The Peter Burr House

09/07/2023

It is bread-baking day this coming Saturday, 9/9, and the house will be open for visitors. It promises to be hot still, so I think once again I will just do a low-key demonstration, but how about something different than spinning this time? (Not that I don't love to spin.) I think I will try weaving on a spaltegrind or bandgrind (At the Peter Burr House, I *should* be weaving on a tape loom, but I need to put a new warp on my tape loom, so there's that).

I haven't tried doing a backstrap-weaving technique at the Peter Burr House yet, so we'll see if this idea works or not, but I will plan on being there Saturday about 11:30am and continuing to about 1:30, depending on heat, visitors, and how everything goes with the weaving.

I must mention that the band-weaving I will be doing is not a typical colonial American technique, though 'bands' or 'tape' were crucial to all sorts of ties and fastenings, from holding up your stockings, to tying your aprons, petticoats, stays, etc. and any other manner of uses. Most people in colonial America wove the ever-useful tape on small, portable tape looms, and do not have the kind of 'pick up' designs as pictured in my photo. What I have here is a spaltegrind (what a great word!), a type of rigid heddle that allows a variety of designs that float within the weave, and these were essential tools in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe (and many other cultures do band weaving, but in different ways, as well).

Did the Burrs make bands at home? A tape loom isn't specifically mentioned in Peter Burr's inventory at death, but weaving equipment in general is noted, so it is quite probable that a tape loom was in use. A spaltegrind? No, not at all likely - but would any of the German immigrants in Shepherdstown be using something similar? Possibly. In any event, it is a historic technique that is certainly very interesting (or at least, I think so!)

07/14/2023

Oh my, look what popped up on my feed today: the Peter Burr House program "Making period ice cream in a non-period way" - we made very refreshing 'peach cream' and 'lemon cream' (both ice creams), and having neither 18th C. equipment (or any other kind) we made the ice cream with the 'shaking-in-a-ziplock-bag-with-ice-and-salt' technique. Pictured here are Marianne Kinnison, Chloe Jenkins, and Ava Brenneke (I can't determine who is the little girl in back). And those youngsters are so much young ladies now... how time flies...

The end result was several fold: 1) the kids got tired of shaking the bags around long before ice cream happened, and the adults had to finish it up 2) but, it was worth it. The kids loved the peach cream, but not the lemon one; the adults thought the peach cream was very good, but were all over the lemon cream. (Me too)

I'd love to do this again, but I think I want those balls that are sometimes sold to make ice cream, rather than the messy and not terribly efficient zip bags. Any one have some they aren't using anymore?

07/01/2023

Next Saturday, July 8, will be bread-baking day at the Peter Burr House, and for a hot summer day (most likely), a think a drop-in program on Spinning would work well. Usually July is not the first time I have a program at the House, but conflicts with ballet and whatnot this year made me unable to do the Baking Day programs I usually like to do. I will have hand spindles for interested parties to try out, as well as wool cards, and will have my spinning wheel with me as well (always trying to get some spinning done!)

For a change, I will have available transportation at hand, so I am thinking a starting time of 12 noon, July 8, running to about 2 pm or so -- later, if there are still interested people around. Anyone can try their hand at spinning and carding - adults or children. Very small children will not be able to spin on a hand spindle, but I just have them 'help' me at the wheel; they love it!

If you have a spinning wheel and just want to join me on the house porch, that would be great!

09/29/2022

Update: butter making will begin at 1pm.

Just got the word that on Saturday, October 8, the bread bakers will be baking bread in the bake oven. This will be the last bread baking of the year. If you want a loaf (or two), you should contact Wayne Braunstein at [email protected].

Because it is the last day of the bread-baking season, I thought it could be nice to have something a little special -- churning butter. However, this is dependent on:
1) The weather. If it is too cold, the butter will take forever to set up. I would have to seriously reconsider if a quite cold day is forecast. If it is going to rain, then I would have to cancel this activity, as butter-making would be done on the back porch of the utility building (where I have easy access to water, etc.), and that is exposed to the elements.

2) Whether anyone plans to come. A couple of weeks ago, I had an 18th C. games day planned, and no one came. Which is fine, really - I know families are busy (I certainly have personal experience!) and there was minimal setup so there was little labor involved for me. It was not a problem. However, if I am purchasing natural heavy cream to do butter making, and preparing all the equipment, that's a bit more of an undertaking.

