Saturday, December 13, 2014


February Hive
Sunday, February 15, 2015

Taking Needle to Fabric  

The Buzz -- 10 - 11:30

Book Club -- Book to be Announced

Sunday Morning at the Movies -- Barry Lyndon - Part 1


Lectures 12 - 1:30

The focus of this Hive will be to learn how to make good fabric choices, not only ones that are appropriate for the garment and time period but also fabrics that have the right feel, texture, etc.  The second part of this workshop will be to learn hand stitching techniques that will enhance the beauty of appropriate fabrics.


Fabrics of the 18th century -- Look at the wide range of fabrics that were available to the buyer of 1770 New England.  We’ll explore the advertisements, as well as the period swatch cards, and sources like Barbara Johnson’s journal.




Round Robin Breakout Sessions - Pick 2  1:30 - 3:30

“Touch This” - Sometimes what seems like a great buy turns out be a disaster to sew, especially when one shops on-line. You will learn the hallmarks of a good fabric by touch and feel.  You’ll quickly learn how to avoid the clunkers that don’t turn out to be the bargains you thought they were.

“Buttonholes” - As our dear Mr. Cooke always quips - "it’s the first thousand"!  Besides practice, there are some secrets to creating great buttonholes.  In this session, you’ll learn the basics as well as some of the tricks of the trade.

“Stroke Gathers” - A seemingly easy technique that requires a little skill and a lot of patience. Used to attach sleeve heads to the body of a shirt or shift, as well as attaching a cuff to a sleeve, a well done stroke gather is a thing of beauty.

“Basic Stitchery”  - You might know the basics but may not know the techniques to create secure and consistent stitching.  In this session we’ll cover: running stitch, combination stitch, back stitch (several variations), underhand hem stitch, whip gathers, and eyelets. You’ll also experiment with different size needles to find the right tool for the job.  Bring your sewing kit. 




Location: Minuteman Technical High School, Lexington, MA

Coffee and tea are available and as always, snacks to share are always welcome.

The Hive is free to the local living history community and is brought to you by the Hive volunteers, Minute Man National Historical Park and the generosity of Minuteman Tech for the use of their facilty.

Sunday, December 7, 2014



The Hive -- January 2015

Sunday, January 18, 2015  Interpreting Battle Road

Sponsored by McAlpins Corp



The Buzz....






9:30 - 11:30 -- Come for the morning, get some sewing done, discuss a book, watch a movie or all three!

*   Hive Book Club -- Read and Discuss   -- The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne.  Discussion lead by Matthew Mees

*   Sunday Morning Movie -- "The School for Scandal" by Richard Brinsley Sheridan (A Great Performances: Theatre in America production)





Lectures: Interpreting Battle Road







12:00 -12:30 Interpreting Hartwell Taverm
Park Ranger Jim Hollister will lead a discussion of topics and issues surrounding the interpretation of Hartwell Tavern: the family, the house, tavern operation and the Revolution.


12:30 - 1:00  Meet the Smiths
In 2014, the Lincoln Minute Men, after receiving a generous donation from the family of long-time member Wayne Mount, contacted Minute Man NHP about using the money towards furnishing the Captain William Smith House. You'll hear about this amazing project, why particular items were chosen and how we can use them to interpret this wonderful house and the fascinating family that occupied it.

1:15 - 2:00 Battle Road Combat and the Bloody Angle
The Bloody Angle, a curved stretch of road in Lincoln, MA is one of the best preserved and documented battle sites within the bounds of Minute Man NHP. Why did one of the sharpest actions on April 19, 1775 occur here? How do we know what really happened? We'll look at primary sources related to this action, discuss how the opposing forces engaged one another, and how the landscape may have played a key role.





Clinics: Fine Tune Your Impression







2:15 - 3:30

Newbie Clinic for Women - Whether you are just starting out or need to make some updates, we'll look at what you need to interpret New England early 1770's - the good, better, and best.

Refit your breeches -- Do your breeches look more like bloomers? Are your kneebands more like shinbands?  Time to get your breeches refit!  You will learn some tricks for getting your breeches to fit in a more 18th century manner.  Bring your breeches and sewing kit.

Replace or rework the collar on your shirt -- Collars wear out and most collars on ready-made reenactor's shirts are too short.  Take it off and replace it with one that fits properly.  We'll also take a look at how to properly wear your neck covering.  Bring your shirt and sewing kit and some extra linen (we'll have some for sale if you don't have any).

Pinking -- We'll look at pinking as a technique for finishing silk trim for a gown.  Try your hand at several pinking techniques using a pinking iron and other tools.

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Location: Minuteman Technical High School, Lexington, MA
As always, there will be coffee and tea available, but snacks to share are always welcome!

Sunday Hives are free of charge and are brought to you by The Hive volunteers, Minute Man National Historical Park and the generosity of Minuteman Tech for the use of their space.

Questions?  Contact: hiveworkshops@gmail.com
www.thehiveonline.org