- Colonial Kids:
What materials did the colonists use to make their clothing?
Mrs. Kramer:
They brought most of the tools they needed from Europe. Some of
these were the
spinning wheel, drop spindle, and the flaxseed used for linen. The main
textiles they used were linen and wool.
- Colonial Kids:
How did the colonists make their clothing?
Mrs. Kramer: With
wool they first sheared the sheep. Then they washed the wool. After
that they carded the wool which was mainly done by the children. The
mom or grandma would take the wool and spin it on a great wheel. They
would then send the spun wool off to the weaver who mainly was a man.
Once they got the cloth back they laid out the patterns and hand cut
the pieces. Then sewed it by hand.
With flax they first grew it in
their fields. They would cut it down in the late summer. After that
they bundled up the flax. The next thing they did was throw the
bundles into the creek this was called rhetting and it was done to rot
the outer shaff on the flax. They then let it dry. After that they sent the
flax threw the flax
brake. They then scutched and hatcheled which was
mainly to get off the shaff. Then they spun the inner part of the flax
on a flax wheel, which was smaller than a great wheel. After they spun
the flax, they repeated the process which was done with the wool.
- Colonial Kids:
Did the colonists use any animals to make their clothing and if so
how?
Mrs. Kramer:
They would only use sheep to get their wool.
- Colonial Kids:
Did the colonists buy their clothing from someone or did they make
their own?
Mrs. Kramer: If
you weren’t wealthy and lived in very rural areas you would make
your own clothing. The wealthy were able to buy imports from Britain.
Also in the cities they had more imports available to buy.
- Colonial Kids:
How long did it take to make a set of clothing?
Mrs. Kramer:
It took about one year. That is why they only had 2 sets of clothing.
- Colonial Kids:
What type of clothing would a man wear, a boy wear, a girl wear, and a
woman wear?
Mrs. Kramer:
All little children from the ages of 0 to 6 or 7 would wear shifts. A
boy would wear breeches, woolen socks, a shirt, waistcoat on special
occasions, and a hat made of leather or felt. A man wore the same
thing as the boy would except in the winter he wore a coat. Women
would wear a short gowns top, a petticoat that is like a skirt, a
pocket around their waist. They wore a hat that they tied under their
chin. Also a triangle fabric they wore over their shoulders. The girls
wore the same thing as their mothers.
- Colonial Kids:
What things did the colonists use to dye their clothing?
Mrs. Kramer:
They used black walnuts to get a brown color. To get a red color the
colonists used a bug called a cochineal. The plants indigo and woad
gave off a blue dye. The plant Osage orange gave off a greenish color.
- Colonial Kids:
Why did the colonists wear such plain colored clothing?
Mrs. Kramer:
It was hard for the colonists to buy the expensive dye and most of the
time the weaver would make you pay more money if you wanted to dye
your clothing.
- Colonial Kids:
Who in the house helped make the clothing?