Goschenhoppen 2017 Part 3

Just For Nice

Welcome! I have just a few more stops to share with you. If you go back to see Melody's trip in August of 2013 (five parts) or Lanie's in 2014 (seven parts) or even Linney's in 2016, you'll see we've revisited a few things each time...our favs!...different things too. So I haven't even scratched the surface of the festival. If you happen to be in Southeastern Pennsylvania around the second weekend of August next year; try to fit in a visit. 

So away we go! Almost all of the demonstrations have beautiful flowers. I just loved this bucket of yellow and white. Fresh and bright!

Then I met Alice Reiner or Alice the Wanderer. An interesting person with an interesting story. 

Alice was a stubborn girl. When her parents didn't approve of her chosen fellow, she took her things and ran away walking all over Berks and Montgomery counties the rest of her life.

Oh! More of Linney's family under a Christmas tree.

Yes, the tree is decorated with roasted peanuts. Higher up is a garland of popcorn.

Laundry was not as easy as it is today. In fact, Mondays were laundry day. Tuesdays were for ironing! 

At the far end, the woman is explaining the washboard to a young boy and the girl nearest me is ironing. They kept the iron hot by setting it on the stove.

This is a basket of mending. Any clothing that needed tears repaired or holes patched went in here. 

I had to visit the Antes House. It's the permanent display. (giggles) I love the view from the windows.

Guess who is behind me?! 

Nana Kestrel! She's an expert in hearth cooking and using the bake oven. The bake oven is outside and I can't believe I didn't take any pictures there! How did I forget that!? If you think keeping one of those iron stoves hot is tricky; that's a piece of cake compared to the bake oven. It's kind of like Josefina's stove, but not. Anyway, she gave me a piece of rye bread they baked on Friday.

It was really tasty, but could have used a little butter. (giggles)

Beyond the garden I found three generations making band boxes. Can you spot the dragonfly in this photo? I'll give you a hint, it looks like a straight pin lying on a band box.

Band boxes were originally created for storing men's stiff, paper collars. Storing them in a band box helped the collars keep their circular shape.

Okay all you DIYers! This one for you. In our area the pieces to make up a band box were cut from thin cardboard and tiny holes were punched evenly along the edges. Each piece was sewn together. Then the box was lined with newspaper and sealed with a flour water paste. After the inside dried, the outside was decorated with pretty paper and sealed with the paste.

The band box was a very early type of luggage; think hat boxes and bigger.  At Easter children would get a small box with an egg or gift inside.

Further along you find all the really great needle skills. Here a woman was filling in the open weave of this, um, I think it's a table runner. There are Xs in each of the open squares.

Nearby her basket holds her sewing tools. 

That egg shaped thing is a gourd used for darning socks.

The festival grounds are widespread. Thankfully there are places to sit throughout. Most are benches, but I found a really nice chair. Ahh!

So that's it for the 2017 Goschenhoppen Folk Festival. What do you think? What was your favorite demonstration? Would you go if you were nearby? Volunteers and visitors come from all over the quint-state area...is that even a thing, quint-state. Well, they come from Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, and New York. 

Oh, don't forget to get in your submissions to my reader challenge. There is still time; we have the post planned for next Friday. We have some really good ones to share!

Machts gut!

#GHFF51