A Passion for Sleeve Buttons

Ever since I learned about 18th century sleeve buttons, I have been working to add them to what I offer as a sutler. But first, I had to do a lot of research and be sure I had the knowledge base to reproduce them accurately. 

Then, after I'd understood what they were, how they were used, and how they should look in a garment, I tried my hand at creating them. 

They are fun to make and not difficult.

I enjoyed myself so much, I may have gotten a bit carried away - I have enough buttons in stock to accommodate the cuffs of many, many chemises, shifts, and trade shirts!

For years I'd been putting horn or bone buttons on the sleeves on my men's trade shirts. But the more I learned about sleeve buttons and the dates they were used, I began wondering, "Surely there were sleeve buttons used on these shirts."

But I could NOT find documentation. So of course, I asked Leslie. Rarely do I stump her with a historical accuracy question, but she did not know for sure if they'd been used. (She felt it was logical, but she knew I wanted documentation.)

"I'll ask Ward," she said.

Ward? Ward Oles?! She was going to ask him?? Ward is a very big name in the living history field; she was going straight to the top to get the answer to my question!

Leslie saw no problem with that - they are friends and he even came out from New England as a guest speaker to Kalamazoo a few years ago. (Sometimes I forget that she herself is also a very big name in the living history field, too. To me, she's just my sister.)

She contacted him and, of course, Ward could answer my question.

His response is in the box and then Leslie comments under it in her email to me.

Here are the Four Kings as painted by John Verelst in 1710.

And the sleeve buttons that Ward references. Bingo! I've now got the documentation needed to use them on my trade shirts. (Thanks Leslie, and thanks, Ward!)

I started right in on those trade shirt cuffs.

My first attempt. It worked and the sleeve buttons fit into the buttonholes but I felt the hole was too far away from the edge of the sleeve.

They need to be right at the edge of the cuff like these are in this photo. 

I tried again on a second shirt.

Bingo! Just how they should look! 

By the third shirt, I felt comfortable - I knew where the placement of the buttonhole should go to ensure the sleeve buttons were not too far apart when worn. (That would cause the fabric between them to bunch.)

Perfect! Now that I have got historical documentation, know how to reproduce an accurate set, and have figured out how to sew the cuffs so the sleeve buttons fit correctly, all future trade shirts that I sew will come with a set of sleeve buttons.

Hmmm... perhaps I should buy some more buttons...

 

Collections within My Collection: Flockies (Part 2)

Aside from Ross, Bobbie Sue's beauty, my introduction to flocked models was not the best.The first one I remember having in my collection was a Running Stallion in white/tan pinto with blue eyes. A custom-flocked piece, it was quite garish.

I kept it a few years and then gave it away. Now I wish I'd kept it as provenance from the early days of the hobby.

It wasn't until 2013 that I got another flocky, the Collector's Rocking Horse. Produced 1985 - 1987, it came with yellow or brown rockers and brown or blue glass eyes. 

I found mine in 2013 and would love to get the three other versions in purple, pink, and black Appaloosa. (They were 1985 Sears and JC Penneys special runs.)

In 1983 and 1984 Sears offered the Clydesdale Mare (with added gelding parts) as a special run. I acquired mine in 2014. (Hindsight wishes I'd bought all these when they were originally offered!)

I found the flocked Running Mare and Foal as a set in 2016.

They are in beautiful shape and, of course, I love the vintage Running Mare and Foal molds.

Sold as special runs by JC Penneys in 1984, their official name is Collector's Mare and Foal Set. Some came with painted black eyes (like mine) while others had brown glass eyes.

Now-defunct Montgomery Wards also used to carry Breyer special runs. The flocked Proud Arabian Stallion was offered in their catalog in 1984. Both Identify Your Breyer and the Breyer Value Guide say his eyes are glass, but mine are painted, not glass.

This pretty boy joined my collection in 2017.

In 1984 Breyer turned their Smoky mold into a unicorn, flocked him, and sold him through JC Penneys as a special run.

I bought him in 2018 at a swap meet hosted by Allison Pareis. Even though I don't like unicorns; it was because he was a flocky that I wanted him. I found out later that Allison had really, really wanted that piece, and he lives with her now.

