Back in Time

 Welcome to Treadlestitches!

I recently returned from a trip back to the 1800s in American history, courtesy of museums in the Midwest.  Above is a photo of Firestone Farm, transplanted from Columbiana County, Ohio to the Henry Ford living history museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

As I made my reproduction quilt blocks this week, I gave some thought to what life was like a hundred or so years ago.  These blocks were technically last month's, when dark blue and/or dark neutral was the color of the month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

My blocks were made on a treadle, but I've never used one as old as this one, from the collection of the Cincinnati History Museum.  This is an early Wheeler and Wilson.  Check out the foot-shaped pedals!  (My everyday treadle is much newer, dating from 1909.)

I did get around to making my aqua repro blocks.  The block is called Poinsettia, and I use the color of the month for the "petals".  The dark squares are just any color that goes with the petal fabric.  The pattern is by Bonnie Hunter, and is part of her Carolina Christmas quilt, in her book Scraps and Shirttails II.

Aqua is a tough color to find in 1800s reproduction fabrics, but I had enough of three prints at least.

I'm glad we don't have to weave our own fabrics in this day and age, but it was very interesting to see the antique looms at the Henry Ford.  Upstairs (where we couldn't go this time due to COVID) is a jacquard loom operated by hundreds of punch cards.  The technology was invented in 1804, and the reproduction loom was built by a curator in the 1930s.  (Click HERE for an article on the loom, plus photos.) 

I'm also glad we have more choices in fabric for quilts and for clothing in modern times.  According to the Cincinnati History Museum, the "average yearly budget for clothing in the mid-1800s was about $25 per person". Wages and costs were lower, of course, but that is still a very small amount.  People had dramatically fewer clothes than we have, and made them last longer.

This is a lovely collection of textile fibers, ready for carding, spinning, plying, dyeing, weaving or knitting.  There is a lot of work between shearing the sheep and knitting the socks or sweaters.

I really loved visiting these museums and seeing how people lived long ago.  But I'm under no illusions about the back-breaking work and hardships that were commonplace in the 1800s.

Here's the weirdest sewing-related thing I saw on this trip.  It was in the main museum building at the Henry Ford.

This diagram shows a contraption called "The Backus Water Motor".  I hope you can see the drive belt between the water motor and the flywheel on the treadle.

Here's a closeup.  Basically, the user would hook up the water motor to the kitchen pipe, connect the belt to the treadle, and turn on the water.  The water would drive the treadle and supply the power.  This is a completely insane way to run a sewing machine.  What an enormous waste of water!  Mr. Backus got a sewing machine related patent in 1874, at a time when some homes had running water but none had electricity.  What a difference a few years makes.

This week, in my air conditioned home, complete with running water AND electricity, I made a few more aqua blocks, like these 4 patch stars.

I'm re-reading this lovely book by Fons and Porter that features quilts from the Henry Ford's collection,

and my little grandsons are "reading" a Sesame Street book together.

We did take time out to make (and eat!) these big dinosaur cookies.

I hope you can take time out this week to do special things with people you love.  

Life is short!  Eat dessert first!

Cheers for reading,

Sylvia@Treadlestitches

Linking up with:

Sarah at Can I Get A Whoop Whoop

Alycia at Finished or Not Finished Friday

Angela at So Scrappy

Cynthia at Oh Scrap