Colonial Williamsburg, VA, Day 1

What a wonderful place to visit.  I am impressed with the forethought of city planners, then and now, to keep the surrounding area undeveloped.   Lots of green space, buildings with old world charm, etc.   Then you get to the actual Colonial Williamsburg Section.   

In 1926, Philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr. financed the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg.    The Rockefeller family provided more than $79 million over the following decades to create this living history museum.   The staff is so well versed and totally in character.   Truly a step back in time when one enters one of their shops.  They rarely break character, are a wealth of knowledge, encourage questions and really seem to thoroughly enjoy their jobs.

On the way to Williamsburg, we took a side trip to The Stitching Post near Baltimore.   Sorry, no pictures.  We arrived at 2:35 and they closed at 3 pm.   A quick pick up of needed floss and out of there.   In Williamsburg, of course we visited the local cross stitch store, Liberty Hill Needleworks.  What a fantastic store.  Beautiful displays, friendly and helpful staff.  Tons of models on display.   We must have been there two hours.  Minimal credit card damage was done.

Once in Williamsburg, we started our tour at the Visitors Center.  You can park here and shuttle to Colonial Williamsburg or there is a walking path to Colonial Williamsburg.  In hindsight, I am so glad we need not decide to park here and walk into town.

Inside the visitors center was the “Birthday Quilt”.   Quilt blocks were constructed, submitted and then the wide array was on display.  They are individual blocks and not sewn to one another.   Some were patriotic, others were not, some were political, some were scenic, some were traditional quilt blocks.

  

 

This one was created using silk flowers. 

Leaving the Visitors Center, Lisa had recommended a great parking lot one block off the Duke of Gloucester Street (the Main Street of Colonial Williamsburg.).  When I say great, location great  and $1 an hour price  great.   No highway robbery here. 




 

Our first stop was the Art Museum of Colonial Williamsburg.   Unfortunately for us, the needlework display was closed for revamping the exhibit.   Worry not, we saw many lovely things, just not samplers.

Clothing was often remade and updated as styles changed.   This silk fabric produced in 1720’s and was made into a gown.   50 yeas later, it was updated to the latest fashion.   It is a testament to the quality of the textile.  

It was traditional to dress sisters alike.   Younger girls had the shorter skirts with pantalettes to cover their legs.  Unknown who these dresses belonged to but they stayed together for over 200 years.

The waistcoat below is believed to have been stitched at home rather than produced professional.  There is a placket of buttons behind the embroidery which was probably done to preserve the embroidery.  

The front panel of this waistcoat was woven as a panel.  Stitched with metallic threads, this would have shimmered in candlelight when the threads were new.  

At the end of the 1700’s, waistcoats drastically changed shape.  

Exquisite doll house.

I took exception to the use of a sewing needle to represent a knitting needle in the ball of yarn.   Just the internal perfectionist in me.

The “York” heel, made popular by the Princess of York when she married King Georges III’s second son, Frederick.   She was an unwittingly a trendsetter.   Below is a show that was modify to become more like the ever popular York heel.

When George Washington died, Americans were anxious to find ways to honor him. A series of mourning rings were made by a jeweler in Philadelphia.   One found its was to the Marquis de Lafayette.

Winterthur Estate/Museum, in northern Delaware, has  - I believe - 4 or 5 of Paul Revere’s tankards on display in their collection.

Decorative painting became popular in the 1790’s.  It was initially used to simulate more costly building materials.  Most was done freehand without templates.

Why are these people never smiling in their portraits?    They actually are.   It was thought to be vulgar to show your teeth and showed you had no self control.    Below, the Boy in Plaid.  

Girl With Cat

Close up of a quilt by Sophia Van Gleson or her grand-daughter, Mary Sophie Post of Passaic County, NJ.   With family names carried through generations the exact provenience could not be determined. 

Crazy Quilting - a great way to use scraps.  It has always been a fancy of mine to do one.   Maybe one day and then again maybe not.  

Jane Pelton Burdon pieced a variation of a Le Moyne Star quilt before marrying amd moving to Waterbury, CT.  This quilt contains over 400 8-pointed stars.  This quilt was surely used in Jane and her husband’s  home on Pine Street, built in 1893, and still standing today.  

Coverlet - amazing how vibrant the colors remain. 

Coverlet, half woolen/half cotton, woven in Indiana, circa 1868 in John Kline’s weaving center.

Quilt by Sarah Pennepacker d. 1883, of Montgomery and Chester Counties PA, 

And that my friends is a wrap on most of what we did on Day 1 in Williamsburg.   Thanks for hanging in with me on my travels.   Keep positive, stay happy and keep on stitching.