Prompting our visit to Colonial Williamsburg was a premier viewing of the Electronic Field Trip my son had recently acted for, as aide-de-camp to General Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812 in New Orleans.
Since we came down for that, we decided to enjoy a few fun days seeing the town to experience some of the new programing.
Meanwhile I wore my newest embellished gown as the kids and I posed as an 18th century family in the historic area.
On the day of arrival, I was not yet in costume, since driving while wearing stays is a nightmare.
JOINING THE VIRGINIA MILITIA
So, keeping the day easy, we began with the EFT viewing, then we joined the Virginia militia!
The next day, however, I joined the kids in wearing 18th century attire.
FENCING ON THE STREETS
Arriving at the street theater program, we met up with one of the actresses wearing a gown with the same fabric as mine!
The newest scene for the street theater was all about fencing!
Costume Vignettes in a Palace Garden
We took lots of fun pictures in the Governor’s Palace garden, which included a funny interchange with a guest with a camera. Read more here.
MILLINER
While visiting the milliner, I studied this gorgeous gown.
Seeing double again…one of the milliners was wearing a gown with the same fabric as mine!
TAILOR
When the tailor saw my new gown, he analyzed it, then commented that I needed to eat more cream puffs.
{{{I’ve been laughing about that all day.}}}
However, I admitted my need for some lift to my skirts, but despite how I try, it doesn’t look right, so upon telling him that he gave me a few tips that I’m excited to try.
For the first time the tailor saw my son’s new waistcoat. After an analysis he offered a few tips for a few details.
SECRET GARDENS
On our last day on this visit, I walked in 21st century clothes for an easy drive home that evening.
Beginning the day with some old homework from a garden tour we took, we visited the gardens throughout town.
On this exploration we discovered a secret garden, where the bushes are all about twice as tall as me!
It was a lovely quiet spot! The kids could actually hide inside the giant bushes here!
18TH CENTURY GAMES
Then we attended the street theater, where the kids got to play 18th century games and win a pin.
My son even got to dance on the stage.
Bindery
We finished the day at the bindery!
In 1774 Colonial Williamsburg, the printshop is owned by Alexander Purdie!
We saw him the other day riding his horse with his pocket full of newspapers!
Behind the printshop is the bindery, where books are bound.
In the colonies, the average person, middling sort, might only be able to afford a paper copy.
The decorative paper is created with a common technique used in the shop.
This is one of the gorgeous leather-bound books which the interpreter tried to sell to my daughter, but it was even too expensive for us! That was the point. Few people purchased these. Paper copies were more common.
Inside the cover is marbled paper. I asked a lot of questions about this. Turns out the interpreter I was talking to is the resident expert at creating marbled paper. The 18th century technique takes great skill and is far more complicated than modern craft book instructions.
When I saw a basket full of linen for making paper, I noted that I saw that demonstration on my first visit in 1989.
Explaining that they don’t do it anymore at CW, he pulled out the frame and explained the process.
As I recall they got most of their paper from Britain, although there was a paper mill outside of Williamsburg at one time.
