When we think about autumn decorating the first thing that comes to my mind is to replace the cotton textiles on my shaker peg rack and substitute them with warm, earth tone woolens! These darling britches boast inviting colors of soft nutmeg’s, laced with chocolate browns and kissed with whispers of bittersweet, fashioned from an exciting herringbone pattern. The custom made hanger and clothespins are included as well as the baby shoes and clothespin hanger as well.
These little boy britches were very well made as they are lined with heavy cotton fabric that has aged to perfection sporting a deep buttermilk (ecru) hue. The aid of hand and machine stitching were both used to fashion these britches by the maker. The form is sweet boasting three decorative wooden buttons on each side located near the bottom. Two metal buttons appear at the top and are used to keep the britches in place with the child in them of course! There may have been a coordinating top that had buttons located at the bottom. These buttons would fasten on the inside waistband of the britches as buttonholes are present (see images 11, 12 & 14). The front of the crotch area had separation in the seam. However this was repaired by an Amish lady who did a fabulous job!
Two side pockets must have been very convenient for a child to carry all sorts of things in! He may have collected them on a natures walk, out in the country and hopefully a toad was not one of them! There is also a back pocket located on the right hand side. This adorable textile can either be displayed with the bottom turned up for more of a relaxed look or you can leave them as is. These sweet britches are in good condition without any holes, rips, fading, spots or odors to report!
The little baby shoes are fashioned from leather and have definitely been worn. The sole gives us a hint as to how these were made because burlap fabric is showing through on the left shoe only (see images 21 & 22). The soles were coming apart from the shoe so I carefully hand stitched them back in place using old brown thread which constitutes a recent “make ~ do” repair. The leather is worn in all the right places which lends a light tan appearance sprinkled randomly throughout. The left shoe does not have the metal end laces but the right one does.
These shoes boast a gentle detail of a zig zag pattern on both sides that continue around the back area which is a nice feature. I stuffed the shoes with brown tissue paper and tucked homespun in the top opening for a little primitive pizzazz! The string and wee, aged clothespins accompany the shoes and can be removed by unclipping them at will. The baby shoes paired up with the britches hanging lazily from the top of the hanger, offer a touch of whimsy to this gathering as well as the colors that are very complimentary!
Harry fashioned a hanger from wire which is a custom fit for the britches. He also allowed for a way so the baby shoes could hang in the front and got creative using curly Q’s at the top. Old spring loaded clothespins were attached to the wire and grasp the britches with ease. This gathering will excite your peg rack by offering autumn flavor that can also be displayed throughout the winter months. Greens and berries can be tucked under the clothespins for holiday charm and will offer a touch of Christmas magic to your winter woolens! Enjoy!
The britches measure 10 ¾” across the waistband area (right to left), measures 12 ¼” tall (top to bottom) and measure 12 ½” in the middle (right to left). Overall height including the wire hanger measurement is 20” @ the tallest point (top of the curved hanger). Baby shoes stand 3 ½” tall to the very top of the homespun, measure 4 ¼” from toe to heel and are 1 ½” across the middle area measuring from the bottom of the sole.
