One first passes through the Gift Shop which is set up in an old barn. There, one pays admission and then is directed to view a film about farm life in past centuries that was made by the University of New Hampshire. The filmmakers interviewed elderly people who had memories of growing up on a farm. From there, one steps into another part of the former horse barn and sees three quilts on display. A Rose of Sharon appliqued wedding quilt shares one wall with a pieced four-patch quilt made from fabrics from a Manchester, NH handkerchief mill. The opposite wall features a quilt made by the Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild in Wolfeboro, NH. That quilt, made in 1989, has a central oval that depicts the yellow buildings of the farm, sheep out front, foliage, etc. and is surrounded by traditional quilt blocks made by members of the guild.
Guided tours of the old farmhouse, once a "tavern," are available periodically throughout the day. One room is now dedicated as a study room for weaving and spinning and implements for processing flax into linen can be seen, as well as dye stuffs, and two working barn looms. Throughout the house, quilts that were donated to the museum are displayed on walls and on one small quilt rack. A magnificent Crazy Quilt adorns the wall of a Victorian parlor. An adjacent room features a large doll house and a wooden doll bed made by one of the former residents of the house. Old implements, tools, and textiles are on view in other rooms and provide a sort of timeline of progress.
 |
| German peg doll dressed in English 19th century costume
The doll shown here was purchased at the museum's gift shop.
She came with fabric and a pattern to make her dress and pantalettes. |
No comments:
Post a Comment