Fanny's Day: Historical Reenactment & Family Fun Day at the Ethan Allen Homestead

You guys will be good at harvesting the flag. That's what you're folks in there to be able to talk to you about living with Alan Fanny Allen. So, a lot of really exciting activities. >> Yeah. And we have a lovely garden as well that's uh people are going to be in. So, you can ask questions about that, too, because Annie was one of Vermont's first botist. >> All right. Hi and welcome to the Ethan Island Homestead Museum. This is one of our free reenactment weekends. It's Fanny's Day. Today we're going to be having a host of really wonderful activities at the museum. Kite, do you want to tell us about them? >> Yeah. Uh so today we have several things going on including some craft tables for 18th century crafts and uh someone in the garden because we have an 18th century garden dedicated to Fanny. And then we're gonna do a an harvest of our flax that we grow here every year. And that's going to be a crowd-pleaser for sure. >> Absolutely. >> All right. So, come on by the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum. We're happy to see you. >> Bring it up like this. Come on. It tells you all about different flowers. [music] So, I do want you to check those out before [music] Sam Yes. >> Yeah. 84. >> Last time I was there, I gave someone your phone number. >> Okay. If you can Oh, yeah. [snorts] Bunny and 11year-old son. Shortly after, Fanny gave birth to another son, Ethan Alonso. It was these two babes, Ethan's surviving sons, not his widow, who inherited the estate. And women are at an enormous disadvantage in um the legal system of the period. So, women can't own property, they can't write wills, they can't write mortgages. and she returned to Westminster [music] within a few years had met Jez Penman who was a doctor in Westminster. >> Fanny married Chavez Pennyman in October of 1793. Just as her marriage to Ethan Allen helped Fanny retrieve her inherited land claims, Fann's new husband, Chavez, took an active role in helping Fanny earn her right to the Burlington farm. for my spokes today. Thank you. >> Yeah. What's this called? a cheaply or something. probably very giant snake goes up. I'm excited. Yeah. like Yeah. Yeah. And I also Okay. Do >> you want to talk about whatever plan or whatever you're doing? >> Okay. You have like a 20 to 30 seconds left. Ready? >> Welcome to gardener here at this peak of gardener season. I'm so glad you right over there in our patch. And then I will be talking after that a little bit more about some of the things we can do with the harvested flax. So right here you're seeing it in its different stages as we prepare to turn it into linen thread. So we have some of our harvested flax from last year's crop which has been dried. We have some of our scotched and combed flax which refers to beating the flax with what's called a scutching knife to remove its outer husk. And then you can see the more pliant inner fibers that are being revealed. And then combing removes any sort of residue or extraneous fibers that are too short or too broken to make it into the final product. And finally, once you have this consistency of flax, it is ready for spinning into a rudimentary thread or this is really more of a rope. So it's all to do with how finely you spin it. So, this is a very useful rope. And you can see that there's a rather large uh footprint for a pretty small yield. This is the only rope that we achieved from last year's crop, but it's still better than nothing. So, you can see how you can imagine how 250 years ago, there would have been considerably more flax being grown to handle a family's daily needs. >> You're welcome. And if you would like to help me harvest in about half an hour, we'll be meeting right over there. >> Yeah, I'm thinking like right over here. Sure. >> Oh, kind of. >> Sure. >> This pot right here. >> And here is your table, sir. Um hi. Uh I am working on an 18th century craft or actually even earlier called lucette. uses a uh lucet fork which is it's it's almost a kind of a crochet or or knitting where we're making a loop and we go over the the uh bring we bring our our thread around and then we go over the loop again and we are creating a braided cord that can be used as a draw cord in on my shift uh or on a skirt. Um, so it's a way to uh make our own clothing. >> So [laughter] that's it. >> So are you wearing anything that's homemade at this moment? >> I am wearing I have made all of my outfit or most of it anyway. Um the uh I have a shift underneath which has a drawstring which is where something like this would be used that tightens it around my neck. Um and my uh my apron is linen which we will be harvesting our flax. Uh and that is you know all handsewn. Um because we did not have sewing machines in the 18th century. They weren't