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Making Do: The Aesthetics of Frugality

Every girl who grows up in northern New England hears "make it do, or do without" so often that it creates a permanent wrinkle in her brain. This phrase, expressing the essence of Yankee frugality, also captures the aesthetic of the region's domestic crafts: braided rugs, quilts, stenciling, dried flowers and herbs for winter decorations or sachets, and preserves made from summer harvests.

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