Thank you to all who helped to make our annual Plant Sale a success again this year! The funds we raise are donated to local non-profit organizations and to scholaships.
ASC Annual Plant Sale 2023
Kathryn Hollett – March 27, 1938 – April 21, 2023
Kathryn Hollett, “Chicki” passed away peacefully at home in the presence of family on Friday, April 21, 2023.
True to form, Chicki’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis last year was met with a determination to live her life on her own terms – with fortitude, elegance, a sense of humor and a renewed commitment to get busy designing the set for AVP’s upcoming production of Mary Poppins. Chicki was a Board member of the Annisquam Village Players, where she worked tirelessly each year since 1992 as Set Designer for the AVP theater productions. She was so passionate about the AVP work that even until the day of her death she was planning the AVP production for Gloucester’s upcoming 400th year celebration.
Her visiting hours will be held in the Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington Street, Gloucester on Thursday, April 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend.
In keeping with her wishes there will be no services and her burial will be held privately.In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Open Door https://www.foodpantry.org/ways-to-give/donate/
Spring Plant Sale
Start dreaming!
It’s only a few weeks away.
Become a Friend of the Annisquam Sewing Circle – send an email to [email protected] with Friend in the subject line. You can opt-in to receive updates on upcoming ASC events.
When to start seeds
Thinking Spring!
Altho’ it does not look like it this morning with new snow on the ground it is now meterolgical spring. So the question is. “When do I start my tomato seeds?”
Here is the scoop from the Farmer’s Almanac.
On average our last spring frost occurs on May 9. Below is only about tomatoes. The second column is when to start your tomatoe seeds indoors. The third column is when to transplant into the garden
| Tomatoes |  Mar 14-28 Based on front date Mar 21-28 Based on Moon date |
May 16-Jun 6 May 19-Jun 3 |
|---|
For a full list vegatables and dates for 01930 click here: Farmers Almanac
$annisquamsewingcircle #annisquam #gloucester #annisquamfarmersmarket
The Annisquam Sewing Circle celebrated their 175th Anniversary
This video explains a bit about the work of the ASC. We are a group of over fifty-five members who meet from September through June for the friendship of neighbors we might not otherwise see and to organize and hold fund-raising events that support our community. There have been several cookbooks published, an annual Christmas Fair held in the Annisquam Village Hall and a Spring Plant Sale held on the lawn between the Annisquam Exchange and the Village Hall.. The newly added Gourmet Bake Sale the Friday before the 4th of July includes beautiful bouquets of flowers from member gardens held with the Annisquam Farmers’ Market also held on the lawn between the Annisquam Exchange and the Village Hall .
The Circle continues its work today and will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2037.
To receive an email about upcoming events, please send an email to [email protected] with Add Me! in the subject line.
History
The Origins of the Annisquam Sewing Circle
Miss Charlotte Lane’s booklet The History of the Annisquam Female Benevolent Society is available to read online at:
To read the memoir
Become a Friend the Annisquam Sewing Circle.
The Annisquam Sewing Circle has been reaching out to the community since its inception. Bags of groceries were left on the doorsteps of families in need. Hats and mittens were knit for soldiers during the Civil War and nippers for the Gloucester fishermen. Items were made for the ASC Christmas Fair which included little men out of toothpicks and raisins for children to buy as gifts for family and friends. The money raised went back to the community.
Times have changed but the needs of the community remain the same. The funds raised by the ASC are donated to Cape Ann Community organizations like Wellspring, Open Door, Backyard Growers, and Animal Aid as well as scholarships for Gloucester High School graduating seniors who are going on to college or other post-graduate training.
Join our email list.
Send an email to [email protected] to receive information about upcoming events and news of the ASC. Your email will not be shared with anyone. We value you as a Friend of the ASC and your interest in our activities. As a thank you for your interest and support of the Annisquam Sewing Circle, we will send you an ASC favorite recipe.
Fishermen’s Woolen Nippers
Earlier members of the Annisquam Sewing Circle knit nippers like this pair.
Fishermen working trawl lines in the 19th century often suffered cuts and rope burns on their hands. They typically wore mittens or gloves to protect themselves when hauling the long lines aboard and removing the fish. These sturdy but soft rings, called nippers, are knitted of woolen yarn and stuffed with more wool. They would have fit around a fisherman’s palms, protecting his hands while his fingers remained free for tasks requiring dexterity.
These nippers were probably made in Gloucester, Mass., for use by local fishermen working on offshore schooners. The shallow, fertile banks stretching from Georges Bank east of Nantucket to the Grand Bank off Newfoundland, Canada, were prime fishing areas for Gloucestermen. Cod, haddock, and halibut were the principal species caught by fishermen working aboard schooners in these waters in the late 19th century.
These nippers were among the fishermen’s clothing, tools, and apparatus featured by the United States in the 1883 International Fisheries Exhibition in London.
- ID Number:
- AG*102074
- Place Made:
- Gloucester, Massachusetts
- Material:
- woolen
- Date:
- 1880s
- Dimensions:
- 5 in x 3.365 x 1.7717; 12.7mm x 85 x 45 mm
- Source:
- U.S. Fish Commission
The Annisquam Sewing Circle Feeds the Members of the Leonard Club
The ladies of the Sewing Circle use to prepare and serve a dinner to the men of the Leonard Club.
At a meeting of the ASC Grace Tomlinson Murray, a long-time member shared her memories of an unforgettable evening.
From the “Annisquam Village Cookbook” 1945 edition
