WESTFIELD-For many of us, curling up with a soft quilt – known in earlier times as “samplers” – is the ultimate joy when reading a good book or even when one is feeling under the weather.
Quilts have been a fabric of home life for centuries, and on Oct. 2, Joanne Picard of Westfield will present an informative lecture titled “A Stitch in Time: Samplers and Other Schoolgirl Embroideries.”
An antique sampler will be among those displayed at a lecture Oct. 2. (Submitted photo)
Picard’s presentation is planned in conjunction with the Western Hampden Historical Society (WHHS) fall dinner meeting and historical lecture which is planned at St. John’s Lutheran Church on Broad Street.
The evening begins with a “old-fashioned church style dinner” at 6:30 p.m. featuring fruit cup, Italian chicken, oven baked potatoes, squash, rolls, coffee and tea, and a brownie topped with ice cream.
Picard’s lecture follows the dinner.
Julie Leavitt, WHHS second vice president and program director, encourages area residents to attend the event.
“There is so much of our local history that people are unaware of, and our programs touch on very interesting topics,” said Leavitt.
The talk will cover the history of sampler making from the mid 17th-century through the mid-19th century, including who made them, why, and what materials were used.
Traditionally, antique samplers were pieces of cloth, usually linen, that featured hand-embroidered designs using thread made of silk, wool, or cotton.
Julie Leavitt pours samples of ‘herbal shrubs,’ a popular colonial drink, during an open house at the Dewey House. (Submitted photo)
As part of Picard’s lecture, she will highlight some of the samplers that are on display at the Dewey House.
The Dewey House, built around 1735, is maintained and preserved by the Dewey House Board of Trustees as part of the Western Hampden Historical Society. The home is located at 87 South Maple St.
“The event is a great opportunity to enjoy a moderately priced, old-fashioned church style dinner followed by a talk about Westfield history by one of our prominent local historians,” said Leavitt.
Picard has been studying and reproducing historic samplers for more than 30 years, and currently lends her expertise in the archives department at the Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke, as well as with the curatorial department at Naumkeag in Stockbridge.
Tickets are $13 per person for the dinner meeting and lecture. Tickets may be purchased via website at https://thedeweyhouse.org, or by sending a check made out to the Western Hampden Historical Society and mailed to the Western Hampden Historical Society, P.O. Box 256, Westfield, MA 01086. Checks must be received by Sept. 21.
Proceeds raised from this evening affair will benefit the WHHS and the Dewey House.
“As some people may have noticed, the Dewey House was just repainted last month,” said Leavitt, adding that historical homes also require restoration in addition to repairs.
“Specialized crafts people are required so that any repairs or restorations done to the Dewey House keep it true to the character of the house,” she said. “We are also looking into some improvements that would allow easier accessibility to those with physical limitations, such as walkers or wheelchairs.”
