Farm Days

Today a few more pictures from the Harvest Festival.

The spring house where root vegetables would have been stored.

Onion skin dyed eggs. After dyeing the eggs the designs are scratched on with a pin or other sharp tool. I can remember my grandfather doing this when I was a child and I have done my own eggs in the past.

Dried flowers still bursting with color.

Our baker placing loaves in the outdoor bake oven. It can hold 60 loaves at once.

A nearly full bake oven.

Mmmm, can't you just smell the warm bready goodness? At the festival you can get a slice with fresh butter or fresh apple butter also made at the farm in the 19th century way.

A five strand braid of rye straw. The woman working this braid has completed 6 yards. She will need 25 yards of tightly braided rye straw to complete a sun bonnet for herself. The bits sticking out are where new pieces are added in. Each length of straw is approximately 12 inches. After the braid is completed the entire length will be put through a press to flatten it even more before it is sewn into the bonnet.

Here is an example of a competed bonnet. The string on it is a narrow woven tape which was made on the inkle loom.

Now comes the reader participation portion of the post. Can you guess what this picture is?