This little guy may look familiar - he's also in the Thelwell ponies collection within my collection. 

One of those pieces that belong in several niches in my collection as a whole. Got him in 2018.

There was a five year drought before I found any more flockies. And they were found in the wild - the only time that has ever happened to me. 

Lisa and I were out thrifting and came across them in a glass case. I could not believe my eyes! The case was locked, so I sat Lisa down in a nearby chair, told her I would get the key, and that if anyone else showed interest in them, to tell them they were already sold.

Ever the good sport (and someone who understands collector behavior when a great find has occurred), sho got comfy, pulled out her phone, and did guard dog duty for me! Thank you, Lis!!

Lis was watching over another pair of the flocked palomino Running Mare and Foal! In beautiful condition and at a price I felt was fair and reasonable.

They joined my first pair on the shelf (all now in protective bags) in 2023.

I was excited to find the second flocked mare and foal, but I don't need two sets. I'm willing to sell one set for what I paid plus shipping. Email me if interested. (horsiemama8@gmail.com.)

I'll do a final sweep through my collection, but I think all of my flockies were listed either yesterday or today. If I find any more, I'll share about them tomorrow.

Stay 'tooned!

Collections within My Collection: Flockies (Part 1)

When I was in elementary school, my friend Bobbie Sue and I would hold model horse shows at each other's homes. I remember putting my plastic models into a large paper grocery bag, slinging it over the handles of my bike, and pedaling  several miles to her home.

There we'd set up a ring using Lincoln Logs, grab a timer for the barrel racing class, and make paper ribbons for the winners.

What a wonderful memory! (And I still say to kids who get a model horse, "Play with it! Enjoy it! Don't just set it on a shelf and never touch it again!")

Bobbie Sue had this gorgeous white flocked horse with a "real" mane and tail that she named Ross.

Not the actual Ross, but a photo of one like him from online.

A gift from her grandparents, Ross was the penultimate model horse to me - but I never found one like him. (This was before the internet.)

Until I did.

Even better, I found him in my favorite horse color, black. (This may be the seller's photo.)

Decades had passed and eBay was a thing. I didn't know about the German company Steha Leha that had manufactured these or anything else at the time. I was just looking for circus horses to add to my collection.

Boy howdy, did I find a doozy! 

I'd forgotten that Ross had wheels in his hooves, and even now I have been known to happily roll this boy around on the shelf or my desk.

After finding the black piece, I started actively looking for more Steha Leha circus horses. I have found a lot of Rosses and several more circus horses, but that flocking on the body is fragile and easily damaged. Manes get messy and even pulled out, and tack disappears. And the price for a Steha Leha even in poor condition is high.

I kept searching and in 2021 I found another one, one in good enough condition to justify the seller's asking price.

Unlike the black Steha, he has some flaws and someone had pulled all the green feathers off his saddle pad.

But for a white flocked piece this old, I think he looks remarkably good for his age

and I am happy to have him in my collection.

There is another flocky that I keep on the shelf next to the two Steha Lehas.

Vintage Club Gawain.

Released in 2022 as a flocked unicorn on the Shannondell mold,

he is quite the model horse! I unwrapped him, looked at that mane and tail curled and spilling everywhere, and decided that I would not move or adjust anything. 

Like all my flockies, I carefully slipped him into a plastic bag, making sure the bag wasn't pressing down on him, and slipped him onto the shelf beside the two Stehas. (Those bags extend beyond the backs of the models and are left open to allow for some air circulation.)

More flockies coming - stay 'tooned!

Zilch

What do you do when you want to write about horses but you no longer have a horse? Any horse, let alone the horse you really want to write about?

You go through your files of possible blog topics. Scroll through the photos on your desktop that haven't been used yet. Look through the notes and ideas you have tucked away on your desk.

You sit and think. You sit and think some more.

Fingers drumming on the desk, a sigh or two, a glance out the window... (When did it start to rain??)

Nothing, nada, zilch.

I'm sorry, folks, but I have nothing to share today. 