invented until the 19th century. So anytime you wanted something it had to be done by hand. Uh and you took very good care of your clothes and you didn't just throw something away when it had a hole or a worn spot. It would have been patched and repaired and then eventually cut down for perhaps a smaller person or a child. Uh, and only when it was basically down to shreds and then it would be used to stuff a pillow or you might use it to stuff your pinball because my clothing is all pinned together. So, I carry a pinball in case I lose any pins. >> Okay. Couple of of uh misconceptions that people have about 18th century dress is that it was very uh uncomfortable. I I have on stays. They are not tightened to the point to give me a 18-inch waist because that isn't going to happen. They are there to support my my body and my and my bust. Um and also to allow me to have things tied around my waist without it being at all uncomfortable. The negief is not so much for modesty as people think that oh my goodness you know this puritanical got to hide your body. This is to protect me from the sun because you know there was no sunscreen in the 18th century. Uh some women even would have linen mits to cover their forearms to protect them from the sun. Uh again not for modesty because they were covering up their body but for the practical purpose of not getting a sunburn. >> Okay. Could you pull up the scarf just so that I can see? I can't see the difference between There you go. Okay. >> Yeah. See? So, I've got my my shift and the the uh my short gown underneath. It's it's almost a kimono style and it it just wraps around. That allows for changing bodies. So, if a woman were pregnant, then she just wasn't had it looser. And then when when her body slimmed up down a little bit, then she would just tighten it up. And you didn't have to have quite so many clothing so much so many clothes because, you know, you had to make them. Uh, and so that allowed changing women's bodies, which was very practical. And then instead of having pins or instead of having buttons or or ties, I'm I'm pinned together. >> I see. >> Um, which again allows me to adjust it according to how I'm feeling that day. If I'm a little bloated, it's a little looser. Um, really practical. That came out so wonderful. >> Beautiful fascinating. It's medicinal, but our favorite use here is that um rub leaves on your skin and it's a natural um insect repellent. >> Love it. Cuz I know I've seen it. I've seen the name, but I guess I never associate with the flower. It's so cute. >> We got to grow tanzy. >> It grows really well here. I don't know if it's just been a great year for it or >> I'm excited. Is it a perennial or? >> Yes. >> Love that. We we we've been actually having to cut it back because it's >> it's growing so fast >> and the and the squash was like peeking out in in the pathway. >> I know. I'm so excited about that. >> Here for squash. >> We have squash, too. >> Some sassy squash at our house. >> Sassy squash. I love it. >> All right. >> Can we? >> All right. Where would you like me? >> So, do you want to stay there or >> It's up to you. >> Do you want to show me something that you're doing? Um, yeah. I mean, I can just show you the >> Okay, so here's this. >> Can you do that? >> Um, >> two hands, three hands. >> It might be one of those two hands, three hands, um, sort of thing. Um, >> so, >> but I already have some examples. So, >> okay. So, what are you doing? >> All right. Okay. >> All right. >> Hello. My name is Heather Kenyon and I'm one of the living historians here at the Ethan Allen Homestead. This is what I do for fun. I love recreating the 18th century and li trying to live as close to an 18th century person and sharing my experience with others. Today at Fanny's Day, I'm representing the garden in making tussy musies, which are just tiny little bouquets because you're living in a world that is full of animal smells, people smells, and sometimes you just need just something nice to smell, something pretty to look at. And you can kind of think of this as a mixtape that you would give this to someone that you love. Just a little thing of saying, "Hey, I'm thinking about you." And this is a token of friendship or love. And it's just a great way to come kind of full circle on people are people wherever you are. And we all love flowers. >> So, what type of flowers do they have here at the homestead? So, we have a bunch of cultivated flowers. Um, we have things like marold. We have a lot of medicinal plants. They didn't tend to do um in the 18th century in a kitchen garden. You wouldn't have a lot of uh flowers that were there just to be pretty. It's a working farm. You have to have mostly um have a reason to be there. Also, we are at the Intervil, which is a hot spot hot spot of biodiversity. So, I'm using