10th Annual Ladies Conference 2008
April 4-6 2008
Fort Martin Scott
Fredericksburg, TX
Time is here to announce the plans for the 19th C Ladies Conference. We have a great schedule of workshops set for you.
Friday Evening
Deborah Russell will have a slide presentation on Early American Decoration. By the mid 19th C much of this art was out of fashion. Young girls were taught Decorative Arts at finishing school all over the country during the early part of the 19th C. So this is an art we would have seen or have done ourselves.
Saturday
Martha Graham, a new instructor to our group, is going to teach us how to make our own stockings and then embroider the ever popular Clockwork on them.
Janet Rice has agreed to talk about plain sewing and show us some of the fine details that will make us better hand sewers. We will make a really simple but unique sun/slat bonnet. The pattern is so easy you can make one for every outfit or in every color. This one will be done with a simply quilted brim so it can be folded back. This will solve the mailbox effect that slat bonnets offer. There is some do-ahead preparation for this class so that you can finish your bonnet at the conference. You will receive the instructions to draft your pattern and the pattern layout once your deposit has been received.
Lunch
Deborah Russell and Kimberly Scott plan on teaching stenciling on a band box. This will be in conjunction with Friday nights talk on Early American Decoration. This box will be a nice addition for your hair dressing supplies or sewing materials.
Karen Verschoor finally will be showing us how to make all those neat hair pieces. She will talk about dyeing hair and how to take the switches apart and create hair pieces for 1830 to 1890. So be sure to have pictures of styles you have questions on how to do them. I am sure Karen can help.
We will adjourn for dinner.
Dinner will be served at the Fort. We will dress for dinner as well, so start planning that dinner dress to bring.
Dinner will be served at 7:00 PM. If your gentleman has come to Fredericksburg with you, he is also invited to join us for dinner.
Sunday
After a light breakfast we will have a short church service. Janet Rice is in charge of our service. Debbie Russell will play the dulcimer for the church service.
After Church we will have a chance to view some of Kimberly's collection of period fashion plates that cover the 19th C.
Lunch and saying good byes.
Conference Costs and Important Information
The cost this year for the conference which includes all meals and handouts will be $60. If you will be bringing your spouse or other half his meal will be $25 for Sat night.
In the past husbands who have wanted to come along have headed on up to Russell Hill Ranch for a weekend of male bonding. I have no idea what the guys have done in the past. But then if you all wish to just sit under the oak trees and enjoy the quiet that is fine too.
Your reservation must be in to me by March 22, 2008. At that time an instruction sheet for drafting the simple pattern for the sun bonnet will be emailed to you. See the rest of the instructions for this class and the others below under class supplies. To hold your place a deposit of $30 (plus $15 if spouse is attending dinner Sat night must be sent to : Deborah Russell, 107 Itz Ranch Rd, Fredericksburg, TX 78624. I can not hold a place for you with out your deposit.
On all reservations made after the 22nd, the conference fee will be $70.
The balance of the conference fee is to be paid upon arrival Friday evening unless you have informed me you will be arriving Sat Morning.
Arrivals: You can arrive any time after 3 PM Friday afternoon. There will be a light supper planed. If you will be arriving late please call to let me know that you will be late. If you indicated you will be arriving on Friday night but change your mind to arrive on Sat morning please let me know ahead of time or call. I would be grateful if you would please be kind in letting me know this so that I too can have as restful a night as possible.
Cancellations: If for some reason you have to cancel all moneys will be returned if canceled before the 27th of March, a partial refund will be returned, if you cancel after that you will forfeit your deposit.
In the past we have given a donation to the Fort if we have any monies left. We feel that it is wonderful of the Fort to let us come and use their place free of charge and it is our way of saying thank you. Last year they received 3 new tables and this year I hope to be able to get the rubber tips for the bottoms of the metal folding chairs.
If you have any questions or I have not covered everything please feel free to let me know.
Supplies
Basic Supplies
Sewing kit: scissors for fabric and paper, needles (sharps), pins, pencil, small ruler, and anything else you will need to sew with.
Note book and pencil or pen.
Class Supplies
For the stockings class: 1 yard of cotton t-shirt fabric. Hobby Lobby or Joann's are good sources for this, 1 skein of embroidery floss-color of your choice, Embroidery needles, small hoop, washable blue marking pen.