The Changing Perspective on History - Fabric Style

If you are a sutler at living history events and sell items, be they tinware, candles, clothing, or more, then you have to be sure that what you are selling is as accurate as the current historical knowledge base is.

Professional historians as well as living history enthusiasts do a lot of research in order to ensure that we come as close as we can to authenticity in the time period we are portraying. For many of us, research is also a big part of the fun of participating in living history.

Because of the constant research being conducted, our knowledge base grows and changes. Something that was well accepted as period correct for years might be found to actually not be (or to even be from a different time period than originally thought.) 

Here is a photo of my mother with Teacher Daughter Lisa and Mountain Mama Jessica at an event in the mid 1990s. Mom had done lots of research and made all the clothing they are wearing. It was very correct for the research base of the 1990s and extremely well made. (I have never known anyone who could sew or draft a pattern like my mother!)

But the knowledge base of 2025 is much broader now and so the clothing you see at living history events will look a bit different than these outfits.

For example, look at that large pattern on my mother's petticoat.  "Prints were no bigger than the size of your hand" became the researched rule of thumb in the 2000s and remained that way for years. Many times Leslie and I have wandered around fabric stores with one hand stretched out, placing it against bolt after bolt of fabric to see if a particular print would be suitable for our purposes. 

I have a beautiful fabric from my mom's stash in my sewing room and I can't use it.

It has been languishing in a tub for years. 

I'd considered it unusable because some of the print was bigger than my hand. 

But earlier this spring, photos began making the rounds of 18th century online sewing groups.

They were from a 2017 exhibit on historical chintz at the Fries Museum in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. And then in 2021, the Fashion and Textile Museum in London borrowed that exhibit, called it, "Chintz: Cotton in Bloom," and put it on display again in London for some time.

A lot of historical sewists took notice and photos from the exhibit began making the rounds of historical sewing groups. One reason that the above photo generated so much interest?

The print on that petticoat is far bigger than a handprint. And the museum has got it (and more like it) documented to the 18th century.

Which means, there are now suddenly more fabric options open to period clothing sewists that are actually period correct and have been rejected because of the handprint rule. 

The bird on my mother's fabric would have worked okay in the past as it met the handprint rule. 

 

 but coupling it with the big leafy print had made the fabric unusable.

Not any more!

Even better for me when it comes to using this piece and documenting it is that 18th century chintz fabrics were almost always printed on a white cotton background, and this piece of fabric fits that parameter for authenticity, too.

I haven't yet decided what I will do with it, but a petticoat would have the clean lines that would best show off the big print so I am leaning that way.

Stay 'tooned!

The Barn is So Distracting!

Yesterday Craig and I spoke to a congregation of university students on Purdue's campus. We get asked to speak in other places occasionally and it's always fun to meet new people and sometimes see "old" friends. (There was a young man there who had attended the elementary school I'd taught in. It was fun to see him again.)

To our surprise, Tim walked in the door and came up and sat on the stand just before the service began. (He, too, is a leader in our church and sometimes is invited to visit other congregations.) He smiled at me as he sat down, and then leaned over, and whispered, "You have GOT to come see the horses. They look really, good!"

That was all it took - suddenly my mind was out at the barn! Just as what had happened a few months ago when he'd gotten Eazy:

----

Our church held a conference this weekend and there was a special Saturday evening service that I attended with Craig last night. Tim and Loni were there, too and when we chatted with them, I had an interesting conversation with Tim.

Tim: Been out to the barn recently?

Me: No, I just can't. Well, actually, I have gone, but I just can't bring myself to drive down the lane right now.

Tim: You need to go to the barn. (Big smile.) There's something you need to see.

Me: What? Why? Is Sultanna back?

Tim: No, not yet. But it does has four legs. (Even bigger smile.)

Me: Did you get a new horse??

Tim: I sure did. Hokey needed a friend.

Me: Really?? Wow! What is it? 

Tim: It's a three year old gelding.

Me: So, what's its name?

Tim: Well, that's a long story and one I want to tell you in person when you see it.

Someone else stepped up to talk to Tim at that moment and pulled him away, so Craig and I sat down in a pew, my mind spinning with the news. A new horse! I could not wait to see it.

