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Crossed letter à la Jane Austen!

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Crossed letter à la Jane Austen!
Swap Coordinator:quillandparchment (contact)
Swap categories: Themed  Letters & Writing  Mail Art 
Number of people in swap:18
Location:International
Type:Type 2: Flat mail
Last day to signup/drop:March 15, 2013
Date items must be sent by:March 25, 2013
Number of swap partners:1
Description:

This swap is for those of us who have longed to receive and write a crossed letter, also called cross-hatching, like they did in Regency and Victorian England.

What, pray tell, is a crossed letter? Paper and postage used to be really expensive (nice paper still is, actually). To save money, letter writers would write on a page using all available space, then turn it 90 degrees and continue writing on top of what they just wrote. If they were really pinching pennies, they would write their third page on the same page by turning it 45 degrees instead of 90 degrees to write diagonally. But…that might be too much for our modern sensibilities. Just think – it’s environmentally-friendly!

So! For this swap, please write a crossed letter to your swap partner of at least 2 pages (that is, 1 page, crossed at least once). Write about:

• Introducing yourself

• What inspired you to write a crossed letter

• What other guilty period-inspired wishes or habits you may have

• Which version of Pride and Prejudice you prefer

• Sealing wax is not a requirement, but just keep in mind if you do decide to use it that sealing wax often falls off modern paper in the modern postal system, so just prepare your letter accordingly so it will arrive to your partner safely.

A crossed letter, sent on time, deserves a 5.

A flake deserves a 1. (Please – no one likes 1s. Don’t flake! Send on time!)

This is my very very first swap as a coordinator, so please…be gentle! I’m not requiring a rating minimum, but I reserve the right to weed out those with suspicious 1s.

Discussion

Bizzitybam 03/ 5/2013 #

EXCELLENT IDEA! :)

ndw76 03/ 6/2013 #

I tried this once and found it to be surprisingly easy to read. But soon after my first attempt I read in a vintage letter how to guide written in the early 19th Century that by that time crossed letters were considered poor manners. So I have never had the courage to send anyone a letter like this. Because of this swap I will finally get the chance. Thank you.

Didi 03/11/2013 #

wished i had found this swap so i had time to do it but far too busy this week. will keep an eye out for the future. diane, Nz

quillandparchment 03/13/2013 #

If it turns out well, I'll offer it again. Looking forward to lots of happy swappers!

SarahRed 03/14/2013 #

can we change colors when we cross if we have particularly atrocious handwriting? For readability? I'm excited about this, but nervous!!

quillandparchment 03/15/2013 #

Good suggestion. Yes - please, swappers...try to write legibly.

quillandparchment 03/15/2013 #

And just to clarify, sealing wax is NOT a requirement. The post has been updated to reflect this.

London13 03/15/2013 #

Awesome idea! Very excited!

VintageVoyage 03/21/2013 #

This was superfun to do, hopefully my letter will be readable :)

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