a lot of wild flowers, things that are just growing there. Doesn't need any tending, doesn't need any attention. You're using everything around you. >> Okay. Anything else? >> Not that I can think of unless you had any questions. >> Yeah, it's all right. Are you out of time or >> running? This is the sun. Charlie, you getting what you need? >> Thank you. >> My husband is going to be excited to meet you, too. He's been watching Fox. He's I think in the museum right now. We have a friend with me from out of town. So, he's kind of playing four doors a day. We're open every day for six months a year and we usually have all of our flax out here. Right now, it's out of order and the flax break is usually right here. And every day as part of the tours, people do the process. And so we have the display to help uh people figure out the different steps as we go. I like most people. So, and then this is some of the we've grown in the past years. And you can see um some of this needs to be >> welcome to the Fanny Island homestead. >> Come on in. >> I like So you you start like this. You make a loop >> and then you put the long end through >> and then you pull it like that. Okay. >> Okay. So here here we go. Well, it's it's a it's a crochet >> knot. >> You want it to be able to >> Okay. So, see how that >> Yeah. A quick release. >> So, just going to put a loop over and then bring this one and then bring that over. the other way. >> I think I'm wondering if there's a >> well find a hole. You want to see those? >> I thought that it might have just been used to turn into linen, >> but it might well have been a deer. >> Yeah. >> Come on down. You can add Oh, yeah. As many as you can. The more you do, the more >> organic. >> Yeah, that's fine. >> Oh, they absolutely are. >> Yes. So, what you want to do is you want to have some hand. >> So, this this should be very easy to pull up. >> You want to grab about a handful by the by the bottom >> and they're not it takes any force to pull it up. >> It's not ready. So, go ahead and grab a handful and just uh they're happy and you're happy. >> Just clear the tree. >> There you go. That's how you know it's ready. And they fertilize. >> Yeah. You can you can eat the seed. >> Great. They're great for uh where was this cooking? >> Uh like healthy fat. >> Yeah. So you can if you grind the flax seed, you can press it into oil. And so in the grocery store you can buy flax seed or um people might put in their oatmeal or their smoothies. You can also buy flax seed oil. >> Yeah. So I'll show I'll show you. So this is um so the seeds come into the pot. Yeah, >> you can actually if you open up this pod you find >> cows are picky. >> This is actually >> Oh, really? >> Nothing but each pod has like five or six. >> Is that a function of is that is that a function of their dynamic system or is that their personal >> I don't know the anatomy of it but I just remember that >> correct. Yeah. So, so we grew the black bear planted it in May or early May for that purpose. >> Um, we actually had a group of high schoolers who came out and come out every year and they do project. >> Um, >> from a ghost perspective, it's like going out. >> We have to >> Yeah, cuz when we harvest it, we actually pull it out. um reenact [laughter] >> so linen was very popular for the society for creativeism. Yes. >> Pleasure to meet you. Asian reenacture. Um so keep their body but also naturally whatever you basically pre 1650ish so I portray a German mercenary and natural fighting but we also have a guild of of foresters. So people will go out into nature and do like hike like bushcraft survival. Uh we'll do hikes in their carb. A lot of them make their own garb. I am exceedingly lucky that my wife's special interest is also making is researching garb and she has made me a an absolutely wonderful right now. multiple absolutely wonderful outfits for >> for my era, but like she made the shirt that I'm wearing now which is also break down. >> Yes. >> So, we're going to put this in a tub of water and leave it there for about a week and that will um then we lay it back out dry it again and at that point it sounds >> Oh yeah. So when you bend it even >> and this is much easier to understand when you see the plastic parted and dry when we're done. No. Okay. >> I I am interested in >> faction phrase called like a black hair boy. >> That is part of my problem. >> I've always wanted to do everything. Laundry like is I mean it kind of naturally I'm >> right. I'm not going to put it in the washing machine. Right. >> Exactly. >> Yeah. So, exactly. >> Yep. We got to make So, this is I'll give you one. >> Okay. >> Exactly. Exactly. >> Extremely easy. Um I always tell people if you can make a fire, you can make >> carefully. So, if you have enough ash, if you have enough wood to make a fire, then you'll