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Leffingwell Museum Features Colonial Costume Making
What better place to learn how to sew clothing from the colonial period, than at the Leffingwell House Museum. It is a place where visitors are taken back in time, to a less hectic life, of the early 18th century. The house was built in 1675 as a two-room house. The classes started on Saturday, April 3, and will continue to run on Saturdays during the month of April. Denise Williams will teach participants to design and sew their own colonial costumes. Williams makes her own costumes and dresses in period clothing from the Civil War and also the Elizabethan period. She is now focusing on learning about costumes from the colonial period. Leffingwell House Museum's Volunteer Program Coordinator Beryl Fishbone said, "Williams is a simplicity pattern award winner. She is here to give a class on colonial costumes, from the inside out. She is starting with the undergarments, considered hidden garments." The first class was sewing a chemise, the undergarment worn by women of that time period. Fabric was made from linen or wool, because cotton was too costly. Linen was readily available, since it was made from home-grown flax, and spun on a spinning wheel. Gray was a typical color for the women, with men wearing mostly brown, or other colors made from natural dyes. 
"Black was considered a color worn by extremely rich people," said Williams. "Black wool was imported from England, and was expensive," she said."Blue was considered a servant color." Since most of the early settlers in the Norwich area were not rich, blue and pink were popular colors worn back then. Norwich City Historian Dale Plummer took the class. "I have been in the Medieval Festival, and I make my own clothing. In June, I will be involved in an early 19th Century Assembly Ball of Regency, and I came to see how to make the costumes," he said. The second class will be on April 10, and will focus on skirts and pants. Williams will be teaching how to make a corset or vest for the third class on April 17, and for the last class on April 25, they will be making a jacket and accessories, such as mop caps, kerchief and aprons. The class is held at the Leffingwell Museum, located at 348 Washington Street in Norwich, and will run on Saturday mornings from 9:00 a.m. until noon. Classes may be taken individually, or as a series. Classes are free, but a $20 donation for the class series would be appreciated. Walk-ins are welcome. For more information , contact the museum at 860-887-9000. By Karen Butera, Staff Writer, |
