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Post by cosmoblue on Nov 29, 2007 16:54:19 GMT -5
I am reading all of Jane Austen's Novels to be ready for the Masterpiece Theatre series in the new year and I have noticed that everyone write letters. Of course they kind of had to if they wanted to communicate with someone outside of their own home. I think that it is very romantic to write a letter. I tried to write a shopping list for my husband the otherday and I couldn't even read what I wrote. He was completely clueless. I am determined to write much better and have decided to start practicing. I am going o need to buy a decent pen. Does anyone write letters by hand regularly?
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Post by Mme de Beaufort on Dec 1, 2007 14:36:15 GMT -5
No. My penmanship has suffered because of it. Ever since computers came to be.
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Post by cosmoblue on Dec 1, 2007 17:18:26 GMT -5
I am on a mission to get better. I have been googling the heck out of penmanship and handwriting. I just need to get some freelance work so that I can have some money to invest in a fountain pen. I am not up for quill writing yet. Having all of that ink for my daughter to get into is not a very pleasant idea.
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ladymelissa
Shopkeeper
Caught somewhere between sense and sensibility
Posts: 31
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Post by ladymelissa on Dec 8, 2007 18:49:08 GMT -5
I totally agree. My handwriting needs a lot of work myself. But it's funny that you mention this because I've been wanting to get back into letter writing for a while. (And I actually started practicing my handwriting a few months ago - lol). Does anyone know of any great stationary mail order companies? I've been searching now and then, but I haven't found anything yet.
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Post by cosmoblue on Dec 8, 2007 23:37:50 GMT -5
LadyMelissa - I haven't found anything yet, but my handwriting improvement book says to start with the pen(s) and then find paper(s) that works with the pen(s). I haven't even been anywhere to test out pens yet. If I find anyplace good I'll let you know.
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ladymelissa
Shopkeeper
Caught somewhere between sense and sensibility
Posts: 31
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Post by ladymelissa on Dec 9, 2007 18:18:27 GMT -5
Cosmoblue - Thanks for the pen tibit. I didn't know that. If you find a good pen, I would love to know. Good pens are so hard to find! Are you happy with the handwriting book you mentioned? Would you recommend it? The book sounds like something I would be very interested in. Did you ever read the magazine VICTORIA? I'm a big fan. (They had been out of business for several years, but they just came back last month!!!) Anyway, they publish their own line of decorating/cooking/etc. books. I saw in an old issue an ad for their book on the art of letter writing. I looked for it on Amazon. But since the magazine issue was a few years old, Amazon no longer had it. Have you by chance seen this particular book? If so, do you know how I could buy one? Thanks, Lady M
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Post by cosmoblue on Dec 9, 2007 22:27:35 GMT -5
LadyMelissa - The book I have is Better Handwriting by Rosemary Sassoon & Gunnlar Se Brieum, from the Teach Yourself collection. I like it a lot, but I have only been using it for a few days. I haven't done all of the exercises since I haven't gotten a good pen yet. I'll keep you updated if I change my mind. I also found this site about Victorian style penmanship. I have not even heard of the magazine VICTORIA, but did you check ebay? www.iampeth.com/books/ames_guide/ames_guide_index.html
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Post by Mme de Beaufort on Dec 10, 2007 12:58:09 GMT -5
As for stationery, you might want to look in your local art-supply shop. There's one near here that has every form of vellum and parchment you could imagine, in all shapes and sizes; not to mention a truckload of hand-made papers. I have a stylus and inkpot, but I never use it.
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Post by Goblin, esq. on Dec 13, 2007 19:07:40 GMT -5
My handwriting is rather poor, and between learning block-print in drafting class (which is much more legible, so I almost never write in cursive any more), and computers, I don't get a lot of practice. I can do some calligraphy, but it doesn't look very Regency-ish.
I have an idea of finding some pictures of period handwriting (in my case, probably scans of Royal Navy letters or victualling documents), printing them out, and tracing over them with pen and ink to get a feel for how they wrote. Does this sound like a reasonable idea, or completely stupid?
