Who needs a sewing machine? Learn to make your own clothes entirely by hand. Discover the surprisingly easy and elegant lost art of 19th-Century Hand Sewing while making a stylish summer skirt or historically accurate mid-Victorian petticoat. Learn stitches that were invented before sewing machines became widely available in the 1850s, and that haven’t been used since.

Date: Saturday, April 17
Time: 4-6 pm
Location: Old Stone House, Park Slope, Brooklyn
Cost: $25
RSVP (Required): (718)768-3195 or info@theoldstonehouse.org.

Taught by members of the New York Nineteenth Century Society Sewing Circle, this 2-hour class will introduce you to 19th-century hand sewing. Students will be provided with a pattern and detailed, footnoted directions for completing a modern skirt or authentic 19th-century petticoat suitable for reenacting.

$25 per person (includes sewing supplies). Bring your own fabric. Reservations required, call (718)768-3195 or email info@theoldstonehouse.org.

To make a knee-length modern skirt:
Purchase 45″ wide woven cotton in a color or print of your choice
(don’t forget to buy matching thread)
up to 30″ waist, buy 2 yards
above 30″ waist, buy 3 yards

To make an historically accurate petticoat:
Purchase 45″ wide woven white cotton, i.e. shirting or high quality muslin, but NOT craft muslin (we’ll provide white thread)
up to 30″ waist, get 5 yards
above 30″ waist, get 6 yards

IMPORTANT- pre-shrink your fabric by washing it in a washing machine on the same settings you plan to use for cleaning your skirt or petticoat.

A good place to buy fabric in the Garment District:
Mood Fabrics
225 West 37th Street
New York, NY 10018
(212) 730-5003
moodfabrics.com

Come join us March 7th for our next event Pancakes Aplenty!

Historic gastronomist Sarah Lohman flips flapjacks over an open fire, and will recreate three historic pancake recipes: Pumpkin Cornmeal; Apple and Sour Milk; and Clove and Rosewater.

Sure to ticle the modern palate, the panakes will be served with all the fixin’s as well as hot drinks.

Stop by for a taste of history!

FREE

The Old Stone House
336 3rd Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 768-3195

www.theoldstonehouse.org

Sarah taught an amazing class at the Trade School yesterday.

The class was “A Timeline of Taste: A Brief overview of the last 200 Years.” We feasted on treats from several time periods, “A Rich Cake” by Amelia Simmons from 1796 was by far my favorite. Dense and full of “stuff”, it was AWESOME. Not to mention from a 1796 recipe to boot……

Other cakes included “Fruit Cake from The New England Economical Housekeeper by Esther Allen Howard, 1845 and “Angel Cake” from the Boston Cooking School Cookbook by Fannie Merritt Farmer, 1896.

Speaking of the Trade School, however, holy moly what an amazing place. As per their website:

“Take a class every night with a range of specialized teachers in exchange for basic items and services. Secure a spot in a Trade School class by meeting one of the teacher’s barter needs.”

So the classes are essentially free. Sarah’s class cost me two dozen eggs. Can’t be beat for such a wonderful range of classes in such a cozy space.

**Note on the above pics, unfortunately I was so engrossed in the class that I completely forgot about my camera till we got to the last recipe – a jokey take on Charlotte Russe, a popular 19th c. street food. We made ours with store bought lady fingers, whipped cream from a can and maraschino cherries……yum? A take on 1950’s convienence food.

Pardon our appearance while we build our site.

Pardon our appearance while we build our site.

Pardon our appearance while we build our site.

Pardon our appearance while we build our site.

Pardon Our Appearance While We Build Our Site.

Sarah Lohman is the author of historic food blog Four Pounds Flour.  She attempts to rethink historic cuisine to make it relevant and inspiring for contemporary kitchens.  Sometimes delicious, occasionally disastrous, it’s an entertaining look at the history of food.

Lohman resides in Long Island City, New York and has a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art.  She has done food-related video work for New York Magazine, Citysearch, and the New York Public Library.  She also works as an educator at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum of New