Summer Reflections

This was a summer filled with time travel. Personally, this summer was the most I felt like me in a long time. (I know summer continues for another month for most. But, I return to school/work tomorrow bringing my summer to an end. This, this post and it’s mate for “fall”.)

Events

The vast majority of early summer was spent fluttering about the nineteen century from event to event.

Pre-summer began with dressing Theo, thus named by visitors, in a dress made from one of the reproduction kerchiefs based on the Green collection.

Tools of the Trade for weekend of the Antique Show. It was nice to see this display/demonstration concept come together for the first time. I toyed with it through the winter. I look forward to further developing it.

Independence Day Celebration – I was rather amused to not only have my photo taken, but to end up on TV.

Bon Bon Baskets for Chocolate Weekend – I was delighted with how well this went over with visitors.

Women’s Employments at the Civil War Living History Weekend – I entered this weekend in an emotional, stressed state. The company of my assistants and excellent questions from visitors turned my mood around.

A Novel Weekend: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – I attended this event as a visitor. I enjoyed seeing visitors actively engaged with the weekend’s program.

Me

I managed to successfully remember to grab quick selfies most days in dress. This is progress considering I usually forget. Future goal: full dress photos at each event.

Millinery

I usually like to report a total number of millinery pieces made…. I am not quite sure what the full count is. I think 🤔 for July and August I made 28 straw millinery pieces plus 2 special project pieces, 3 bon bon baskets, and an assortment of miniature straw pieces for the holiday season.

New Acquisitions

Each time I look at the photos of this bonnet, I pause because I still can’t believe it is mine. It is currently boxed away in the collections closet. This bonnet has nudged my goal of proper archival boxes further up the list. Ideally, I could make the right size boxes for each bonnet with custom supports for the bonnet inside.

I’m still surprised I saw this little fancy work frame as it was tucked in a basket in an over stuffed antique shop in transition. (Hmmm, I should get back there to see how it is evolving. )

Research

I started a section of my millinery research that I’ve been wanting to do for quite a while. I am looking into the local milliners of the nineteenthcentury, starting with the milliners in Livingston County through the census records. I hope to develop a picture of most of the milliners of the mid century. This started with identifying them in the census and outlining each of their households. Next will be exploring local advertisements in newspapers to see if the shops they worked in can be identified and matched with milliners.