Quill or Pen and Ink Letter

Dear Friends,

I have been busy in my kitchen doing all those harvest tasks that must be done. In between the jam, chutneys and pickles I have been making I have used a bit of the excess of the season to make up some ink so that when the cold weather comes I will have plenty with which to write my letters. I have written down a few of my receipts so that if you would care to try making these inks, all with such lovely colours, you have them at your disposal. I have chosen these few receipts to share as they take only a short while to stir up and you will surely have the ingredients to make them at hand. Do have a look at the Amberleigh blog and why not add one or two to your home book.

Kind regards,

Old Mary

Ladies,

Letter writing was such an integral part of Georgian/Regency England. Let us experience what it was like to write with dip pen or quill and ink. This swap will give us the opportunity to use the inks we have made with a dip pen, or a quill. I do not know if these recipes are safe for fountain pens so it is best not to ruin a favourite pen. I have been informed that quills may be purchased in some of the hobby and craft shops in the United States. I have cut a few of my own but have also found that I can buy quills already cut on Amazon. Dip pens are also readily available and I would recommend the copperplate nib for writing as the calligraphy nibs are not so easy to write with when simply writing in cursive and not a calligraphy style. Do not despair if you cannot find a dip pen or quill to write with. If you would like to participate in this swap and do not have access to a dip pen or quills, I do have a few quills I can offer. Please pm me about this.

Having written letters of this sort for some time, may I offer a few helping hints so that your letter writing does not end in disaster? Make sure your ink is in a place that you can easily reach so accidents don’t damage fine fabrics or furniture. Take care that your sleeve is pushed out of the way so your freshly written text does not get smeared and your sleeve stained. Ensure your ink is completely dry before folding your letter. These are all things which I have done and regretted and hope that by sharing you will avoid these little frustrations.

You will have one partner for this swap and you will write a short (or long if you prefer) letter to you partner in your character’s voice if you have chosen a character. Just a cheery note will suffice, but do make it an interesting letter sharing something of your day. As we have many letter writing swaps, a reply is not necessary as we will meet up in these letter swaps often as well as in the forum. Please be kind in rating, writing with a quill or dip pen is a new skill we are learning.

I remain, as always, your affectionate friend, L. Elizabeth

PS Gum Arabic may also be purchased on Amazon and I have found it is inexpensive.