Colonial Williamsburg Internship Week 1 & 2

It's been an incredibly busy couple of weeks. When I first started my internship at CW I didn't know what to expect. First and foremost, I was used to using my sewing machine and hand-stitching the lining and outer fabrics together, but now to keep up with preserving the 18th century way of manufacturing gowns, and learning about the trade as a whole,  including museum education and talking with the public. I also expected to be up to my neck in reference books that I have or have not seen before. The anxiety of not knowing what was to come, was a bit overwhelming.

But what did happen these past two weeks were my re-education of basic stitches, as well as studying about the historic trade (Millinery and Mantua making), and of course interacting with the public, as if I were teaching a class. Case in point, when the public comes into the shop, I'd give them a general overview of what was normally day-to-day in a Milliner/Mantua maker's shop; I'd show them items that they've never seen before, and talk about it's significance and it's construction, and even let them touch and inspect the items (as long as the item is okay to touch, there are some items that are not exactly public-friendly), and then answer as many questions as I can. The only obstacle I have that I SERIOUSLY need to work on, is the public speaking part. I'm alright with talking to 3-4 people at a time, but in larger groups, I tend to get performance anxiety and blank out. So, I'll just sit and sew until someone comes up to me and asks what I'm making, and THEN, I start to open up and feel more comfortable with talking. It's something I know I need to work on if I want to continue this internship as well as continue down the path of being a museum educator. . . . baby steps I guess. 

The other thing I've done these past two weeks, are sewing a lot of projects both in the trades shop and at home. At work, I've sewn my first silk pin cushion and my first silk petticoat (though I am on the fence about how I want to trim it); at home, I'm sewing things such as a 1789 gown with a matching petticoat, re-doing my red petticoat, a chintz pinner apron, a chintz heart-shaped pincushion, and a chintz housewife. 

Outside of my internship, I got to discover some pretty neat places. I went to the Williamsburg Pottery for the very first time. I was amazed at how big it was and how inexpensive their items were. For example, I bought my stoneware mug that I need for work, for only $8 and found an adorable ceramic teapot for just $2. Needless to say, that was the best bargain shopping I've ever done in a long time. 

I also got to hang out with my friend Kelly who showed me Yorktown Battlefield. We got to see the new museum that opened up there in Yorktown, and while I've been to Yorktown before, I did not know that both the American Revolutionary War and the American Civil War were both fought in the same place, on the same battlefield! It was an interesting experience to just see all of it. 

Well, that's all for now. See you in week 3!