The Morrison House Museum is located in Londonderry, New Hampshire.
On Old Home it is open for tours, and outside there are many
demonstrations of blacksmithing, basket weaving, fur tanning and
a re-enactment of a colonial era encampment
I donated my table top loom to the Historical Society.
Kate Kilgus had it all warped and ready for Old Home Day.
Visitors were allowed to weave the shuttle back and forth
to produce a co-operatively made piece of cloth.
Kate Kilgus "The Nutfield Weaver"
and David Colglazier, Treasurer of the Londonderry Historical Society
Everyone who visited the Morrison House Museum enjoyed participating or asking questions.
Kate and I were surprised by the large number of visitors.
The children were especially fascinated with using a loom to weave!
By the end of the afternoon we made about 18" of cloth!
The Londonderry 4th Graders will continue weaving during their
classroom field trips to the Morrison House Museum.
"The use of flax started in Ireland, and eventually linen making became the basic industry of early Londonderry. The Patterson Homestead (c.1729, destroyed by fire) manufactured and sold Londonderry Linen, which was considered to be the best in New England. Londonderry linen is claimed to have been worn by both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Because many people attempted to sell linen under the pretense that it was manufactured in Londonderry, the House of Representatives drew up an act to have a seal affixed to all linen manufactured in Londonderry in 1731 and by 1768, New Hampshire produced 25,000 yards of linen cloth annually."
Kate Kilgus "The Nutfield Weaver" donated her time, expertise and materials to this weaving demonstration for Old Home Day. You can see her shop at http://www.nutfieldweaver.com/ or read her blog at http://nutfieldweaver.blogspot.com/
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Copyright 2010, Heather Wilkinson Rojo
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