QUILTS & FABRIC: PAST & PRESENT


Saturday, May 2, 2009

Serpentine Stripes 2





Celine sent a photo of her grandmother wearing a dress of serpentine stripes. The fashion for these snakey stripes (hence the name) was revived at the end of the century and here we have a woman at work about 1895 wearing a fashionable but serviceable dress. Celine writes that Ellen Mason Grable is standing to the left of her husband Silas Grable. The other men were his brothers, salmon fisherman and loggers in Ilwaco, Washington.

She also writes: "It's funny how us quilters always notice the fabric!"

2 comments:

  1. what a great photo of your grandmother. she looks very spunky!

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  2. Yes, she does look spunky. I wish I had know my g-grandmother, but she died in 1922 in her late 40's. My mom told me a story about her grandfather (Ellen's husband) breaking up most of her dishes in a fit of grief..I was lucky enough to end up with one of those dishes. The more I read history, the more I realize that most women (and men) back then had to be spunky to survive. I honestly don't know how I would fare! I have to smile when people refer to "the good old days"!
    Louise

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