Ragged Soldier Sutlery and Vintage Volumes

Craft Supplies and Sundries

As we added more products, we ran into a quandry about where to put some items. For example, is "emery" a craft supply or a sundry? We decided the easiest way was to combine the two listings. So you may have to scroll down a bit further but you won't have to guess about the category of these sometimes closely related items.

We used the term "sundry" as a collective term for all of those usually small items that aren't particularly glamorous but certainly help make life easier or more efficient. The dictionary definition for the time period has "sundry" as meaning "several" or "more than one or two."

The craft supplies are useful for reenactors, casual students of the 19th century life style, and anyone who enjoys handcrafts. All of the implements offered here can be used to gain experience in how the respective crafts were practiced and created.

Craft Supplies and Sundries

Item	Short Description	Quantity	Price
Bluing	During the laundry process, soap residues and boiling caused whites to develop a yellow or pale tan shade with repeated washings. The addition of a bluing agent to the final rinse of the whites imparted a very light blue tint to the whites and made them look whiter. The same principal is used today in the pale blue tint of many modern detergents. Liquid bluing was unknown at the time of the civil war so solid bluing should be used. Depending upon the maker, it could be one of three different materials. For a full discussion of bluing, consult The Laundry Handbook in the 20th century books section. The way the bluing is used is to make three separate bags, one inside the other and not sharing a common seam, to make a bluing bag. (The reason for the three bags is to make it more difficult for any tiny particles of bluing to get in the rinse water. If they contacted the fabric, they could make a blue stain.) Put the solid bluing inside the bag and slosh around in the rinse water until the water becomes "sky blue." The bag with the remaining bluing can be hung up to dry and reused until the bluing is exhausted.	1 ounce 4 ounces 8 ounces	$ 1.50 $ 4.00 $ 7.00
Candles, Adamantine	Candles far superior to tallow and more correct than paraffin. We carry these candles at much lower prices than some other sutlers (we have seen the same candles for $3.00 each). Currently out of stock.		$ tbd
Clothes Pins	When doing a laundry impression, you need some clothes pins to hold the finished laundry on a clothesline. These one-piece solid wood clothes pins are similar to some found on the Steamboat Arabia and can be seen in the Steamboat Arabia museum in Kansas City. Currently out of stock.		$ tbd single pin $tbd for ten pins
Crochet Reference Cards	These cards are similar to the Knitting Reference Cards. They are portable and may be carried in a purse when shopping for the correct sized crochet thread and hooks. One card shows the actual size of crochet threads used in the 19th century and on the back are period suggestions of the sizes of thread to use with a particular project. The other card has the crochet hook sizes using a 19th century bell gauge and compares the sizes with modern American and Metric sizes. These cards are invaluable to carry with you when shopping for supplies for period crochet projects. Be sure to specify whether you want the Hook Size Card, the Thread Card, or both (see detailed writeup for a full explanation). Currently out of stock. Available wholesale.		$ tbd each $ tbd per pair
Emery	Black emery was used to make pincushions. The emery kept your pins and needles polished.		$ tbd per tablespoon
Knitting Reference Cards	These cards are invaluable to carry with you when shopping for supplies for period knitting or crochet projects. The 19th century yarn and needles don't match modern yarn weights and sizes. Be sure to specify whether you want the Needle Card, the Yarn Card, or both (see detailed writeup for a full explanation). Currently out of stock. Available wholesale.		$ tbd each $ tbd per pair