For the sunbonnet class: ¾ yard of light weight cotton-the kind you find at Wal-Mart for a $1. Once you get your pattern instructions you can cut out the pattern from your fabric ahead of time. Twill tape for ties under the chin, quilting thread, quilting needles, a thimble if you use one.
For the stencil class: A 6-8" round brown paper covered box with lid painted with a light color paint such as beige or gray. Use acrylic paint you can buy at the craft store such as Apple Barrel. This can be applied using a sponge brush. 2 coats should cover it nicely. If you do not wish to use a box there will be some pre painted paste boards available for you to try the stenciling on. You will get a pre cut pattern to take home so if you wish you can then do your box or what ever later. You will also need a stencil brush that is ½". It should say on the package what size it is. If you are not sure email me.
For the hair talk: Questions and pictures of hair styles you would like to know how to make.
Other Conference Information
Location: Fort Martin Scott, which is just east of Fredericksburg on US 290, on the north side of the road. If you go far enough to see the Wal-Mart on your left, you've gone too far.
Travel Hints: If you are coming from the north through Austin, take IH35 to Round Rock. At the south side of Round Rock, take the FM1325 exit. FM1325 is also Burnet Road and becomes Loop 1 or Mopac. Stay on Loop 1 through Austin until you come to the intersection for 290 West. If you are coming down from the west side of the Dallas area or Ft. Worth, you can take US281 south to Johnson City and then take US290 West toward Fredericksburg. If you are heading in from Houston Take 10W to 71W and follow that into Austin. It will then hook up with 290 W. Stay on 290 W right into Fredericksburg. The Fort is on 290 on the Right hand side if you are headed West.on 290. Once you cross over a little bridge you will see a sign for the Fort.
Emergency Phone Numbers:
Fort Martin Scott phone - 830-997-9895, my cell phone number is 830-889-0776
Camping Supplies:
Think of this as camping without having to pitch a tent. If you need it and usually have it along, bring it. Specifically some things I know will be necessary or nice to have are:
- A sewing or handwork project to keep one's hands busy at the same time as one's ears
- Cot and sleeping bag/bed roll and blankets. A few of the rooms have cots in them but most don't
- A comfortable stool or chair although there are chairs there.
- Eating Utensils - what you usually bring to an event
- "Miscellaneous Camp Stuff" - the stuff you always bring and can't live without
- Lanterns - and matches - we will be doing without electricity except in the classroom, so you'll need light in the rooms. And on Friday night, we may try doing with out electricity in the museum building, just for the sake of ambience.
- A rug - if you have one and can bring it - the officer's quarters floors are bare and we get to make them homelike.
- Your favorite after hours refreshment for Friday evening - hot chocolate, whatever
- A dress or bonnet that you've trimmed out and would like to show off, or a dress or bonnet you want to trim and for which you need ideas.
Dress:
We will be dressing out for the weekend and there may be spectators, or there may not, depending upon the weather, but this is a dress-up and let's pretend weekend. However, since we are short on space, work dresses and no hoops are recommended for day wear. We will be meeting in the barracks building, so we'll have heat/AC and light during the day. Saturday night's dinner will be in the barracks building; this is our chance to dress in our finest.
Facilities:
Fort Martin Scott, as most of you will remember, consists of two officers quarters - each having two rooms off a central hall, with a fireplace in each room, and the original guardhouse/doctor's office building. There is also a new reconstructed enlisted men's that we will use as a meeting place. for classes and for check in and socializing on Friday night. In the sleeping quarters, we will probably be 3 to 4 ladies to a room, so this weekend will be something a cross between the dorms and summer camp.
Please note that security is questionable in the rooms during the day. So make sure you can tuck things away. It's just like a reenactment - generally people are nice and we've never had a problem, but we just need to be careful.
We'll be using the rest rooms in the visitor's center and the old caretaker's apartment. There is one shower in there but the hot water heater is small. Showers are available at the Road Runner RV Park just up the road for $2.00. You'll have to bring your own soap and towels and drive up the road, but they are there. Otherwise we can wash up at the sinks in the visitor's center or the apartment bathroom.
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