have enough ash to do laundry. >> Um and then actually, so I make it here. I'm I'm not that I get to I our soap station you can see right over there but I think most of the time I >> just run a lie and there's a whole um image display in the house the the fat >> you just need um you just need enough light to do an back up what I >> think that will the costic the alkaline nature of the lie will go a long way >> people have known you can eat so you don't even need the soap >> the oldest recorded evidence we have >> I make my own soap >> oh wonderful what kind of German uh deer fat. Um >> olive oil on its own to make like >> No, that's I haven't I haven't yet gotten into I haven't yet branched out into the um >> Charlie, did you want to come see the rippling? >> I'm very I'm showing it off right here. >> How little I can do to get things in between. >> Yeah. Like I'm interested in like just a ly rinse and then just the the graphic which goes a long way too. >> So when you're done rippling it, where's it going to go? Yeah. Very good. Except for you want to make sure all the seeds are off. You still see a few. >> You can pick them off by hand if you want. >> Yes. And also the um the >> Let me know when you're ready and I can tell about >> Yeah. So that's that's what that's about. thing is that >> I'm going to talk about the rippling. >> It's not just It's not just the sun. It's that the laying on the grass, the oxygen comes up from the bottom. So, it's a natural oxygen. >> Okay. I guess we'll just >> Very cool. >> Yeah. And in a military, >> I can pick it up if that's easier. Linen is an antiseptic >> and so we are doing the next step after the flax harvest and we are rippling the flax. >> So after the flax is plucked from the ground we want to comb the flax through this ripple comb. You want to demonstrate? >> Making sure that you keep your >> And as we comb it through, all the seed pods are going to pop off. >> And then we're collecting the seeds >> in this bucket right here. So these are the seed pods. And people would do this in the past because they wanted to use all parts of the plant. So the seeds can be eaten, the seeds can be pressed to make flax seed oil. Um or you can plant the seeds for next year's crop as well. And um in the seed pods, >> if you open up the seed pod, so here's what an individual pod looks like. Um and then if you open it up, there's like 10 seeds inside the pod. So then that's what the individual seeds look like. So you might be familiar with it at the grocery store where you can buy flax seeds or flax seed oil. And this is where it comes from. >> Microbial indigo on the silk. your body can just break it down and you won't and the arrow goes in the armor. >> That's purple. >> Okay. So, the next step with our flax crop is that we are going to soak it in water >> because we actually want this to become rotten. We want to rot it. It it'll smell really bad. And the reason for that is what we actually want are the uh hairike fibers that are inside this stock right now. Um, the stock is very bendy. So, if I go to bend it, it's just it doesn't break. The stock has a lot of bend to it, and that's from natural glutens. So, we want to break down the glutens by soaking it in water until it's rotten. And then we're going to pull it out of the water, dry it out, and then um once it has dried after being rotten, that when you bend it, it will snap and the husk will break open and we'll be able to get to the hairike fibers that are inside. until synthetic dye being >> and then those hairike fibers are what we're going to spin into linen thread and that linen thread could eventually make a linen shirt like this one compartment. >> So is there something you want to show them over here? >> Yeah, I can show you the process over there. >> Moving. >> Okay. So after the toe has been ready and dry, we've got to get out the straw portion. um the hard woody portion of the fiber. This comes off, but you doing this by hand is not very feasible. So you got your hackles. This is not a torture device. You would come and kind of comb this through and this takes out. And now you see the fibers. And this is what you'd spend a lot of time doing over and over until you get your sketch effects like this. Um, we if you've ever heard of like a tow headed child or something like that, this is what we're we're talking about. It's It looks a lot like hair. I'll give some examples here. >> Yes. >> The hand around. So, here's some examples of the flax once it's been fully sketched and hackled. And you'll see here that there's two different colors and textures. Um, this is because last year we did half of our flax as a pool redded, which means it's it's soaked in a a bucket. Um, and then we did half of it as field redded. Um, and field redded means you just lay it out in the grass and you