When I was a Nanny years ago, I learned to tat with an antique tatting shuttle, it’s the earliest form of tatting tool used to make lace, there are others, tatting needles, tatting pins...
...‘Antimacassars’ were mentioned in one of the comments to one of my blogs and I had no idea what they were, so I asked SallyF…they were lace arm and headrest protectors for furniture, which of course would have been handmade years ago by either tatting or crocheting.
I remembered those, it reminded me of my grandmother’s house, she had these lace protectors all over her furniture, crocheted, as that was the height of fashion back then.
Another thing everyone seemed to have back then was a set of brass coal fire accessories, a brush, pan and poker, all hanging from a pivot style brass stand.
When the open coal fire was replaced by a gas fire, they still kept the accessories.
I don’t think my grandmother had any ornaments that were made of anything but brass, apart from the plastic chicken that laid egg shaped sweets. There were brass candlesticks in all different sizes, plates, cow bells, miniature cannons, pots, vases, birds even little boots.
They had days for things back then, everything was a strict routine, Thursday was known as ‘Brass Day.’
After breakfast my grandmother would ‘take all her brass down’ piece by piece in a particular order and put it all onto the table in the corner. Then she would clean all the shelves before polishing each ornament rhythmically with Brasso, and then carefully placing them all back where they lived, this consumed most of the day.
It was about as much fun as watching a nodding dog.
As well as the antimacassars, my grandmother also had some leather things with round flat brass horseshoes hanging either side of the arms of the furniture, like stirrups. I was never sure what they were in aid of, sort of big dangly earrings for the arm of the chair.
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read more blogs!
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cartay25
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May 26 @ 4:09PM
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My grandmother had crocheted everything around her house from chair covers, to doilies to toss pillows. 
I remember the little town that I grew up in it was illegal to burn trash on Monday because that was wash day and everyone had clothes hanging out on the line to dry. I think by the time I hit my mid teens they had lifted the ban since most people had dryers by then and quit using their clothes line.
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redtigr
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May 26 @ 5:05PM
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I can't abide tats... unless they are the useful ones... 
Tat on!!
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fenderchick
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May 26 @ 6:41PM
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When I was in high school some girls used to put their hair really high by "teasing" it, they called it tatted hair!
Tat on...
By the way, could you tat me some armchair thingermabobbers? Please!
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ttomtarr
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May 26 @ 6:57PM
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Macassar was a popular kind of hair oil, that stained unprotected furniture.
I liked the days when some "treasures" were brass, and shined like the sun from a good polishing, and homemakers enjoyed taking the time to make their world beautiful. I can't say whether things have gotten better or worse since then, but some innocent beauty has been lost.
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TroutFishing
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May 26 @ 9:33PM
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I'm glad you are a friendly person and not the least
bit 'brassy'
heh
  
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pamdemonium
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May 27 @ 3:01PM
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Ah, tradition and lost arts. Here's to gramma, brass, and tatting. 
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EternalFlame
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May 27 @ 3:06PM
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Wow...this brought back memories! Once upon a time I had tatted doilies as well, that had been my grandmothers. I used them as rugs in my Barbie home... 
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Tunes4u
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May 29 @ 6:20PM
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Antimacassars were all over my Grandmother's furniture when I was young. I hated them because they were always falling off on to the floor.
I remember the fireplace tools in both my Grandparents and parents homes. Pretty much the same set. probably bought them at Sears. My Dad worked there as a young man.
I still have the little brass pot that they kept the kerosene in....It has the brass handle and some sort of stone that soaked in the fuel, and you put it under the logs and lit it. Don't know what happened to the tools.
I keep the little brass pot next to the gas fireplace in my bedroom. Old habits......
~*~
Tunes
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mystery2u888
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Jun 3 @ 6:05PM
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 ~*~ little misschoos on growing up..................  well this is what I have to say............--- - - - - ~~~~  
xoxo
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