It's that time of year again when I put on my early 19th century costume and head to the living history farm, which is run according to early 19th century standards, to help with the big festival. Tomorrow I will have a post about what my job was all weekend (complete with recipe). For today I am just recovering so I'm only going to share some of my favorite pictures from the weekend with a brief explanation.
Flowers and rye straw beehive.
Rye straw basket weaver. Rye straw was used most frequently by the Pennsylvania Germans. It was especially useful for mattress stuffing and baskets that would be used for food storage because insects and rodents were repelled by it.
Bobbins for lace making. I don't know how they keep them all straight during such a painstaking process.
Inkle loom. The inkle loom was used to weave thin tapes that would be used as apron strings, drawstrings for clothes or bags, or to tie on straw bonnets.
Griddle cookies cooked over an open fire. Yum.
Recently dyed skeins of wool. The wool is from sheep at our own farm and has been spun and dyed by our own spinners and dyers in the traditional way with spinning wheels and natural dyes.
I turned a head or two when I walked into the mini-mart all dressed up in my farm duds so I could get some money from the ATM for the day.
24 comments:
Im first!
scratches head...
That looks like fun!!!!! Well...'cept for the lace making part!!!!
How very cool and wonderfully rustic! Perhaps you could wear the costume all week in all your various contemporary activities... just to mess with folk. lol!
This part of the country is rich with festivals in the fall. You look mahveeeelous!
wow! This is so much like my country. We have the same girdle baked cookies & they are soooo YUMMY!
The wool you have there ..we have the same here used for weaving woolen rugs. It is also dyed the same way, using vegetable & natural dyes.
The lace making bobbins look so interesting. I can hand make some fine laces too!
We also have the rye baskets. When we weave them we weave patterns in them using vibrantly colored rye!
& you DO look awesome there :)
Looks like lots of fun. I love the costume, but the ATM looks just a tad out of place. We saw lots of bobbin lace in Belgium this summer, it is hard to understand how they keep them straight, and how they can work so fast.
I love going to those kind of events. Reminds me on the ren-fare.
WOW! I'm in awe of this event and your outfit, the learning potential -terrific! Now, hurry and get the next part of the story up here - complete with recipe too!
Nice to go back in time and slow down, even if it is only for a weekend.
That is still the norm in Indonesia where I spent some time.
They still use all natural materials for everyday items.
Bring on the stories.
:)
Makes me think of the Society of Creative Anachronisms. That and the Amish, maybe that was why you got the looks. Were any of the men folk making pikes and weapons? ;)
Those are some great pictures. I really envy people that have the talent, time AND patience to be able to make that stuff. I'm just greatful they do!
You look soooooooo cute!
G-man is going to be all over that ;o)
Hehe! That's a funny, out of place picture at the ATM. You are stunningly beautiful in your bonnet.
I absolutely adore going to festivals where dying trades are being demonstrated. In fact, I went to one a couple of weeks ago.
Oh, that looks like so much fun! And really gives an appreciation of the handicrafted work...wow! I want to go, too...and wear that fun garb. Yer cute!
I need to raise me a barn, and to eat some Homemade noodles,..Stat!!
Help a fella out Sister Limey!!
xoxox
Awesome...love this post, and how modern you look!!!!
Simply wonderful. For me I really like the Inkle loom, the griddle cookies and of course you in costume. You look like Amish and it just looks odd to see you using the ATM dressed like that. Looking forward to part 2.
That reminds me of the Renaissance Fair worker I spotted at our local IKEA. I said "Wow, the IKEA uniforms sure are getting elaborate." I didn't even get a smile out of the wench.
And do you do anything dull? At all? Seriously. Every time I read your blog I think "You know, if I were a woman, I'd want to be Lime."
And here I've been thinking you were from Trinidad or something...
What a great outfit, and fabulous festival. I loved reading the history and anatomy of the outfit - especially the bonnet.
love ya in your dress up.:)
tc
I can remember as a kid similar sorts of festivals. To the north and east of Adelaide, quite a few German families settled in the 1800s. Although, these days, it's more about the beer... :)
What a contrast from the old tools to the ATM. It's very interesting to see the tools in use - and reflect of how time consuming they were compared to todays solutions. Are me more happy?
I am in awe of the vibrant colors of the wool. So much nicer than artificial colors.
Yesterday, I saw an antique Chinese money chest at a shop. In terms of time period, it would have been a good replacement for the ATM.
Something rather "Rod Serlingish" about the incongruity of that image of you at the ATM. Cool!
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