ALBANY VISITORS and TRICIA LEARNS TO SPIN

Last Friday I got an email from my cousin in Albany saying that friends of hers would be visiting the plantation and could they come up and see me in my wardrobe lair. Later that afternoon, Amy McCarthy came up with her two daughters, Kate (11) and Maddy (10). As there was an embroidery session going on, Tricia asked them if they'd like to sew on some of the paillettes (aka sequins). They were most enthusiastic and jumped right in!

Here we have Kate sewing on her first of several paillettes.

Next, Maddy takes over and is complimented by Tricia on her hand-eye coordination.

Here we have Amy taking a stab at it. They all did a great job.

This picture shows the paillettes that they collectively applied.

Here, the girls are checking out a new project by fiber-artist extraordinaire, Carli. It's an embroidered, stuffed sheep. Not fabric with embroidery on it, but a sheep constructed from embroidery stitches. Carli never ceases to amaze us with what she's created between sessions in the colonial wardrobe.

Earlier in the day, Tricia decided she wanted to see what it would be like to make the gilt sylke twist embroidery thread on a spinning wheel, the way it would probably have been done in the 17th century. Of course that meant she had to learn to spin, which she did in less than five minutes. Is there anything she can't do!?!?

Here she is practicing with plying two wool yarns.

Now she's wrapping one silk with another silk.

Spinning silk and gold together. Rumpelstiltskin?!

The finished hand-spun gilt sylke twist on a spool.

For more information on the Plimoth Embroidered Jacket project, visit

http://thistle-threads.com/blog/

TREASURES

Carolyn Crowell, who is a long-time volunteer in the colonial wardrobe department, lives in her ancestral home in Sandwich, Massachusetts. Over the years she has been kind enough to share with us the treasures she finds stored away in her house. These pictures are of some tiny shoes, each pair about 4" from toe to heel and a pair of mittens with the same proportions. She gave me permission to photograph them and now I'm sharing them with you.
This first pair is made from velvet and embroidered all over with a simple satin stitch pattern. They are hand sewn, I could just make out the stitching on the insole. My guess is they were crib shoes, or never worn, as the soles are in perfect condition.

This pair is machine made, leather with little glass (?) buttons. The soles are in good shape but the toes are scuffed to the point of the leather being worn away. Lots of crawling done in these!

This little pair of mocs were hand stitched with teeny tiny itty bitty stitches. The material is chamois, so soft. They are decorated with buttonhole stitch and feather (?) stitch. The ribbon for the tie is held down with herringbone stitch and it can be pulled like a drawstring.

And then we have tiny mittens. They look as though they are made from silk, they have that sheen, and knit on 0000 needles. They are in amazing condition and have what looks to be knitted lace for cuffs. What a treat to see the things she finds in her house, thank you Carolyn!

SECRET

The land on which Plimoth Plantation was built once belonged to the Hornblower Family and was donated in order that the museum could be built. There are a lot of buildings we use that are original to the estate, but there is one little building that is hidden away in the woods and isn't seen by the public.

You can just make out the palisade around the fort
against the sky.

Stairway to ???

Through this lot of bramble is the homesite.

View of Eel River

A FOND FAREWELL

Sheila and Michelle have been interns in the
Colonial Wardrobe for the last five months.
They have kept me sane and helped me make
my way through one of the toughest times of
my life.

Thank you both, from the bottom of
my heart, for being here when I really needed
you; for making me laugh and helping me to
get it all done. You are the greatest and I'll
miss you both very much. I wish you all the
best with your next adventures!

IVY'S DAY

Thursday, April 23rd, was Bring your Daughters
and Sons to Work Day. I have a second cousin
once removed who is 11 years old and a budding
fashion/costume designer who came to work
with me to check it out.

Down in the village for morning meeting,
introduced to the village people and getting the
lay of the land.

Beginning her project, to completely hand sew
a woman's coif. The coif is a head garment to
keep a woman's hair covered for modesty.

Although she doesn't usually do much hand
sewing, she picked up the techniques quickly.
Love those young minds/hands, like sponges
they are!

A sewing bee with Auntie Betty, who comes over

to volunteer in the colonial wardrobe with us.

Gangsta girls on our way out to lunch.

Very impressed with her all-access-pass! We

took the secret pathway down to the village.

Ivy took her coif home to continue to work on

it and when it's finished I'll post pictures. We're

already making plans to have her come back

again over the summer for another volunteer

day. Looking forward to it!

EEL RIVER WALKWAY PLIMOTH PLANTATION OPENING DAY 2009

HOBBOMOCK'S HOMESITE PLIMOTH PLANTATION OPENING DAY 2009

OPENING DAY 2009 PLIMOTH PLANTATION ENGLISH VILLAGE

WEDDING SUIT 17th-CENTURY-STYLE