let the natural dew of every morning um, wet make it wet. And field reading takes a lot longer, but it actually comes up with a much stronger flax product. So this is our field redded flax versus this is our tubed flax here. Yeah. So that's why we got two different colors from it as well. Bill, have you gotten to touch the flax and feel what it looks like? Feels like >> this feels smoother, too. >> Yeah. And that could be um >> This is the tub. >> This is the field redded. >> Oh, this is the field redded. Sorry. >> And this is the tub redded. Yeah. >> Okay. Feel >> Yeah. The the tub rider feels smoother as well. >> And >> it could be just because this one looks like it's been more combed. That one looks like it might need a combing. It's still a little cuz we do we do bring these out and the the field trip kids get to do all this process. So sometimes these get a little [clears throat] >> worse for wear. >> So this is more solid. You said it turns out more solid. >> It's supposed to be really strong. >> Stronger. >> Yeah. So it would um less likely to like uh make a rip in your clothing. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, more durable. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> And then this might be softer against your skin, but you know, >> might get a hole in it more easily. So, >> yeah. >> Sammy and Alex, do you want to feel what the flax feel like? >> So, this is the tubed flax. So, this is the the stuff you just harvested would soak in a tub of water until the husk is rotten. And then um and that's going to break down the glutens. So then we can uh break the husk to get to the fibers. >> This is field rudded. So it's just outeten. So that's why >> every life >> um Charlie I have some finished product here I can talk a little bit about if you're interested. >> Okay. >> Okay. Let me know when you're ready. >> Go ahead. >> Okay. So we have some finished product of flax and I have two different examples here. This is our handwoven flax and this is our machinewoven flax. So this is more like what you would see in the stores today and it's a little smoother. Um the handwoven flax is what they would have been wearing 200 years ago and it's a little rougher but it's extremely strong. So, it was very durable, really held up to the farm work and the physical labor that people were doing 200 years ago as well. Um, flax was the most common product to make cloth from. Flax and wool was pretty much what everyone was wearing prior to the 1800s. Um, because you could grow flax in your backyard and you can grow wool in your stables with the sheep. Um today that flax and wool have been replaced by cotton and cotton is the most common uh cloth product. Um that happened in the 1800s when the cotton gin became really popular and that made cotton uh a a crop that was much easier and faster to produce. So now cotton is very cheap and very common. But during the time of the Revolutionary War, cotton was considered a very elegant fabric that was very rich and you'd only have a few things like a a a handkerchief or something made of cotton to show off your wealth. Otherwise, you were wearing flax. >> Would you like to see the two different kinds? So, the second plant you're just picking that's eventually >> didn't have cotton grow here. And then you have the slave states. You would not >> be dealing with them very often. >> It broke all the way. >> It still has the die bash bath on it. They smell a little mushroomy. They smell >> good. >> I have all the colors you get from this mushroom and wool too. >> Purple. Look at that. >> I know that wool takes. >> So this purple there >> is not the snail purple. This is made from fermenting lychen and ammonia. >> Certain species of lychen give you this. >> What is the material? >> Uh wool. >> Wool. >> So here's the fleece. This came from the same die pot, but this was an al this was the alkaline finish to it. And this is with an acidic finish. This was treated with vinegar after. So you get >> no doubt after you removed it cuz I'd love to see these sheep out in the field before. [laughter] >> Yes. After a thorough scouring. And then some of these other colors are other lychans, but they're not fermented ammonia. You just boil them directly with um your wool. It's kind of dyed in the wool. And this is my exhaust bath. So after I got all the nettle fabric dyed, I put in this mortanted fleece into the exhaust bath um to just soak up the last of the color. >> But it took 200 um 200 g of this dried mushroom to do all that cloth and all this >> fleece. It's quite a bright color. >> You think people wore this bright color often? >> Um I I think you would have one thing Hollywood does is rob us of a colorful past. People had these plants. It was a way of showing off. >> Look at the movie Hamnit. you. She's wearing Shakespeare's