MAHS volunteers make historical crafts to sell

Alex Gleason (left) and Nancy Walker (right) cutting strips, and Rita Halford (center) sewing a pocket. Photo courtesy of Annette Siffin.

by Sara Swanson

Do you have knowledge or skill with a historic craft that you’d like to share or demonstrate? The Manchester Area Historical Society would love to build their crafting community! Anyone who is interested in historical crafts is invited to join them for crafting on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30pm in the Blacksmith Museum located at 324 E Main St. They are also looking for volunteers and visitors from 1 to 4pm on Sundays year-round for demonstrations and historic craft sales.

They currently have a small and dedicated group of volunteers making crafts. Annette Siffin of the Historical Society states that the group is making good progress toward their goal of having a satisfying variety of historic craft items ready to sell during Christmas in the Village, which is coming up the first Saturday in December.

Siffin thanked the volunteers who are making the historical crafts project a success. She stated that Vicki Eisele has been useful with her extensive knowledge of rug hooking and quilting, and has generously donated materials for their projects. She added that Margaret Shaw and Rita Halford have been drying marigold flower heads to use as natural dye for a future event, and to stay tuned for news on that! Using some quilt strips she found at an estate sale has allowed Shaw to complete a small quilt using the scraps.

Siffin extended a special thanks to Alex Gleason, one of their blacksmiths, as he recently repaired the society’s treadle sewing machine. Additionally, Gleason has been cutting donated linen into strips that Nancy Walker has been crocheting, which she does as well as making both rag and yarn rugs and a lovely garland from red-and-green plaid fabric.

The Blacksmith Museum operates under the umbrella of the Manchester Area Historical Society. For more information visit https://mahsmi.org.

Fresh marigold flower heads going into the food dehydrator. Photo courtesy of Annette Siffin.

Cedar sachets. Photo courtesy of Annette Siffin.

Margaret Shaw on the treadle sewing machine. Photo courtesy of Annette Siffin.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.