It is a busy weekend - I know the Waterford Fair is going on that weekend, and Middleway Day, and who knows what else, so it may be not be a good day to come out to the Peter Burr House. If it doesn't work out, don't be dismayed for me -- I will probably be there anyway, having a good time spinning on the front porch (unless it is pouring rain, since I wouldn't want to bring my wheel out in that!)

09/09/2022

So far it looks like we are going to have good weather Saturday, so the plans for active games should go on well. For those who would like a quieter game, I will prepare, though whether that can go on at the same time depends on how much help arrives.

Turns out that Saturday is the Moon Festival - usually called the mid-Autumn Moon Festival but it isn't even Autumn yet! The traditional Chinese calendar is based on moon cycles, hence me being caught flat-footed when I decided to look up when the Festival would be, so I could send my kids some 'moon cakes' (which are not authentic moon cakes by any stretch of the imagination... but, they always looked forward to them). However, they will be on their own for moon cakes this year, I am afraid.

I won't be bringing moon cakes (authentic or terribly inauthentic) to the Burr House on Saturday, but I will take the opportunity to tell Moon Stories if there are interested guests. The Burrs would not have known the Chinese stories of Chang-e or the Moon Sisters, but they might have known the creepy old English tale 'The Buried Moon'. Very good stories, all of them, even if you won't get to hear them watching the full Harvest moon rise over the horizon.

09/03/2022

Next Saturday, September 10, will be a bread baking day, and my husband is kindly taking a vacation day from work, so that we can have a program that will last more than a couple of hours in the afternoon. I am planning the program to be '18th C. Games'. A couple of families have offered to assist, for which I am especially grateful, as the younger folk are better at running about than I am! The Burr House will be open for these activities from 11am-2pm (after that I have to scamper over to the Shepherdstown Public Library). For those who are helping, I will be there at 10:30 am to teach how the games are played.

With any luck, the weather will cooperate and young visitors can enjoy active period games on our grassy lawn. However, if it should rain, we can play 18th C. board games such as 'Game of the Goose', Fox & Geese', and more. For pictorial interest I show a tiny gameboard I made after an extant 16th C. wooden gameboard of 'Gluckshaus' or "House of Luck". Do I think the Burrs played that game? Probably not, though not because it is a gambling game: games of cards, dice, and board games with betting were immensely popular to play respectably among family and friends in the 18th C. But, I rather expect many of the local German immigrants (and children thereof) in Shepherdstown did.

Discover even more ideas for you

08/13/2022

What a beautiful day! We're not scared -- no, we aren't going on a bear hunt, and of course no one is scared of beautiful, delightful wool. (Nor do you have to cross mud, and a river, and a forest... though perhaps tall grass: swishy swashy, swishy swashy)

Hope to see some of you at 12:30 for some good, clean crafting fun!

08/07/2022

Next Saturday, August 13, is Bread-Baking day at the Peter Burr House. The long-range forecast hopefully indicates a very nice day, not too hot for an August day, so I think this would be a good day for our promised program "Warm as Wool". This is a program primarily for children, involving a read-aloud storybook followed by a craft of making wool balls to take home as toys. I think this might be best started at 12:30 pm (giving time for everyone to give their kids some lunch) and it should go on for about an hour, I expect. Young children will need help from their caretakers for this activity, and very little children will just want to play with the water. Expect everyone to get a bit wet!

This is a free activity; I will donate some of my plentiful collection of wool to the cause.

Although wet-felting, as we will be doing as our activity, was not an art practiced in Colonial America (as far as is known now, anyway), wool was one of the two critical fibers for clothing in the 18th C. -- and earlier. Wool is naturally warm, but it can be spun tightly along its long fibers (worsted) to form a very light cloth with excellent drape suitable for summer wear. It is somewhat waterproof, and thus makes excellent coats and cloaks, especially when spun, woven, and fulled to make exceptionally warm garments. It is also somewhat fire-proof: wool smolders before it burns, making it an excellent material for petticoats and sometimes aprons, particularly if you have a large hearth to move around in and are concerned about coming in contact with a stray ember or spark (though I must add that women know their hearths well, and are not likely to burn their clothes, though of course, kitchen accidents happen no matter whether you are in the 18th C. or the 21rst)

(the picture just shows some wool, clean & combed, and then the handspun yarn made from it. But we won't be doing spinning on Saturday)

07/06/2022

This coming Saturday, July 9, the bread bakers will be here baking bread in the bake oven, and thus the house will be open approximately 11am - 2pm (probably a bit longer).