wife is wearing >> pretty good red. I mean, all of them in fact were and that's probably from Rose Matter. >> Yes, exactly. >> So, matter. >> It surprised me. As red as her shirt, if not lighter. >> Uh, >> and matter is a tricky one to get the chemistry just right. If you go too hot, you will burn out the color to a brown. You need to have hard water with a lot of calcium in it for to to get a really good bright red. And to get that color to imprint on something like linen or cotton, you were probably treating it with um slaked lime, animal dung, aluminum acetate, oak galls, all in this sequence to get a good mortant because a plant fiber unlike wool does not lend itself to taking out the dive. >> So why would they bother going through all that trouble? Why not just wear drag? >> Cuz we like colorful things. Okay. We like color. >> It didn't have any other purpose. >> Yeah. Uh other than I mean why do people make anything beautiful? Why has there been decoration through all of human history? And >> clothes are precious. It covered you know the the most precious um real estate which is your body. [laughter] >> So also we don't realize we're living in a color saturated world. In the past, um, if you go through the homestead, >> and that's not a poor house, >> there isn't a lot of color. >> No, there isn't. >> And it's actually one of the few things that you can also express yourself as a person. Um, that and these clothes were about the equivalent of a car in terms of expense. >> So, yeah, you could have a drab car >> or you could have a a little Well, you could have a Corvette, you could have a Jeep, but you know, do you want a red Jeep or do you want a black Jeep? And I'm portraying a person of kind of not >> poor, but um not wearing the fancy clothes of somebody with a lot more dye and pattern and cuz I'm going to be going in the garden and I might want to wear something that hides the dirt. Mhm. >> Um, and isn't the fanciest thing, >> but I am still wearing a lot of color cuz >> it's one of the few things to beautify your world um and express yourself. There is no paint class. There is no television and um it's also one of the few ways you can display your wealth >> and it's easier and cheaper than painting your house which that would not have been painted. >> Not at the beginning. >> Not at the beginning. Um, your choices were pretty much white or nothing. You could do some stencil. >> I'm going to argue about the white, but that's okay. >> You could do you I Sturbridge Village. >> You could do red. >> You could do red with iron oxide. >> Yes, absolutely. >> Not rose matter, >> but there's not a lot of choices there. No, there isn't. Isn't any really highly painted thing, you would only have tiny little amounts. So, >> um, like just like you would do embroidery with a little bit of silk that you can afford, >> with the fancy paint, you could do a little bit. >> Yeah. The white wasn't white. It would have been more cream yellowed. They didn't have non- yellowing pigments, >> but the dioxide was >> And you would do that in the inside because it also makes it a lot brighter in there. The the bedroom is a lot brighter than the kitchen. >> Yep. Yep. The um iron oxide would also serve to polymerize the linseed oil. >> So it would when you're putting that iron oxide on with linseed oiler, you're creating a very waterproof barrier. It's an early polymer. And the iron oxide gives you that beautiful red, but it's also a catalyst for a more weatherproof. >> The difference between the boiled linseed or the linseed oil, never mind whether it's boiled or not, except if you don't use boiled, it will never dry. Uh, and the linseed that we eat as an oil. Isn't that something about when you harvest it or >> that I couldn't tell you >> had to do with that or >> uh, all I know is >> supposed you grew it together. I forgot which I got to look that up. >> All I know is that the boiling process essentially heats to start to break down the linseed oil so that it will quickly polymerize like that. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I'm I'm not We haven't gotten to the point that we've been worrying about linseed. We've been just making the lid. >> Yeah. Yeah. Well, I show the lin seed and usually they're like, "Oh, it's so light." And all of that and then, you know, explain some of the uses for it. >> Right. >> Well, and there was a lot. I mean, that's the other wonderful thing about >> I'm still learning. >> Well, I mean, the the crop itself um we talk about like you want the fiber in between, but the but the husk has lots of uses >> um from cleaning um to stuffing your mattresses, all sorts of things. Actually, nothing was actually waste. >> All the seeds. >> Um so we can either use them uh to to sew the following year so I can print them again. Um or we can you can eat them.