Old Fashioned Trades

[countrymom21]

I would be interested in learning ways people did things in the old days. before electricity. things people had to do because they needed it. Things like rug weaving and those sorts. Last year when my kitchen chair need a seat I watched the woodwrights shop on PBS and learned to weave a new seat. I enjoyed it so much that I took the seats out of the other three and redid them. I love doing things the old fashioned way. This is a big interest of mine. Ideas are appreciated.

[bee_pipes]

I came over here to ask a question and saw your post. I'm no expert, but just wanted to chime in with my two cents.

One year I was busting my brain to find something my wife would like for a christmas present. I looked at all sorts of stuff - weaving, basket making, batiking, etc. There is a fair amount of information out there on the web about weaving. Seems like you could spend a lifetime just learning the differences in looms. I did come across a few inexpensive embroidery looms (I may have the name wrong) for making small rugs with pictures. They looked kind of interesting, but my wife wasn't interested.

She enjoys hooking rugs, quilting, and some needle point. I did find a nice quilting rack, though. Most quilting racks are monsters - they are made to roll out the cover, bottom, and batting at the same time. The one she liked best was a simple affair, about the size of a card table. It has a fitted hoop around it, and works much like a big embroidery hoop.

There are folks out here that do spinning (no interest to my wife at present).

Best of luck to you - hope you get some answers.

Regards,
Pat

[flatwater]

Try the fox fire books.
flatwater

[MadTripper]

Try the fox fire books.
flatwater


Those are great books to start. My gram had the first editions of 1, 2 and 3 which she passed on to me. I never get tired of reading them. They are great books to read front to cover as well as reference. I would start there.

[Gibbonboy]

Foxfire is a great start. My dream when I was younger (yes I was a strange child) was to apprentice under Roy Underhill in Williamsburg. It was an actual union apprenticeship. I did learn woodworking, always comes in handy. My mother had several rug looms, I learned how to run them. Dad collected antique straight razors, I took the broken ones and made new handles for them, learned how by reading a knifemaking book from the library.

Learned how to make braided rugs and quilts from my grandma, who also taught me how to cook on a wood-fired kitchen stove, and countless other gems of country skills.

Books are probably your best bet, but remember that without actually doing the skill, you probably haven't really absorbed the knowledge. We also have a "re-enactment village" nearby, probably some of the "residents' would teach you what they know.

[Sarah]

Countrymom,

Let me invite you over to the Librum, http://www.librum.us. We restore a lot of older books here at this little Mennonite community library. I have no doubt we have something in the trialware or pdf section to interest you.

We are working on a very masculine group right now, the ICS courses. So I keep leavening where ever I can.

BTW: The Foxfire #1 through #6, the ATI versions, are in the pdf section, hidden links. Do a view source to see their locations. ;)

Sarah

[Gibbonboy]

Thank you Sarah! So much good information, like finding treasure. Well, not "like", it is treasure! Thanks again, now I've got a winter's worth of reading material. The ebay store is nice too, sure to pick some of those books up for future reference.

[Sarah]

Gibbonboy,

Well, I try *NOT* to push the eBay section. Just the existence has had accusations of 'mercenary' leveled. It was created to help show-dialup users to grab and enjoy. But if it 'toots yer horn', feel free to dive in that way. :)

A tip to you though, and to any other web page 'gorger'. (We love gorgers!) If/when you find a real 'keeper', buy that via eBay.

We use the LOCER software (the Library of Congress Endangered Reference ebook software) and it uses machine fingerprint to key. If the user ever upgrades hardware, they have to rekey registered trial copies. But no such restriction on the cd/dvd eBay versions.

They are working on that issue. :-[

Sarah

[annabella1]

Sarah I tried the view source on the pdf page to find the foxfire books but still couldn't find the link. Am I just missing something or is there something else I must do?

[Sarah]

They were taken back down during the site update. Sorry.

By the time you see this, they should be back up.

Ummm...
http://www.librum.us/pdfs/foxfire1.pdf
etc.

[annabella1]

Sarah I just got back here and this is the best Christmas Present I've gotten this year thanks so much.

[Sarah]

Annabella1

You are quite welcome.

I am looking forward to the upgrade in the PDF section. You may want to pop in during mid February.

Sarah

[annabella1]

Thanks again Iwill.

[homesteaderbelle]

I love to learn that old ways too! Toothbrush rugs are very fun to make. Look it up on line. They are made out of old strips of fabric and you use a toothbrush with the head of it cut off to put the strips together.
Belle