Victorians as well as their predecessors suffered greatly from the heat. Just think, no air condition or even electric fans…so they were very inventive in minimizing the effect’s of  the summer heat.
The houses became very hot during the day so often you would see trees planted around them not only for the aesthetics  of it but also to create welcome relief of shade and if they were lucky enough to have a cooling breeze.

lace trim on edges

Hand held fans became a necessity. Does anyone remember the little old ladies with blue hair fanning themselves with the church bulletin?I can readily conjure that picture up with great nostalgia. The fashion was to rinse your white or gray hair  with  laundry bluing(this made whites whiter).This counteracted the dirty yellow that the shampoo caused,unfortunately the hair looked more blue than white. Has any one noticed that there are no longer anymore little white haired ladies? They have all covered up the gray. “Oh for the return of the little ladies  with blue hair.” There is just something comforting about that concept.Whoops I’ve digressed. Back to summer heat.
The larger victorian houses had summer kitchens. Our family home had one in the back of the house behind the main kitchen. This was to prevent adding more intolerable heat to the home created by the cooking Cooking was not done on gas or electric stoves but on red hot coal or wood stoves.Can you just imagine that?.
Well all of this was to talk about my recent thriftstore find.Along with opening all the windows in the house at night,Victorian homes had sleeping porches which may be enclosed with easily opened windows or would be just open porches ,usually on the second floor, rather pleasant concept to me..”.No hubby, I won’t ask you to build me a sleeping porch.”
The bed linens were very light and decorative,especially the coverlets. They were usually bedecked with lace and embroidery on very light ,gossimer material. I’ve always remembered one I saw in a thrift store for $120.I surely wasn’t about to pay that,tho my dreams have been filled with its beauty for years.It was white on white lace,embroidery and any other embellishment a victorian mind could concieve..

a work of art!

antique quilt in case the weather turns cool

Yesterday,  I strolled into one of my favorie thrift storesCOUNCIL THRIFT SHOP ,when miracle of miracles I spotted a summer bedspread. The tag was $4.00 so I immediately became $4.00 poorer.I rushed home with my treasure,soaked it all night , washed it ,and placed it over a sheet on my guest bed,just as my Victorian counterparts would have. Rolled up at it’s foot is an antique flying geese patterned quilt. My guests will now luxuriate in perfect splendor and comfort  with no concern for the sweltering heat outside…should I mention to them we have central air? [contact-form]