Pirates and Caraco Jackets

By Susan F. Craft

In my upcoming novel, Cassia, several of the females in the pirates’ den are wearing caraco jackets.

Caraco jackets usually were thigh-length, fitted jackets worn over a petticoat (a simple two- paneled skirt gathered at the waist). If worn with the front open, then a stomacher was added or it was fastened with ruching strips (a strip of pleated lace, net, muslin, or other material for trimming or finishing a dress, as at the collar or sleeves), or fastened with stays (strings or lacing strips).

The women living with the pirates and who were not the most demure of creatures often would not bother to lace the strings.

 

 

Susan F. Craft is the author of The Xanthakos Family Trilogy that spans from 1780 to 1836 and from the Blue Ridge Mountains, to Charleston, SC, to the NC Outer Banks and back. The first book in the series is The Chamomile, and the second is Laurel. The third, Cassia, will be released this September.

An Author's Garden, Brick Books

Bricks painted to look like antique books.

 

Susan F. Craft

Since my Revolutionary War and Post Revolutionary novels have the names of flowers, I'm growing an author's garden with chamomiles, laurels, and cassias.

When looking for garden art, I came across the idea of painting bricks to look like antique books, which I'll place among the flowers.

My granddaughter and I painted six books, 3 named after my novels, and 3 after our favorite books (Ben Hur and Jane Eyre for me; and Tuesdays with Morrie for Kenzie).

I'm amazed at how much they look like real antique books!

Here's the video my granddaughter and I followed -- How to Make a Brick Book www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8JkAyjNf1Q

Susan F. Craft is the author of the SIBA award winning Revolutionary War romantic suspense, The Chamomile. The two sequels, entitled Laurel and Cassia, will be released in 2015 by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Susan is represented by Linda S. Glaz, Hartline Literary Agency.