Greetings, my name is Trish. I’m going to be blogging for Rob so that he can continue to focus his time, talents, and energy on creating Shaker boxes and carriers.
We are enjoying a beautiful, mild autumn so far here in Embden, Maine. The trees are turning rusty reds, golds, and oranges. The days are crisp and refreshing.
Rob with #10 & #12 boxes, ready for the finishing touches
There are several steps (an astonishing number actually) to making these boxes and carriers. Each month I will feature a few steps in the process. It just so happens that Rob recently completed the first handful of steps.
Finding the perfect maple and pine logs. These logs will be milled into boards that are 1/8” thick for the maple bands and 3/8” thick for the pine tops and bottoms.
The talented sawyer, Dave quartersaws this huge pine log down to 3/8” thick boards. Many, many, many boards.
Stacking the lumber in the dry kiln. Rob just received a fresh load of maple and pine which is drying now. These will be next year’s boxes!
I realize it’s a little early but I wanted to let everyone know that November’s Etsy will bring #10 and #12 boxes in color Antique Natural, #0 and #1 carriers in various colors and several other items just in time for the holidays!
If you have a LeHay’s Shaker Box and would like to share a photo with us (possibly for future blog post!), we’d love that. See you next month and as always thank you for supporting small business!!
Fun Facts
Did you know….. the Shakers numbered more than just their boxes. They numbered rooms in their houses (!) to help keep domestic life in order. They also numbered the chairs they made. Interestingly, the chairs were numbered 0 (smallest) to 7 (largest) but the boxes were the opposite being numbered 1 (largest) to 11 (smallest). At some point in time, the numbering of the boxes was changed so that the smallest number coincided with the smallest box and upward from there which is how they are numbered today. *
*Information taken from Shaker Museum, Mount Lebanon: www.shakerml.wordpress.com
Janet Jackson
November 24, 2020
With a small lehays shaker box, made a God Box. Glued, inside top rim, a ribbon on top. Attached tag to ribbon “God Box”. Small pieces of paper, small pencil inside for prayers, etc. My sister said it is her all time favorite gift, forever, Thank you, Mr Lehays.