Eclipsed Reflections

I am sure by now you have heard Western NY was blanketed in cloud cover for the April 8th solar eclipse. While those of us at GCVM’s Solar Eclipse Spectacular and other regional gatherings did not get to put on our glasses to watch the moon pass in front of the sun, we did get to experience the great darkening with a beautiful show of light and color.

The darkening of the Eclipse settled in as I stood between Hyde and Hamilton houses. While I originally planned to view the Eclipse from the village square, I am glad I was able to see the light and color display around the silhouettes of Hyde house and the Hamilton carriage house. My photos and video do not do justice to the dynamic &vibrant colors.

I spent the day in Hosmer’s Inn, a building I very rarely get to do programs in, working on silk globes based on those sewn by students at the West Town School, a Quaker girls’ school in Pennsylvania. These sewn, inked, and embroidered globes were a for girls to learn geography. To my delight, I met two groups of guests familiar with the West Town School, including one guest whose sister taught there.

1 Globe template. 2 Cotton lining. The original globes were lined in linen. I found my stitches are too tight for the linen I have on hand. 3 Silk taffeta. 4 Globe core filled with wool. 5 My first globe is inked in color with embroidered longitude lines and equator. 6 Second Globe in progress with lightly inked with silk embroidery started. My plan is to embroider this Globe with the paths of the sun, moon, and “visible” planets the day of the Eclipse. 7 Silk taffeta exterior I was sewing during the event.

The silk globes opened a discussion with guests about how girls and women could learn, expand, and express their knowledge through fancy work. We talked about how mathematics and geometry were essential for piece work projects and drafting patterns, and an 1870-1880s genre of fancy work incorporated flora, fauna, and an understanding of ecology.

I spent part of the morning talking with with Adriana Loh of Spectrum News. She created a nice piece on women in science during the nineteenth century: Party Like it’s 1878. This includes an article and video.

The day prior to the event, I switched my wardrobe plans upon reading an article about the colors green and red appearing brighter and darker, respectively, as the eclipse begins. I previously planned to wear my warmer, grey wool dress. Instead, I opted for my summer, wool challis. I am pretty sure excitement & adrenaline were the only things to keep me going until a fire was built.

I decided to display my eclipse themed pockets rather than wear them where no one could see them. It was nice to see how many people knew they were pockets.

Despite mother nature’s change in plan, the day seemed to be enjoyed by all. Guests had the opportunity to celebrate with family & friends while exploring the museum. They could participate in a historic look at the eclipse without being overwhelmed by crowds. I found conversations to be rich as visitors connected with little balls of silk.