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Communicating In The Victorian Era?

Image via Flickr

Remember the daisy flower and the petals “He loves me, he loves me not..” as the petals were picked from the flower?  This symbolism dates back to at least the Victorian Era.

The Smart Phones of today have produced an abbrevited language that I think is easier to translate than the Victorian Symbolism.  For example the language of flowers:Flower Meanings – Focal Flowers – Fifty Flowers

http://blog.fiftyflowers.com3/25/13

Flowers have been used to covey feelings and tell stories since the Victorian Era, and while some flowers have more universal symbolism, like roses for love and passion, other flowers have taken on different meanings

But wait, there is also a language of fans:

Victorian Fan ala Flourishes – Amazing Paper Grace

http://www.amazingpapergrace.com10/3/08

Here’s some interesting facts about communication using the fan in the Victorian days when a young lady would not be caught without hers. This Fan Language was registered with the US Patent office in 1879. Holding it in the

Putting all of the various symbolic languages together, the Life Quilt.  Well worth taking a few minutes to view:  Beauty from Brokenness: The Life Quilt | beauty minute

http://beautyminute.net2/16/13

Quilt piece. Each scrap connected to a memory, each flower a symbol of an emotion, each stitch a thought to put on display. Made beautiful from broken pieces, it’s a scrapbook of life left behind by a young woman…who had no one behind her to leave it to. When her heart-broken Your embellishments speak the Victorian language of flowers: a painted dandelion hints at a flirtatious encounter, the repeated tulips at various types of love. A sunflower tells of your pure

Image via Flickr

I won’t get into the language of the parasol, that is something you can research on your own.  I also learned that there are hidden meanings in the flowers used in a tattoo but that is something you can research on your own too.
For other beautiful examples of Victorian Symbols used in various crazy quilts, go to the CQ Magazine Online and Victorian Symbolism. 

Instead of looking for hidden meanings or symbolism in various articles of clothing, I think I will just concentrate on learning the abbreviated language used on smart phones.  After all, many of the new-to-me-words are showing up in dictionaries!

Enjoy!

Judith

Judith@fabrics.net

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