Fabric Display
Stone House Tavern Museum 2026
The upstairs ballroom of the Stone House Tavern Museum was transformed into a fascinating display of antique clothing featuring styles and fabrics from the mid-1800s to the 1930s. The exhibit included quilts locally handcrafted. The exhibit was on display during the summer of 2026. All items were donated by local residents. It closed on August 29th.
Some of the items displayed included:
The art of quilting has ancient roots. It was primarily a practical way of providing insulation from the cold. Also, it could display one's resourcefulness, creative abilities, and mastery of sewing techniques. Friendship quilts are individual squares, made and signed by the sewer, and then pieced together into a quilt which reflected a common bond. Quilting bees were a common practice providing a social event that produced a practical product (and possibly some good gossip on the side.)
There was a variety of woman's clothing on display ranging from a simple night shirt to wedding dresses. To reflect social status, garden party dresses were made specifically for those events. Although very proper, they were not appropriate for Sunday's church service. Of the three wedding dresses on display, only two are white reflecting the Victorian influence. The other is a handmade beautifully crafted 1864 dress that could be altered for everyday use. The Flapper Era revolutionized fashion by abandoning the restrictive corsets for loose, straight-cut silhouettes with dropped waists and hemlines only to the knees. This scandalous design allowed uninhibited, and at times "questionable" dance moves.
Camp Nitawa on Lake Spofford required all participates purchase green cotton swimming suits from one NYC vendor. They were similar to the cotton swim outfit on display.
Beside needlepoint, embroidery and hand crocheting, the lost art of tatting was also on display.
What would a display of antique clothing be without a bustle, that popular item from the mid to late 18th Century. They required the dress or skirt's back hem to be longer than the front. To go with the bustle, there is a corset which appears beautifully made, but a monster to wear.
