Welcome back everyone! It’s Heather and Mia again here to introduce you to some exciting content about the O’Hara Family and life on the Homestead. This year we are doing things a little different … each week will have a featured theme and Wednesday-Sunday there will be a post each day exploring that theme and the occasionally demonstration video!
Week 1: Community Connections
Week 2: Textiles and Fashion
Week 3: The Life of a Pioneer Child
Week 4: Food Preparation and Preservation
Week 5: Horses and Carriages
Week 6: Customs and Traditions
Week 7: Agriculture
Week 8: Odds and Ends
Week 9: Wintering The Homestead
Today we are taking a look at fashion! Specifically some of the pieces that we have at the museum house from the O’Hara family. The family was fairly well off once they had their footing in Madoc and the clothes they wore demonstrate some of the finery of the time!
Read MoreHand weaving, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, and cross-stitch were all other skills that would have been learned and frequently used by early settlers. One of the pieces we have that best displays the art of hand-weaving is Mrs. Mary Jane Lear O’Hara’s overshot counterpane coverlet. This is not something commonly seen today as it was woven on a loom that would have to be used by hand, unlike large industrial sized looms today that are almost entirely automated.
Read MoreToday we are going to be looking at the art of Quilting! Quilting was of course a common practice to keep warm, but it was also to create something beautiful. Many women spent their time quilting a variety of patterns and styles of quilts, using the materials available to them!
Read MoreToday we are going to be looking at how wool and other materials were made into yarn and cloth that could be used to make whatever your heart desires! Learning how to use a spinning wheel, and in some cases a loom, was essential for early settlers facing harsh winters in Canada. These skills would help keep the family warm and clothed all year round!
Read MoreHaving well-made clothing and linens was essential to the survival of early settlers in Canada. Deciding what materials to use and where to get them from were the first, and possibly most important, steps of making any kind of textile.
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