Saturday, February 26, 2011

Update for Victorian Ladies Conference, March 11-13, 2011

Here is information on workshops and schedule for the Victorian Women's Conference.  Check out last year's fun with the video below.

Friday: You may check in at Officer’s Quarters #8 beginning at 3:00 PM until 6:00 PM. Arnie will be there showing us ow to create mitts using the Victorian Crazy Blocks stitch. Bring your own yarn. Arnie is suggesting you purchase a period correct yarn from this site: (it is a very fine merino ; silk blend)
http://www.knitpicks.com/cfyarns/yarn_display.cfm?ID=5420151  You will also need either a F or G crochet hook.
Beginning at 6:30 we will be meeting at the Living History stables class room for Pizza & a movie, Western  the Women. You will need to pay for your pizza (about $5.00) when you check in at OQ8. If you do not want to join us, Arnie will get you going on the project on Saturday.
Saturday: Beginning at 7:30 am you may make your way to Officer’s Quarters #8 for check in and breakfast. Breakfast will end at 8:30 and that time you will move to your sewing workshop preference.
Lunch will be at OQ8 from 12:30 until 1:30, then back to your sewing workshop.
Tea will be from 5 until 6:00, Dress in your finery! Our tea will be formal with four ladies per table and their table will each have their own hostesses and decorated with flair.
Dinner will be on your own, or go in groups to one of the many fine restaurants in San Angelo!
Sunday: A light breakfast will be served beginning at 7:30 and the hat workshop will begin at 8:30 and we will break for lunch at noon. At this time you may leave, or stay to finish hats and have some one on one time visiting with our seamstresses.
Conference will end at 3:00 PM. Please make sure you have at least 1/4 to 1/2 yard of material to cover your buckram frame. Also, any feathers or other embellishments you desire to decorate your hat bring them along, too!

Workshops:
Advanced: Robin will be leading the workshop on draping a bodice, and is quite easy to adapt for different styles that you will be planning to make. This method requires the ladies to get up close and personal with a draping partner, and you should wear your corsets over a tight tee shirt or a correct chemise for the class. If you do not intend to wear a corset with your dresses you need to wear a really good-supporting bra that can tighten to keep the bust line up in a good position.
The materials for the class to bring with them will include a tape measure, medium to large straight pins, a soft lead pencil  or chalk-type fabric pencil (so it won't bleed into the clothes on the lady being draped), good scissors to cut the muslin, and maybe an image of the style of bodice they are planning to make. A high quality muslin has been provided for this workshop.

Beginner-Intermediate: You will need to bring at least 4 yards of washed and ironed material. A good calico, or solid cotton material would work well. Please bring large to medium strait pins and good quality scissors. Bring your sewing machine, if possible. I will bring one and an offer has been made to bring some more, just let me know.

Other Suggesstions:

Bring your own bottles of water with you. There will be coffee, hot chocolate & ice tea for beverages served all day.
We will have our Victorian Bazaar, once again this year.Please bring some items you would like to sell, or trade. If you want to contribute a door prize, that would be lovely.

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Click to play this Smilebox slideshow: FWLHA Conference 2010
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Friday, February 25, 2011

Twiggs Surrender, San Antonio, TX, Feb. 12.2011

These pictures are of the 2011 Twiggs Surrender Reenactment in front of the Alamo in San Antonio. Read about the history of the event below the slide show.
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Digital slideshow

After the Mexican-American War, Brigadier General David E. Twiggs

was appointed brevet major general and commanded the Department

of Texas. Twiggs's command included about 20% of the U.S. Army

guarding the border of the U.S. and Mexico. As the states began to

secede, Twiggs met with a trio of Confederate commissioners, including

Philip N. Luckett and Samuel A. Maverick, and surrendered his entire

command to them. At the time of his surrender, Twiggs was in San

Antonio with approximately 200 Union soldiers, the remainder of his

troops scattered along the border between the United States and Mexico.

1,000 Secessionist militia entered the city, intent on capturing the

Union arsenal there. With his troops outnumbered five to one, Twiggs

surrendered on February 16, 1861. All Federal troops then left Texas for the

East coast.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Civil War Quilts



I chanced upon a wonderful site today. Barbara Brachman, renown for her Civil War fabrics and books, has a great blog where she is celebrating the 2011 Sesquicentennial of the Civil War with a period quilt block each week.  Each block post contains the pattern and a true story fron that time period.  This week's post and quilt block is called "Cotton Boll" with a lovely block to make and referernce to Dolly Lunt Burge, a southern woman who survived and told her diary of Sherman's  March through her plantation.  There are period pictures and a link to the acual diary of  Dolly Burge. An amazing link to history.
 http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/burge/menu.html

Here are the Quilt Blocks listed so far.
 Cotton Boll  http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/2011/02/8-cotton-boll.html

Not only is this a great place to find appropriate blocks with stories to tell for your living history impression, the primary documents she references will add to your knowledge. 

Monday, February 14, 2011

Hurry Spring!!

Can you imagine the winter days our foremothers must have endured?
Can you imagine ?
...Inside a cold house with only a fire or wood store to warm it and restless children to entertain
...Outside chores that required you to bundle up in all that you owned to brave the wind, snow and freezing cold.
I am sure that they found the advent of Spring just as amazing as this video I have added just because of its beauty. Hurry, Spring!!

Colors Mother Nature from Alessandro Cirillo on Vimeo.