I like to have a program on Bread Baking days, but there are a couple of difficulties with this one (a) the weather and (b) my husband has to work well into the afternoon which means I am lacking a vehicle to get there. I was planning on doing a read-aloud of a relevant picture book and a wool craft especially for little kids (though big kids and adults would like it too), however, a rainy day is not conducive to playing with soap, water, and wool. Yes, I give away my plans: to make wool felted balls.

Mind you, making felted balls was not something done in colonial America - what was extensively practiced was fulling, a 'felting' treatment of wool fabric, which made for stronger woven woolens that did not fray when cut. But I have found that this is a great activity on a hot summer day, where the participants come away with a greater appreciation of sheep & their wool, and have a toy to boot. But as an activity on a rainy day... not so much.

However, I do not have to do a program only on Bread Baking Days, just a Saturday (or even a Sunday afternoon) where the weather is conducive to activity. What I do need is an idea of how many people would be interested in doing this, as I would have to bring sufficient supplies. This is an activity that 3-6 year-olds will need help with but enjoy doing, ages 7+ can probably do by themselves, and toddlers just splash the water around. Good clean fun all around. So indicate in the comments if you have an interest, and how many would be participating. If there is a lot of interest, I will have do schedule multiple days, as only so many can do this at a go...

06/06/2022

This coming Saturday, June 11, is Bread Baking Day, so the house will be open while the bread bakers are there, approximately 10am-2pm. Because of transportation issues, I can't get there before 1pm at least, but I'd like to start doing our Saturday programs again, starting with this coming Saturday: 18th C. Clothing (c. 1775ish) in the 'log kitchen' of the Peter Burr House, from 1:30-3pm.

This will be a program mostly for children, as I will bring out the children's clothes I made for our young interpreters, as well as some adult women's clothes, and visitors can try them on! Parents, bring your cameras! We are expecting some rain on Saturday, but we will be inside, so should be fine. If the weather ends up warning of strong storms or pouring rain, the event will be postponed.

(Photo is of young interpreter Georgia making butter in the 'log kitchen')

05/30/2022

The apothecary rose in the garden is just beginning to bloom in earnest, so it is time to start harvesting petals. The apothecary rose, a rose that is believed to date back to at least the time of Classical Rome, has the interesting property of its fragrance being enhanced by drying, which makes it particularly useful for culinary, medicinal, and cosmetic purposes.

In a Pennsylvania 4-Square garden, which is the model for our kitchen garden, an apothecary rose would be at the center of the garden. However, our model garden is too small to do this without a rose bush impeding everything in the central hub of the garden, so this lovely specimen is located in the outer 4 square, the perennial herbs, representing the enduring heavens encircling the earthy inner squares, from which come our humble (but needed) vegetables.

I must confess, however, that our garden is sadly neglected these last few years - I just have not been able to come and tend it (not having a car most of the time does not help). Indeed it was quite an effort to get the garden door open at all! When I next come back to pick more petals, it will be with a shovel, clippers, and gloves.

11/13/2021

Last program of the year, all set up for what would be two well-attended homeschool sessions on making orange pomanders.

Afterwards, all was cleaned up, a bit of lavender and rosepetals put in the large bowl to set on the table, leaving a gentle floral and orange fragrance to linger in the air as I shut up the house. Good winter to you, dear Burr House.

11/04/2021

Here is the 'Great Room' of the Peter Burr house last evening, prepared for the first part of a local girl scout program. You can guess the content of the program, with the table laid for a tea party with Shrewsbury cakes (one of the parents would be bringing some ginger cakes, from a receipt by Hannah Glasse, to fill the other pewter dish) and a couple facsimile manners books at the corner.

We no longer can use the fireplaces in the house, but I got permission to use candles under cover for the event, so these were set out - as many as I had - to be gaily welcoming. I rather fancy the old house quite enjoyed being gussied up for visitors, no matter how short that time would be.

It was quite an adventure, as the temperatures dropped steadily and the night fell quickly - and as it was a moonless, overcast night, it was a very dark night indeed. Still, we could all see each other well enough, even if that teeny-tiny facsimile print (and my notes) were a challenge. I think everyone had a good time, and would do it again, given the opportunity. I know I would.

10/31/2021

*As I leave home this afternoon*

"Bye dear, off to work! Happy Halloween!"

(yes, the impish words would work better had I been festively dressed, but I needed that that broom to do some cleaning at the Peter Burr House prior to the Girl Scout Program Wednesday night)

09/24/2021

October 9 will be the last Bread-making day at the Peter Burr House for the season, and I would like to have the now semi-traditional "Antique Apple Tasting" as a special program that day as well, from about 11am to 1:30pm.

