Yarns

Crocheting comes naturally to me. My Grandma Lois taught me when I was 7 years old, and I have been doing it ever since. I find it relaxing, and I also enjoy donating some of my items. This is a recent wheelchair/walker tote that I made for the Stony Brook Stitchers who, in turn, gave it to a veteran at the Long Island State Veterans Home. Now, knitting was always a challenge. My Grandma Rose tried to teach me when I was 7, too. And, I never really took to it until recently.

Eight days after President William McKinley was shot on September 14, 1901 at the Pan American Exposition in upstate New York, Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as the 32nd President of the United States. And on September 23, 1901, President Roosevelt moved into the White House, and his family arrived two days later. That’s when things really started to change. Like any mother does when moving into a new home, Edith Roosevelt checked out the rooms. She had to figure out where

Who knew that Dolley Madison used to give her husband, James, piggyback rides? This is one of the stories my husband and I learned during our tour of Montpelier, the Virginia estate at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the home of James and Dolley Madison.

To commemorate the 250th birthday of the United States of America, this July 4, 2026, we reflect upon Martha Washington. Although she was our nation's first first lady, she was never called first lady. She was known as Lady Washington. When George was elected the first President of the United States in 1789, he and Martha moved to the nation’s capital in New York City to live in the President’s Mansion at 1 Cherry Street. The big brick mansion filled with beautiful furniture

How I learned about the American Fashion Designer Claire McCardell

The idea for an International Crochet Day began in 2007 with Jimbo, the author of the blog called “Jimbo’s Front Porch,” who hand carved...

How I learned about the American Fashion Designer Claire McCardell

National First Ladies Day, to be celebrated on April 26 this year, honors all First Ladies of the United States, to commemorate when...

On November 11, 1921, the unidentified American soldier who died in France during World War I was buried at Arlington National Cemetery...

Frances Cleveland was an "influencer." At 21, she took the country by storm when news broke that she was to marry President Grover Cleveland

In 2019 when I was still researching my book, I wrote to former first lady Rosalynn Carter to inquire about her sewing and other...

I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude to my readers and those who have attended any of my talks, whether virtually or in...

In 2005, Danielle Landes began World Wide Knit in Public Day ("WWKIPD"). Since knitting is a solitary act, the idea was to bring knitters...

First Lady Grace Coolidge and her husband, President Calvin Coolidge, made a cool couple. He was shy, and she did much of the talking....

Abigail Powers Fillmore grew up poor but had thousands of books she inherited when her father, a Baptist minister, died when she was only...

Some years ago I published this article about my hometown -- Sayville, New York -- for a local publication, the Great South Bay...

My grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was seven, and I stuck with it for a few years. I would make granny squares, and she would...

If you love to craft and give your handmade gifts as presents during the holidays, then you have something in common with First Lady...

On November 11, 1921, the unidentified American soldier who died in France during World War I was buried at Arlington National Cemetery...

The First Lady of Baseball I recently attended a Mets game at Citifield, and I couldn't help but think of Grace Coolidge. The Coolidges...