Fort Clinch Jollification

Bruce and Jane Marie

Once again, we enjoyed the Jollification of Fort Clinch, here on Amelia Island, Florida.  The now annual Christmas celebration was postponed last year from mid-December to January 2016 over concern the high winds might spark a fire from the big bonfire on the parade ground, or the lanterns and candles lighting the fort. Entrance fees were waived in lieu of one canned good per person for the local food pantry.

popcorn and paper cones

The fort's store with candy and handmade items for sale, the prison, complete with a drunkard behind bars asking for food, the bunks with reenactors'/soldiers' gear strewn about in semi-orderly fashion, 1,200 cookies and hot cocoa for the visitors and a fife playing in the dark of night, carried us all back to 1864.

My husband, Bruce, and I were greeters at the fort's entrance, wearing our version of 1864 costumes, that looked suspiciously like our Victorian garb, sans my picture hat, recently worn for the Dickens on Centre Street event here in December, last, as well. (If you love history, our island is proud to share it with everyone.) 

I took the photos below with a flash in order to make out the images in the dark.

Note the handpainted checker board

 

This soldier told me the gold decoration on the front of his uniform shows he is a musician and not carrying a weapon.

Fort Clinch, at night, is a dark place...

 

 

 

PS A reenactor said the term jollification goes back to 1810 and means, simply, celebration and merriment of any sort. It isn't just for Christmas.

Lavender Stick - Goodbye Lie excerpt



  lavender stick before dog attack

I like history and many of its gentile customs. One of those customs is the making and gifting of a lavender stick. The lavender stick or wand in the photo was given to me many years ago by a friend.  Handmade, it has always been one of my treasures.  In spite of it now being half chewed, it still is.  You see, Abby, our singing, joke-telling, talking Chihuahua got hold of it,  leaving her chopper marks behind. (Do a search on this blog for Abby or scroll down through past posts to find out about her.) I caught her in the act of destruction as she proudly trotted it about the house.  Happily, I was able to retrieve it.  Bent but not completely broken, it is visually less than its former self.  Additionally, the sweet lavender scent has been replaced by the pungent odor of doggie tonsils.  Oh well.  I still have the picture.

 

I made mention of a lavender stick as a gift to Breelan Dunnigan in my Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie historical novel.  Here is a short excerpt from that novel:

     With every meeting, Breelan discovered Trip to be more attractive. When they weren't together, he sent a daily messenger with suitable gifts, all of which were to be carried, eaten or looked upon. Aware of the proprieties, Trip understood that a gift to be worn was too personal and certainly too improper to accept. One day the present was butterscotch candy. On another, an envelope of lily-of-the-valley seeds was accompanied by a note saying he didn't know if the warmer weather in Fernandina was conducive for this particular specie's growth, but it might be fun to give the seeds a try. Then, it was the sheet music to Vanishing Moments. He'd penned along the margin:

We danced to this song the night we met.

                     A time remembered, I shan't ere forget.

      Later, a scented lavender stick tied with pastel ribbons was discovered on the porch. Finally, Trip surprised Breelan with a charcoal drawing of them both, side-by-side on a swing. He wrote how he'd described her beauty to the artist. The resulting resemblance was remarkable!

     The most exhilarating event of all was the ride in a hot air balloon. Two days before they were to set sail for Fernandina, Trip turned his back to Nora and Will and the man in charge of controlling the basket in which they all flew, and took Breelan's hand. Up there in the blue of a cloudless New York City sky, he said, "What I'm about to disclose may shock you."

Discover how to make your own lavender stick by clicking on the link below.  Thank you, Fairegarden. http://fairegarden.wordpress.com/2010/06/04/how-to-make-lavender-wands



A Goodbye Lie Fave-Handmade Lace Hankie

In the 1880s when The Goodbye Lie takes places, girls and women, all, carried pretty hankies.  That's no longer the custom. For a special occasion, a wedding, a Christening, a theatre production, a ball, an anniversary or anywhere you might shed a few tears and need to dab your eyes, then a lace handkerchief is perfect and oh so feminine.   You can purchase one, of course, or make your own.  It's not difficult and will be treasured as an heirloom. If for a bride, it can easily be made into a baby bonnet for her first child.

(click on the links above and enjoy articles from our website, www.GraciousJaneMarie.com)

 

 

You'll need:

• One 9"x 9" square of batiste or any finely woven white cotton fabric or linen that is soft to the touch
• 44 inches of one inch wide lace, flat on at least one edge, cut into four equal pieces
• Sewing machine or minimal experience in hand sewing
• Matching thread
• Straight pins
• Embroidery thread and needle, white or colors (optional)

Cut the lace into four 11 inch lengths. 

Wash and press the fabric square.

Lay out the fabric square

Center the flat side of an 11 inch length of lace on each edge of the square and pin in place.   You want any scallops the lace might have to be on the outside edge, away from the cloth square.  The ends of the lace pieces should overlap at right angles. 

With a tiny zigzag stitch, carefully sew the lace around all four edges of the hankie. 

With a tiny zigzag, carefully sew from each corner point of the cloth square out to the edge of the lace.   When all four corners are sewn, carefully snip the overlapping lace off the corners close to the diagonal stitching and discard.  The lace will be joined in a diagonal seam at each corner.  

You may also roll the raw edges under and secure them by hand with a small whip stitch.  Add the lace as mentioned above using tiny straight stitches.

You may choose to embroider a few white on white or colored flowers and leaves in one or all the corners.  You can even put the initials of the bride or baby or grandmother or godchild in one corner.  I sewed a white shamrock on the handkerchiefs I made for the bridesmaids in my daughter Barbra's wedding.

 

If time is short, just add lace to a store-bought hankie that has the edges already finished.

 

Article reprinted from www.GraciousJaneMarie.com



Beautiful Dreamer

I told my grandchild, Ava, I would make her a dolly from all my crafting scraps. She could pick out the material for the dress, the yarn for the hair, etc. We were so busy having fun during her visit, I forgot all about the doll. So did she until she was on her way home. She called from her car seat, "Grammy, we forgot to pick out my dolly dress!"  Oh no!

Well, I asked her what color dress and hair she wanted. Ava told me pink with polka dots and blond. "Okay, baby girl," said I. "Let me see what I have."

30 days later, Ava opened the package I sent her and this is what she pulled out. Her two in one handmade dolly, she came to name Madeline.  (Her hair of sparkling yellow yarn is made curly by wrapping it around a knitting needle then heating it in the oven.) Flip her over for napping and over again to play with in the day. Scroll down to meet Madeline, awake and asleep!

day-time friend

 Love is embroidered on dress





colored pencil drawn face on cotton fabric
40 year old white lace was purchased for a penny-a-yard 35 years ago
short hair



drawn shoes



night-time companion
with drawn stars and moons
white ruffle is from 30 year old pillow



embroidered star burst neckline on nightie
long hair

Madeline since has aquired a ladybug on her day dress and each time we meet, Grammy, that's me, will add another trim.  Ava, Madeline and I like it!