I dithered whether or not to do this, with the risk of COVID-19 transmission being rated "extremely high" in Jefferson County (indeed, all of WV) at present. I am hopeful that the risk levels will go down within two weeks, but we can't depend on that. Still, considering this from a microbiologist's point of view, I think with reasonable precautions this can be a relatively safe activity.

First, I will have the apples cut up on a table on the porch, which will give plenty of open air currents, with social distancing strongly recommended. If levels of transmission are still very high, masks are an excellent idea (between nibbling), even though you are outside. Can't hurt to be safe. And while the virus is primarily transmitted by aerosols, washing your hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer before eating is also a good idea. And even in the 18th C., people did make a practice of washing their hands before they ate, so it is a long-term good idea, not just during a pandemic.

One thing about we 21rst-Century people trying to guide our lives through a deadly pandemic is that we surely have even more empathy with people of the past, who had to deal with disease on a regular basis, and too often faced the prospect of an early death or the heart-breaking loss of loved ones, especially beloved children. Smallpox was especially feared: if you contracted smallpox, you had a one-in-three chance of dying (and that was if you were of European descent - a population that was somewhat 'acclimated' to smallpox; if you were an Indigenous person, your likelihood of death was much worse). If you survived smallpox, you were permanently scarred - sometimes blinded. If your child contracted diphtheria, you had a 1:10 chance of hopelessly watching your precious little one be slowly strangled of oxygen as they struggled to breathe - though the odds of death horribly increased if your sick child was a baby or toddler (to 1:5). Our anxiety, weariness, and grief as COVID-19 storms through all human populations connects us in sympathy to the people of the past.

But... they had apples. And they were good apples. I might not get a chance to make an apple pie at the Peter Burr House this year, but here is a delicious one from a few years past.

08/11/2021

This Saturday, August 14, is bread-baking day, so the house will be open. In addition, I shall have a vehicle available on Saturday, which means I can do an impromptu demonstration: Spinning, from 11am-1pm or so.

I will have carding combs available for those who want to try to help prepare wool for spinning, dyed fibers, and things to touch and explore. Some stories too, as desired! If you are available, come on down. Even better, if you have a free couple hours and a spinning wheel, head on over and we can have a 'spin-in'!

07/16/2021

As one (of two) little woad plants, I think this indicates I won't be getting any blue dyes from nature this summer. But, there are plenty of other dyes that we can - and will - do.

At Mary Stanley's Memorial estate sale, I picked up several potholder looms, and with the addition of several I already own, I've got enough to start a class; a larger class if some students bring their own. I've just ordered some natural wool potholder loops from Hillcreek Fiber; I have some natural dyestuffs on hand, and more will be available from the natural surroundings as summer progresses.

We will need a class to dye the wool in (2) different colors, and then a class to weave our loops (and there are different patterns you might like to try too).

Now, when best to do this? It would be best to wait until things cool off a bit in September, and the goldenrod will be in splendid dyeing season then too. I have limited transportation, but Saturday and Sunday afternoons would be fine for me. A homeschool session would also be a possibility, but I'd have to work around my transportation issues. Let me know if a Saturday or Sunday afternoon would work better (and perhaps our dear young dancers can once again participate if it is a Sunday)

But, starting to explore 18th C. arts and handwork once again at the Peter Burr House is a splendid thing to contemplate.

07/14/2021

I had a very happy weekend learning to weave bands on a bandgrind -- or as we might call it in English, a 'rigid heddle', though a bandgrind that can do most of the historic patterns of woven bands is rather more complicated in form than the usual rigid heddle. (And I plan to explore those, once I get the simple stuff down).

This type of weaving is also a type of an ancient weaving technique used in many cultures, the back-strap loom, where you provide the tension with your own body. I quite liked it, and I think I may experiment with some period tape designs from Colonial America . and see how it compares with tape made on a tape loom. Right now, I can get a much tighter weave with the back-strap style loom, as my tape loom tends to go skipping across the table when I apply sufficient tension (though I have read you are supposed to 'put a brick in it'! The tape loom that is.)

07/02/2021

As the menacing spectre of COVID-19 slowly fades, the Peter Burr House is showing signs of life again. Next Saturday, July 10 the Bread Bakers will be baking bread in the outdoor bake oven and the house will be open while they are there.

