, I want to start it and then I don't finish the others ones I get started and then I have all these wall hangings half done when I go to do a show. So I'm finishing the one I've all ready got started first. The new wall hangings I bough are by Fiber Mosaics.
I'm also working on stick dolls, I trade off and on so as not to get tired of one thing. I am trying do at least 30 of them by June here in our town we have a festival called Laurel Week and a craft show which I want to do this year. Then I would like to try this large one in Aug. I live near a State Park,Cooks Forest and they have a Saw Mill for the arts, it's a place where you can go and take classes of different things and they have a Quilt weekend and craft show it's for 3 days."ann sent in this description of her newest doll:
" I thought I would send you a description of the doll I made. I guess it's kind of primitive. I made a simple doll... I'll try to describe it. It has 2 pattern pieces... top and bottom (upper body with arms/lower body with legs). Used basic muslin, stuffed them and joined at the middle. I glued little pine cone blossoms I found in the street all over the head in different directions for hair (looks like curls). Sculpted a little nose, and added 2 small bead eyes. I glued small sea shells all over her "bodice" and 2 clam shells for wings on her back. I added a gauzy circle skirt and a beaded belt. I call her a "nature spirit." She's cute. She's "holding" her skirt out with her hands. Today I will add a small pearl bracelet.
Also wanted to share with you that I went to a craft shop today and saw (bought!) a "primitive." Believe it or not, it's the first one I have seen other than magazine pictures. I haven't been getting out and around much. She is made with a long straight piece of driftwood, rounded at the top (head). A plaid fabric is simply wrapped around her for a dress and 4 different buttons glued down the center. She has twig legs and "wiggly" dried-something hair sticking up. She has bent black wire wings and a cute simple face. All this for $8!!!"
NEW:
primitive ponderings
questions asked by readers, then replied upon in later issues.
"I have never done a craft show that lasted for 3 days, have any of you, if so what tips can you give me in what I should know, or how much stuff should I have done, or any other advice you can give me?" kathy w.
another question:
"How does everyone feel about the craft malls & consignment shops? are the rates fair?"
anita had this question:
" I am new to primitives....I have a question concerning fabric used to make clothing. Are most primitives dressed in muslin or such primitive fibers such as burlap or feed sack? Most of the primitives that I have seen in craft malls are done in muslin , I have not seen any done in calico. Is calico accepted on primitives? It could be tea stained or something make it "aged".I also like the look of antique hankies or doilies used in the clothing, in short I guess what I am asking is....can any fabric or linen item be classified as primitive as long as it has an Aged appearance, also I have noticed that very little if any primitives incorporate the use of lace."
a question from rosalee:
"I'd like the recipe for cinnamon cut out mix,can any one help?"
# # # # # # # #
tips & techniques
sent in by readers
aging copper from karla:
I work at a bead store and we use a product called "etch it" to antique metal beads. Its from a stained glass store. It works great. If you use it just make sure to wash the piece with soap and water when you get the tone you finally want. That stops the aging process.
discoloring brass and copper from barbara:
Try vinegar. I read that somewhere, but I don't remember if it was the colorless vinegar, or the brownish colored vinegar.
discoloring brass and copper from dian:
Have you tried eggs? I haven't, but I know that they're high in sulfur content and do discolor silver. I've used liquid Drano on aluminum and iron. (I wanted to age a galvanized hasp for a "fake" antique book one time, and it ate through the finish to bare iron in about two days.) I don't know what it would do for copper or brass. If you decide to try it, don't leave the pieces in it too long, and be VERY careful. Wear eye protection and rubber gloves, and don't leave the solution around where children or pets can get into it.
some of kathy's comments on tin:
I do some tin punch but have only tried to rust it using vinegar, and I think my hubby used something like navel jelly, I think. I tried painting it but the paint didn't really stick to like I would of liked it to, maybe you share tips on how to paint tin. We make jelly cupboards, coat racks, pictures,and match holders for fireplaces.
here's some confessions of dian's (and some tips) about her fabric hoarding!
"I hoard distressed cloth, especially kitchen linens. Used cotton dishcloths, once they've picked up some stains, scorches, and maybe a few little holes, make great "old" dolls. Linen table cloths are great too,especially since natural linen yellows over time. Also, most post holders have one side that's covered with a small over-all print. Instead of tossing them out when they get too decrepit, toss them in the washer and then pick out the stitching with a seam ripper. One side is enough to make a nice blouse or skirt for a small doll. Some of the cloth in my stash is close to thirty years old, and doesn't even NEED to be tea-stained."
F E F E F E F E
burlap sack
mail order resources section
Cranberry Junction
P.O. Box 68
Rexburg, Idaho 83440
phone/fax: (208) 356-6812
Country Harvest,
P.O. Box 2382,
Loveland, CO 80539
phone: (970) 669-9018
Sweet Stitches
4222 Blackton Dr
La Mesa, California 91941
phone/fax: (619) 460-9447
Cabin Fever Designs
208 Lazy Hollow
League City, Texas 77573
phone: (713) 332-2959
Vandykes
Box 278 4th Ave & 6th St
Woonsocket, SD 57385
this is where i get my tin from,its a restoration company. it comes in big sheets and takes a few months to rust out doors,small pieces can be cut then rusted inside. the price is a few years old. oh and they also sell little pewter wheels if you want to make some old looking toys or ornaments and old fashioned milk paint.
31 3/4in. X 39in. / 2 sheets (price was $7.95)
book reviews
&
books of interest
web sites of members & other sites of interest
O P O P O P "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."
prose
poetry and verses to use for samplers etc.
Benjamin Franklin
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