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Post by Goblin, esq. on Dec 13, 2007 19:11:01 GMT -5
I am reading all of Jane Austen's Novels to be ready for the Masterpiece Theatre series in the new year and I have noticed that everyone write letters. And not just letters; anything that would be typed today would have been hand written. There was a lot of copying of official documents by hand, and although they used printing for large runs, if you wanted a dozen copies of a memo, someone had to write each one in longhand.
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Post by cosmoblue on Dec 13, 2007 20:19:31 GMT -5
Chris - I think that would be a good idea. I have never seen any period examples. the lampth website only has Victorian really.
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Post by Goblin, esq. on Dec 13, 2007 21:27:18 GMT -5
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Post by Mme de Beaufort on Dec 14, 2007 0:45:24 GMT -5
Did anyone else besides me have to endure penmanship classes? Granted this was at a Catholic Boarding school in Belgium, but I'm wondering if American schools did that and if so, when did they stop?
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Post by cosmoblue on Dec 14, 2007 2:04:29 GMT -5
Chris - Not a very feminine hand there is it? That is awesome to see though so different that what I am used to seeing these days.
Steph - I did not have penmanship classes. I don't even remember learning how to write at all although I am sure that I must have been taught at some point.
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Post by LadyGeremia on Dec 14, 2007 22:25:00 GMT -5
I have terrible handwritting, but I love quill pens. One time when visiting St. Augustine, my husband, knowing how I love old things, bought me a beautiful quill pen set with 6 different tips, ink and even the sealing wax and seal with our family crest in it. (Did I mention he was wonderful?) Anyhow, I played around with the quills and fancy strokes and you would really be surprised how fancy your handwritting becomes with quill pens!!! I was amazed and use them all the time. I love to send letters to my friends and sister and use the wax seal on the envelopes. They get a real kick out of it.
As far a beautiful stationary goes, try Victorian Trading Company. They have a website online. They have some really cool stuff in there. You can even order calling card!!! They have everything...clothes, furniture, trinkets. I love their stuff. You can order online or get a catalog in the mail.
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Post by Mme de Beaufort on Dec 27, 2007 22:24:02 GMT -5
For those of you who might be interested, I have a font modeled after Jane Austen's own handwriting; I downloaded it from Abstract Fonts (http://www.abstractfonts.com/) and you can download the font here: www.abstractfonts.com/download/10698?option=ttfIf you don't know how to add fonts to your PC; do the following: Download the font to your desktop, or somewhere where you can find it. You should open up MY COMPUTER then WINDOWS, then the FONTS folder, and drop the .ttf file into that folder. It will appear in your word or other file editor you use from then on.
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Post by cosmoblue on Dec 27, 2007 23:05:14 GMT -5
Sweet!
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Post by Miss Ida on Dec 28, 2007 10:46:28 GMT -5
I did write to christmas cards in hand this year, but when I have money enough I will buy a pen and ink set and write to my loved ones regularly
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Post by Sarha on Dec 28, 2007 11:27:39 GMT -5
I can write well when I take my time. Unfortunately I don't take my time and it gets very sloppy.
I too love Victorian Trading Company! I wish I could buy one of everything.
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Post by kathy1815 on Dec 28, 2007 12:15:43 GMT -5
As for pens...I have found that glass pens (venetian glass) work quite well and are much easier than the quills, even with the nibs. They also hold the ink and release it better. Most of the time with the quills you get a glob after dipping the quill. I have tried the quills, the quills with metal nibs and the glass pens and my personal preference is the glass pen. As for places to order said supplies, well naturally Victorian Trading Company has always had said items. I have also found a local stationery shop that you can also order from online...Scriptura. www.scriptura.com I believe they are new to being online because I just checked their website and the catalogs are not on it yet but you can email or call them. I have been going to them for years now...my regency friends and I practice the art of writing letters. When we have an event, we generally bring several extra papers and quills so that the children and visitors try their hand at an old form of writing. The children really love it.
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