Ordinarily, I like to have some sort of educational program ongoing while the Bread Bakers are working, but that Saturday I will be spending most of the day learning to weave on a bandgrind. While historically, the ever important and useful linen or wool tape was generally made on a tape loom here in the Mid-Atlantic states, I anticipate this class will improve my technique. Besides, I am curious and love to learn new textile arts.

I do hope to offer some programs in weaving and dyeing in the upcoming months. In the meantime, I plan to explore more with natural dyes, such as this cochineal dyed Shetland wool being spun on my small castle wheel.

09/15/2020

Here I am with the apples from Distillery Lane again -- and which of these delightful offerings are period apples?

First, we have the aforementioned Summer Rambo, the most excellent of sauce apples. Other period apples on this list include:
Maiden's Blush (origin: New Jersey, late 18th C.): this is a very pretty apple; tender, sweet but with a slightly tart finish, making an excellent apple for eating fresh. But if you want to dry apples, this is the best apple for the job: the flesh stays white (amazingly) and its firm flesh dries quickly

Pitmaston Pineapple (origin: England, late 18th C.) - these are adorable little apples, with a sweet, almost spicy flavor. I think they rather taste like pineapples, really...

Baldwin (origin: Massachusetts, c. 1740): when I was a young college student in New England, an old farmer at a market urged me to try a Baldwin - 'not like your regular store apple' he said, giving me a large, attractive apple. He was right, and I was delighted. Baldwin is firm, juicy, sweet with a bit of tartness and an excellent keeping apple (one of the ones you can keep in your crisper until Spring). It is supposed to be an excellent pie apple, though I haven't made pie out of Baldwins... yet

Bramley's Seedling (origin: England, 1809) Very large apples that are tart! Boy, are they sharp! (my youngest daughter's very favorite for eating fresh, but that kid liked to suck on lemons when she was little. Just sayin'). They are one of the very finest for making pie and still the favorite for that job in Great Britain.

So it is time for me to make the journey to Jefferson MD this weekend for some of these excellent apples!

Be sure to come visit our apple barn this weekend for your favorite freshly picked, heritage apple!

Baldwin • Bramley’s Seedling • Pixie Crunch • Red Gravenstein • Summer Rambo • Redfield • Zestar • Snowsweet • Pitmaston Pineapple • Jefferis • Maiden’s Blush • Miller’s Red • Khazakhstan • Chieftain

🍏‼️OPEN SATURDAY + SUNDAY‼️🍏 12-5 pm

09/14/2020

Last year I had the great pleasure of teaching little girls (and their mothers) how to make those most useful of 18th C. accessories, pockets. We made big pockets for adults, medium pockets for children, and little tiny pockets for dolls.

You never know what your experiences will bring to you. This summer I discovered the webinars created by 'Jane Austen & Company', working out of North Carolina University, Chapel Hill. I learned that usually they have a 'Jane Austen Summer Program', but things being what they were this year, they turned to creating a program that could be accessed anywhere via the internet. That was certainly a boon for me! They also sponsored several writing contests, and I discovered the second one, framed around embroidery and sewing in Jane Austen's time, just a few days before the contest was due to close. However, they gave a helpful writing prompt: to think about what handwork you, the author, might like to do.

The truthful answer: A Lot. But what quickly came to mind was the pleasure of those lovely days, teaching the making of a pocket, and in short order my very short story (we had a limit of 500 words) was done: "A Pocket for a Poppet" (dolls were usually called poppets in the 18th and early 19th C.)

I must now confess, with perhaps immoderate glee, that my short story won second place, and here it is, for your pleasure, on their blog https://www.janeaustenandco.org/blog?utm_campaign=3ecc03d7-2d5e-4d1c-bb15-9c0917a1a7dc&utm_source=so

Upcoming Events for Jane Austen & Co.

09/09/2020

This year, of course, there will be no Antique Apple Tasting at the Peter Burr House, however, my source for these apples, Distillery Lane Ciderworks in Jefferson MD (right outside Burkittsville) is open on the weekends. What is remarkable about this orchard is that they have so many varieties that are historic ones. Summer Rambo is one of them -- though the 16th C. variety tended to be more red-cheeked; the more popular green-cheeked one of today may be a sport [mutation] - or simply picked to be slightly unripe. Some of these apples pictured below have the distinct red-cheeks of period illustrations.

