One Happy Year

For our first anniversary this year, hubby and I decided to return to the scene of our honeymoon - Nantucket!

Last year when we went, it was in the off season, so we weren't able to check out one of the places I most wanted to see - the Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum. Since I've been learning to make these myself, it was really interesting to learn about the history behind this particular art form. Because Nantucket is surrounded by dangerous shoals, over the course of its history hundreds of ships have been shipwrecked in the area. Because some of these shoals are miles off shore, it wasn't feasible to build a lighthouse to protect passing ships. Instead, Nantucket was protected by lightships, which were moored in strategic spots near the shoals. Men were out on these ships for months at a time with very little to do, so they started making baskets as a way to pass the time, and would give them as gifts or sell them when they returned home.

A Sailor's Life

The last lightship returned home in 1973 (I can't believe it lasted that long!) but the making of Nantucket baskets didn't stop then. They have become an art form particular to the island, and the Lighthouse Basket Museum showcases a wide variety of styles, from the very basic to the more...abstract...like this one below, which depicts a scene from Moby Dick!

Moby Dick

Lightship baskets are often decorated with ivory (or, these days, imitation ivory) which is sometimes engraved with scrimshaw images like "A Sailor's Life" above.

Some baskets are really tiny - these were made to be "Tooth Fairy" baskets!

 This one was from a local gallery - a project I would like to try sometime! This basket below was my favorite:

It was made by one of my Nana's students!

I came back with loads of ideas for projects, some of which I will hopefully be sharing here soon....but we will be moving (again) in the next few weeks, so it's hard to say when that will happen for sure!

Happy Halloween!!!

Creative Space

One thing that I do not have in my current living arrangements...creative space. Hubby and I live in a one-bedroom condo, and my sewing machine sits in a corner, all alone.

I need a space like this one.
With a cute little dog!
This is my nana's studio. She lets me share sometimes.
Look at all the cool stuff she has made!
Feeling inspired...here's what I'm working on :)Doesn't look like much yet, I know...but I have high hopes!

Something I'd like to try...

Anybody ever seen these before?

Sailor's Valentines were originally made (or brought home) in the 1800s by sailors traveling long distances who wanted something beautiful to bring home for a loved one. Sailors would decorate octagonal boxes with local seashells, often including a sentimental message ("Forget-me-not" was understandably a popular theme). The island of Barbados, often a stopping point on long voyages, became a popular place to buy Sailor's Valentines for those who did not make their own.

The one in the picture above was made by my grandmother, with a sailing ship scrimshaw in the center.This one is my favorite. The center is a picture of my grandfather, which was actually printed in National Geographic magazine after he went on a sailing trip with them. The shells spell out "Love is Forever".

As a history teacher, I love when creativity and history intersect. I like knowing that I'm part of a continuum of people who make stuff - although my reasons for making things might be different, I like to think about why people made things and what significance the things they made held for them. I can only imagine what a cherished gift a valentine like this would have been, brought home by a loved one who had spent years away at sea. I think the history of these beautiful valentines is fascinating, and I definitely want to try and make one - perhaps as a valentine for my sweetie?

Has anyone out there ever made one before? I'd love to hear about your experience.