On Easter weekend, I went to the Fiber Festival at the Frontier Culture Museum near Staunton, Virginia. If you haven't been to the Frontier Culture Museum yet, I would highly recommend it! It's a pretty unique museum covering a few acres. They show how old world architecture, agricultural, livelihood, etc. influenced these things in the [...]
Tag: history
My Heart’s in the Highlands: Scotland!
And then it was on, further north! We had one day for sightseeing in Edinburgh. Our Air B&B was in an old Georgian row house on Scotland Street (of Alexander McCall Smith fame). The three flights of steps up to the flat were steep and worn! Air B&B stairs! The Writer's Museum Sir Walter Scott [...]
3 Stops in England: Hertfordshire, York, and Kendal
The location of the conference/retreat we were helping with was an old country manor house in Hertfordshire which had been expanded to become a large Christian conference center. I enjoyed some morning walks in the countryside before responsibilities began each day! We had unusually hot weather for the area, in the 80s mid-day. The mornings [...]
Return to England! Bath and Lacock Abbey
I was telling people that this had been my busiest summer in seven years, but then I realized that seven years ago, I was still in a teaching job (not working during the summer). Since I now work full time year-round, this summer has probably been the busiest summer I've ever had! I'm back from [...]
More than 100 Years Old: a 1920s Evening Gown
At least twice, you've heard me complain about how unflattering 1920s clothes are. They completely ignore the female figure. It's like they try to start with a blank slate to embellish. Well, there are exceptions, especially in evening wear. Remember several months ago, when I modelled a 1920s silk day dress from the estate sale [...]
The Civilian Conservation Corps: Saving the Young Men and the Land
Last September, I went to a Virginia state park with my family. While stepping into their tiny gift shop/welcome center to look for a trail map, I noticed a display (about 4' by 3') with a brief explanation about how the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) helped build the park in the 1930s. My curiosity was [...]
The Pattern is More Than 100 Years Old! A 1920s Pattern and Yearbook
I was thrilled (and very surprised) when I found this pattern for $6 at an antique expo. It was even my size! See the price for the same pattern (Pictorial Review Pattern 9430) currently for sale! This pattern was patented 1907, but I think the copyright might have referred to the company, not the specific [...]
We Marry ‘Em and Bury ‘Em in Virginia
On my 21st birthday, I went to answer a knock on the door. Two very dear high school friends stood on the porch with smirks on their faces. One of them held up a bandana. “Happy Birthday! We’ve come to kidnap you. May we blindfold you?” I had just recently returned to my hometown after graduating [...]
Implications of Fast Fashion and How to Minimize Them
I recently watched a quick video about "fast fashion" beginning in the Victorian era. It was very interesting and definitely gave me lots to think about. The advent of the industrial age and machines made many things possible that hadn't been possible before, or made them possible at lower costs and faster speeds. However, this [...]
Vintage Pattern Collection
Vintage patterns are possibly my favorite type of ephemera (though that would be a hard decision). They capture so much in a small, delicate package. The artwork is beautiful and there is something so lovely about paper that has aged and requires care. Of course, old patterns provide snapshots of the fashions in bygone days, [...]
Welcome To The Carriage House 