Summer Rambo has quite an ancient history, being recorded in a French village in 1535. To put this date in perspective, this was well before the birth of Shakespeare. In England in 1535, the country was roiled by the king, Henry VIII declaring separation from the Roman Catholic Church -- but he was only getting started. In France, church reformers and the traditional Catholic church establishment were also clashing, but John Calvin had yet to write his works and set off a whole new branch of the Christian church. Meanwhile, no matter the political and religious turmoil, people tended their plants and animals, and Summer Rambo was among those lovingly nurtured. In the American colonies, Summer Rambo is recorded among apple trees in the mid 18th C. here.

Like most summer apples, Summer Rambo is to my taste a bit sharpish, nice and bracing, eating fresh. It makes terrific apple sauce. As the season progresses, they will have more varieties, both modern and historic (with more than a fair selection of 17th C. and 18th C. varieties!)

Summer Rambo apples were a 16th century French apple, popular with American colonists. They are crisp and juicy, a great apple for early season, eating out of hand and also perfection for sauce.

👀 Find these delicious apples at DLC. Visit us Saturday - Sunday • 12 - 5pm 🍏

08/08/2020

I have desired to do some virtual 'programs', and here is a first attempt: Dress for Toddlers and Very Young Children in the 18th C. Having a willing toddler on hand (little Liam, who turned three a month and a half ago) we have put together a few pictures and videos for you, which I will present in a short sequence.

Boys and girls wore the same style of clothing when they were very young, first long baby gowns (usually white) and then gowns, laced in the back. The underpinnings of the gown were thus the same: shift, stockings, shoes, and a tie-on pocket or two. Here Liam discovers that pockets can be especially interesting accessories of dress...

08/08/2020

what young children wore under their gowns in the 18th C.

08/06/2020

A delightful 18th C. engraving to enjoy for hot August days. The lady does seem a tad over-dressed for the occasion (I'm thinking her necklace & charming flower earrings) but those gauzy neckerchief and sleeve ruffles look cool and protective against sunburn and her gown light and comfortable

It’s hard to believe we are already in August! How have you been keeping cool in the summer heat? This woman is elegantly dressed to go fishing, and it seems she’s had some success! What sporting fashion would you wear?!

07/14/2020

Once again I share a Youtube video -- but this is 'something entirely different': "tips and tricks for historical distancing from the obviously distant 18th C." as says the author of the video. Starting with a delightfully silly nod to Fragonard's famous painting, "The Swing", this Baroque dancer gives a very brief, but entirely accurate lesson on bowing, a custom which requires a certain amount of social distancing from the start. This video is the beginning of a series: I look forward to seeking the rest out, and I hope you will enjoy it too.

Sarah Edgar's alter ego, Hilda Schmitterbitz, shows you how to socially distance like an imaginary 18th-century person. Check out her friends at www.nybaroqu...

07/05/2020

I have made many period garments for volunteers at the Peter Burr House, mostly for children, and mostly without any compensation. I'm a volunteer- that's what I do (though compensation at least for materials would be nice. It has happened occasionally). My feeling is that if interpreters are clothed in historic dress, it should be done as accurately and as well-researched as possible since visitors who are not familiar with the 18th C. will have their impressions shaped by the images you provide and, conversely, visitors who know the 18th C. well will be strongly put off by any fakery. Using period-style fabrics such as wool and linen, and using period hand-finishing techniques has more advantages, however, than merely looking correct - such garments last. Most of the children's garments have now cycled through several children, and while they have been worn only occasionally they still have received plenty of hard wearing from work and play. They have been washed, mended, and altered as needed, and have years of wear still left in them. This is also true for the adult garments, though they have not had quite so much hard wear!

This is a lesson perfectly applicable to the 21st Century. Clothing made of good (preferably natural) materials, with finished seams and made well will last for years. Natural materials have the significant added advantage that when they are completely worn out, they can be made into other things -- cleaning cloths, if nothing else. In the very end, they can become a mulch underlayer in your garden. The problem, of course, is that good materials are much more costly than cheap ones, and even more so the finished garments - a cheap shirt will cost a lot less than the cotton fabric you would buy to make it (and probably more if you use linen). And, if you insist on making most of your clothes yourself (like I do), you are probably going to have a very limited wardrobe (which is certainly true for me, also) But those cheap garments have a high price tag that we can not see right away, and that is why I am a proponent of the "Slow Fashion" movement, and this young fashion historian in this Youtube video explains the the situation before us most eloquently. While Ms. Banner's discussion revolves around a medieval garment she made, the points are equally relevant to making period-style 18th C. clothing, buying 21st Century clothing, or making any garments on your own.

I mentioned a few wonderful ethical/slow fashion brands and small artists, which you should definitely go check out! Also leave some of your faves (or yourse...