Friday, April 23, 2010

Hail to the Sewing Machine

For women of the frontier and the 19th century, the sewing machine was a most important and liberating invention.  Many of us in the 21st century now gaze through antique shop windows wishing to own that piece of sewing past.  I have embeded a video from a sewing machine museum in Holland that I think everyone will enjoy -- even if sewing is not your "thing".  It is a real window into the past.



Back in 1950, Jan de Vlieger, founder of IMCA, started collecting antique machines and he has built up, together with the whole "De Vlieger" family one of the nicest collections of antique sewing machines.
In 1990 the family decided to custom build a 2000 sq. feet museum for this unique collection, which gives this collection the right place to be shown.

http://www.imca.net/museum/index.html

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

"Rainy" Report from Ft. Richardson's Event, April 16 -17, 2010"

Fort Richardson is a nice fort located in Jacksboro, Texas, a small town north of Ft. Worth.
I was the only woman who showed up, so I registered as the lone "Lady of the Garrison" -- there was a local quilters group and a woman who had a display on the far side of the parade grounds. One local couple set up a small display on the porch of the Officer's Quarters, but they only do this one fort event since their daughter works there. I was alone in the house with my sewing machine.The house is furnished with lots of furniture, china, and small things that the kids were welcome to touch anything since nothing was expensive.
Friday's Education Day was a success, with over 850 well-behaved kids coming through. The many groups passed through the house rather quickly, so I was just the house docent. I gave each group a quick overview, invited them to check out the items that interested them and then put it back for the next person to see, to not go through the barrier upstairs and to please not play the piano unless they knew how to since I had to listen to it. I got a few chuckles on this last remark.
Frazier Bros. sutlers arrived late afternoon and set up shop in half the house. The meals served to participants were good and substantial. Really nice people running the event. However, about 9:30 Friday night the rain began and didn't stop. At breakfast the next morning, it was still raining, puddles were ankle deep and no vehicles were allowed on the grounds. One man checked the Internet on his phone and saw that a heavy storm front was stalled with Jacksboro right in the middle. Several of us decided to leave, but the rain made collecting our gear very slow and difficult.
I would have liked to stay if the day had been dry. The event was very enjoyable except for the rain.
---Stella G
Pictures from John Cobb

Monday, April 19, 2010

Contribute Your Event Calendar

If you would like to contribute your event calendar, list your events with dates, place and contact information in your contact and it will be placed on the calendar. The entire calendar can be found at Frontier Women LHA Calendar.

Website with period clothing pictures

http://www.abitiantichi.it/collezione.html

The website above is in Italian but the pictures are of historical clothing originals from the 1800s and categorized by decade. What is even better is the fashion magazine drawing of the clothing which is beside the picture. The site was shared with me by Madeline Quillen of the New Mexico Civil War Ladies conference.

Do you know of any website of interest to "frontier women"? Please share them with us. This blog can't continue if there are not contributors -- so please leave your comments. If you would like to contribute as an author, email Ann Dixon.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Ft. McKavett, March 28-29, 2010

Ft. McKavett was a grand event attended by many "frontier women". Enjoy the video below.

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