I am afraid I cannot undertake to carry Martha’s Shoes home, for tho’ we had plenty of room in our Trunks when we came, We shall have many more things to take back, & I must allow besides for my packing. (Letter 20)

I could not help but chuckle since I have done this so often myself, taken nearly empty bags and brought home bulging ones. :D JA’s shopping reminds me of all the Loot (as my Father called it) my mother, sister, and I brought home from our shopping expeditions to the mall in my youth. I think JA’s shopping for her friends and family is practical but also sweet. The shopping gene seems to have survived the years intact. :D One thing I noticed about their clothing is that while the women often make up shirts for men in the JA’s letters (to date) and in JA’s novels I do not recall an instance in either of them making their own dresses. The pattern of a shirt that Julie W kindly posted for our enjoyment (:D) is, I believe, a fairly simple one so perhaps new dresses were more difficult; I also do not recall them making men’s jackets or other more difficult pieces but this is only a guess. Perhaps having home-made dresses had a kind of stigma associated with them. ;D