The meeting started and I was SOOOO distracted.

My mind: Horse, horse, horse, horse, horse, horse, horse, horse, horse, horse,  listen to the service, Lynn! Horse, horse, horse, horse, horse, horse, horse, concentrate on what's being said, girlie! Horse, horse, horse, horse, horse, horse, horse. (Turning and whispering to Tim and Loni who were sitting behind us, "I am so distracted now and it's all your fault! Stifled laughs from them.) Horse, horse, horse, horse, horse, horse, horse, horse, horse, horse, horse, horse...

That distraction went on the entire meeting. All I could think of was the new horse at the barn. 

----

Well, anyway, I was able to refocus on what I was on campus for and share my remarks. Craig did the same, and then afterward we chatted with Tim and others who were in attendance.

Actually I have been out to the barn recently and Tim is right - the horses look fantastic. Even Hokey, despite that he is clearly aging, has a sleek coat and is in good flesh.

And one of the adjacent farms has a new horse, too.  It was up by the lane as I arrived a few days ago so I stopped and took some photos.

I couldn't tell gender, but isn't it pretty!

My eye was caught by the birdcatcher spots on its coat - true ones, not fake birdcatcher spots that are made by real bird droppings. (Got that? LOL)

I've been trying to guess breed and my first thought is Morgan. But no doubt that is because of our Morgan mare, Flame.

Look how similar those two are, even down to their blazes! (This is a young Flame here, so she's not fully mature.)

My other breed guess is Quarter Horse. I'll ask Tim the next time I see him, although I hope that won't be in church again, especially when I am speaking and need to concentrate! LOL

In memory of those who gave their all. Happy Memorial Day

Pups, Patterns, & Devotion

My sewing is not always done in the sewing room. On Wednesdays and Fridays when Mama spends the day with us, one of us stays downstairs with her at all times.

She is an elderly girl and while she wants to follow everyone upstairs, it has become more and more challenging for her to negotiate the stairs. Having one of us stay downstairs during her visits lets her have the company she wants without the stress (and sometimes pain) of struggling up the stairs.

Craig and I trade off throughout the day in two hour shifts and we both have learned to have things ready that we can work on downstairs on the days she and Nash visit. 

Cutting out patterns for 18th century clothing is one of the things I save for Mama-days. The dining room table actually works better than my sewing table because it is both longer and wider. I bring down several cuts of fabrics, patterns, pins, scissors, and marking chalk and I get a lot done during my two hour blocks hanging out with Mama.

Until Pepper goes into her Seeing Eye Dog protocols. Then, it's a lot harder to pin and cut the fabric.

Her training is that she should get out of the way and go under the desk, chair, or table where her partner is. So, like any well trained Seeing Eye Guide Dog, that is what she does. (Remember Tate's antics trying to do the same thing at the doctor's office? These dogs know what to do and how to get it done!)

She could "get out of the way" in any place of our home, but of course she wants to stay with me and, as she was taught, be close by and accessible for when I might need her.

And she prefers right under the table and at my feet. And usually right where I'd like to put my feet!

Which means I end up sitting like this and having to make extra efforts to pin and cut my fabric.

The rational thing do do would be to have her move to another place. But I don't. I am very aware that she is trying to take care of me in the best way she knows how. And that means being right under the table at my feet. 

There are three doggie beds and two "yes, Pepper, you're allowed up" couches in the dining and living rooms that she could choose to snooze on. But she doesn't choose any of them. 

She chooses to watch over me.

I have to respect her for that. Honor her, too. Even more, I love her for her devotion to me and for doing what she clearly considers her duty - taking care of me. And so she makes sure she's close by if I need her. 

(Reminds me of when the fire alarms went off in the house and she insisted I follow her and get outside to safety. I knew there was no fire in our home, but she didn't and was adamant that I go with her and out onto the safety of the back patio.)

So, on Wednesdays and Fridays, I get to spend a lot of time with these two sweet girls. Molly cuddles up on a dog bed and sleeps, Pepper snoozes at my feet, ready to help if needed, and I quietly cut out patterns and think about how lucky I am to have such sweet animals to hang out with.