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| 1780's Farm |
Whilst exploring the 1780’s farm in the Victory Center in Yorktown (USA), I discovered something that sent my textile radar into overdrive.
Now we all love colour, right? Well, down in a small shed on the other side of the garden was a small basket of cotton ready for carding and a sample board of dyed fabrics. The colours were amazing – a subtle palette of natural dyes…
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| Herbs drying in the Kitchen |
Jamestown, across the Colonial Parkway, was settled by English colonists in 1607; the beginning of English Colonial America 1607 – 1781. We've all heard of Captain John Smith and Pocahontas? Yorktown was later settled in 1691 and grew to become a sizeable and busy port in what was known as the Tidewater region. Tobacco was its main commodity, which was grown on small farms surrounding the port. These farms were generally 2-3 acres and fertile enough to support crops of tobacco and foodstuffs. Families of 6-8 lived in a one or two roomed cottage. The kitchen, a barn for drying tobacco, a walled kitchen garden and smaller storage areas were located nearby. Self-sufficiency was de rigueur.
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| Collage of farm shots |
This translates into finding time in their already busy schedules to grow their own animal or vegetable fibre (cotton or wool), then prepare it ready for spinning, weaving and colouring. Once they had cloth, it had to be then sewn (by hand!) into clothing or practical household goods such as blankets. I wonder how many of our fashion divas would survive this homespun life?
