“… I have receivd your Letter of the 15th and have got two suits of what I was told wa⟨s⟩ the prettiest Muslin. I wish it may please you—it cost 50/. a suit that is 20/. a yard” George Washington to Martha Washington, 1775
Activities
Ready, Set, Stitch!
9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Orientation Center
Watch as Mount Vernon's historic costumers, with special guests from Colonial Williamsburg's Milliner's Shop and Brooke Welborn of Burnley & Trowbridge Co., create all the trimmings and trappings for a fashionable 18th-century woman. Learn about the differences between plain sewing, mantua-making, and millinery and what skills were needed for each.
Splitting Hairs
9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Orientation Center
Discover the latest in 18th-century hairstyles. Watch as a wigmaker from Colonial Williamsburg uses the skills of a barber and hairdresser to make a fashionable wig. Be sure to ask what a peruke is (and why George Washington did not wear one).
Lavish Lace
9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Orientation Center
What was the 18th century's most fashionable accessory? Lace held the same status in the past as designer shoes and handbags do today. Watch as members of the Chesapeake Region Lace Guild demonstrate 18th-century lacemaking techniques and learn more about the history of lace.
Tactile Textiles
9:30 a.m. - 11:45 p.m. & 1 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Spinning House
Visit the Discovery Cart for a hands-on lesson about textile production at Mount Vernon.
Warp and Weft
9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Greenhouse
Do the words warp, weft, shuttle, and bobbin make your head spin? Join a hands-on activity to learn the basics of weaving with Mount Vernon's expert weavers.
A-Dressing The Nation with "Christopher Sheels"
Saturday at 11:30 a.m. & 3 p.m.
Sunday at 11 a.m. & 12 p.m.
Interpretive Center
Join “Christopher Sheels,” Washington’s enslaved valet, as he discusses the clothing he was expected to wear, and what that clothing signified to himself and others.
A Good Yarn
2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Spinning House
Stop by the Spinning House to see the process of turning sheep’s wool into cloth. Historic Trades staff will discuss 18th-century textile production at Mount Vernon and demonstrate spinning and weaving.
