"Crafty Culberts" Presents Dana (Culbert) Garrett

Dana Elizabeth (Culbert) Garrett (the great-great-granddaughter of John Culbert & Mary Ward) was born in London, Ontario, Canada on 4 August 1945. She was raised in Lucan, Ontario, and she now lives in London. For more details about Dana, click here.

Here’s Dana to tell you about her interest and arts and crafts…

I’ve always been interested in arts and crafts. When I was younger, I watched my Grandma Patrick and my mother, Mary (Patrick) Culbert do lots of sewing.  As a young wife and mother, myself, I did a lot of sewing for our home from curtains to bedspreads, and clothes for the kids and myself.

I’ve also made quilts, I’ve embroidered, cross-stitched, crocheted, and knit lots of projects over the years.  More recently, with the encouragement of my brother, Terry Culbert and his partner, Barbara Högenauer, I’ve taken up painting with acrylics. This has grown into a wonderful outlet for me in my retirement.  I belong to two local Art clubs, and show and sell my work on a regular basis. 

These are some of my more recent paintings…

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I’ve also included images of two different afghans that I knitted as Christmas presents for my daughter, Kathy and my daughter-in-law Heather, after not having knitted for many years. With COVID-19 and being locked down, I rediscovered this old hobby.

Dana Garrett has more paintings available for sale. She can be reached at the following email address:

Thank you, Dana!

DANA ELIZABETH (CULBERT) GARRETT'S FAMILY TREE:

Ancestors:

John Culbert and Mary Ward (great-great-grandparents)

Richard Culbert and Jane Eleanor Fairhall (great-grandparents)

Myron Manford Culbert and Effie Pearl Taylor (grandparents)

Milward Culbert "Mel" Culbert and Mary Elizabeth Patrick (parents)

Descendants (Children):

Jason William Garrett

Katherine Melissa (Garrett) Pritchard

St. Patrick's Day - Pandemic Edition

I don't recall which one of you sent this to me but thank you...

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

COMING SOON: Crafty Culberts! 

This weekend, I'll start posting images of your handiwork.

A reminder that the "Crafty Culberts" event is open to those of you with a talent for arts and/or crafts. And it's not just for the descendants of John Culbert & Mary Ward. You're welcome to participate if you're a spouse/partner of a Culbert descendant or if you're somehow connected to the Culberts, no matter how distantly.

Each person who submits images of their artwork/handicrafts will be given a separate post. I was going to lump you all together in one post but there are too many talented relatives out there for all of you to fit into one blog post!

The purpose of Crafty Culberts is to showcase the artistic talents of our relatives, regardless of whether your items are for sale, and regardless if your work is current or not.  If you do sell your items, please be sure to include a link to your Etsy shop or website or gallery. 

If you're interested in participating, please submit your photos as soon as possible and tell us a little about them, and about yourself. Email address here...

Most of the images will be published in March and April but latecomers will be welcomed.

Sláinte!

Calling All Crafty Culberts!

The John Culbert - Mary Ward family brought with them from Ireland a spinning wheel.

Image found online. Image does not contain actual Culberts.

Ethel (Gras) Culbert (1886-1996) said, "Many a time I sat fascinated as I watched my mother spin the carded rolls of wool with which she knit socks and stockings for the whole family."[1]

Ethel's mother, Jane (Fairhall) Culbert cleaned the wool from her flock of sheep on Poplar Farm near Lucan, Ontario, and had it carded at a mill. Then she spun it into yarn for weaving blankets and for knitting socks for men and stockings for the children.[2] 

Jane Eleanor (Fairhall) Culbert (1858-1949). Crafter extraordinaire.

Ethel continues, "One thing I never could forgive her for was her insistence on my wearing homemade woolen stockings that drove me nearly crazy, the way they itched my legs. Of course it was her chief concern that her children should be warm, when walking two or more miles off to school [Atkinson's School] on cold and stormy winter days. She would not listen to my protest, saying "Now you'll get used to them," but which I never did, vowing that I never could be half so cruel to children of my own."[3]

Ethel says her mother did much sewing and knitting for little ones as they grew up, even unto the fourth generation of Culberts. "She was always making quilts, such nice designs in patchwork... She did nice crocheting, edgings mostly for pillow cases, and some doilies."[4]

"She braided rugs. In early days she sewed together strips of rags and hand them woven into carpets, some were dyed to make a pattern, and this was the only floor covering we knew in the old log house. The carpet was padded underneath with straw and tacked close to the wall."[5]

CALLING ALL CRAFTY CULBERTS!

Do you create any of the following arts and crafts?

Knitting, crocheting, quilting, sewing, embroidering, pottery, woodcraft/carpentry, metalwork, brewing your own beer, painting, drawing, making jewellery or creating other handcrafted items? 

If so, please email a few photos of your handiwork to me, Mary Jane Culbert, with a description of what you've made. If you sell your work online or in a gallery, please provide a link.

I'll put together a post (or posts) to showcase the arts and crafts of modern-day Culbert descendants. 

Note: This invitation to submit photos is open to the descendants of John Culbert & Mary Ward and also to the spouses and partners of those descendants. This invitation is also open to other families who are connected, however distantly, to the descendants of John Culbert and Mary Ward. 

My email address:

Footnotes:

[1]Stories From Life by Ethel Gertrude Culbert Gras, page 49. 
[2] ibid. page 94.
[3] ibid. page 94.
[4] ibid. page 101.
[5] ibid. page. 101. 

Happy 3rd Anniversary!

Happy 3rd anniversary to the Culbert Family History blog. Help yourselves to a slice of cake...

Photo courtesy of Phil Culbert.

Thanks to everyone who contributed photos, stories, and memories over the past three years. Please keep them coming!