This is a charming and useful article from the American Agriculturist, Volume 36 in 1877. Since it is pumpkin season here in Connecticut I thought I had better post it! When you think of the perseverance needed to finish a mat it really becomes astounding when you know first graders were doing it as well as older girls and women.
PUMPKIN-SEED MATS.
A question comes to me, which should go to Aunt Sue, but as there is no time to send it to her and get a reply, and as the seeds are likely to be more plenty this month than later, I take the liberty of answering it myself, though out of my line.
A question comes to me, which should go to Aunt Sue, but as there is no time to send it to her and get a reply, and as the seeds are likely to be more plenty this month than later, I take the liberty of answering it myself, though out of my line.
The Doctor.
Yes, Alice B., I have "heard of pumpkin-seed mats," and what is more, of' melonseed bags.
When I was a youngster the girls and young women carried a reticule, and the old women carried a bag; they were, both the same thing, but it was thought more genteel to say reticule. These bags were of various sizes, shapes, and materials, and answered the place of pockets. No doubt your fathers and mothers can recollect what a wonderful thing their grandmother's bag was, and the many nice things that came out of it. The bags of the older persons were strong and large; those of the young girls were small, and of some fancy material, often of beads of various colors, worked into pretty figures.
At one time melon-seed bags were in fashion; these were made of the seeds of the musk-melon, and black, cut glass beads of various sizes; these were, strung on strong silk, to make an open-work net, and this was lined with silk. These bags were very pretty, and no one would guess at the material without first examining it closely.
But, about the pumpkin-seed mat. The seeds—those of squash will answer quite as well—are to be dried, then all thin, poor and small ones picked out so as to have them alike in size: if the thin film or skin of the seeds has not fallen off in drying, it should be rubbed off to leave a clear white surface.
You will need some very strong linen thread and a needle. Begin by stringing 18 seeds, passing the needle and thread through their small ends, and tie the thread securely; this will give you a rosette of seeds, standing on their edges.
Now between each two of these seeds put two other seeds, the thread passing through the large ends of the seeds in the first row, and through the small ends of the seeds in the second row. The diagram will show you how this is done.
For the third row, put three seeds between the pairs in the second row, and so continue, using four seeds for the next, and so on, until the mat is large enough. If intended for a toilet, the mat may be finished with a fringe on the edge, and a bow in the center, of any desired color. If it is to be used for a tea-pot, then it is better to be left plain, except for a bow in the middle. If strong thread is used, and the knots at each row carefully made, the mat will be much more serviceable than one would suppose.
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