Symposium 2016 Schedule

Friday Aug. 19th, 2016

7:00-9:00pm: Reception at the Deerfield Inn – light hors d’oeuvres, cash bar

Saturday August 20th, 2016

8:00-9:00am: Registration – coffee, tea, fruits, snack breads

9:00am: Welcoming remarks from Historic Deerfield staff

9:15-10:15am: Session One—Flax in the Field | moderated by Jeff Silberman (Fashion Institute of Technology, NY)

  • 9:15-9:25am: Botany Basics | Carolyn Wetzel (Holyoke Community College, New England Flax & Linen)
  • 9:25-9:35am: Fiber Flax Seed | Michelle Parrish (Local Color Dyes, New England Flax & Linen, MA)
  • 9:35-10:05am: Growing and Harvesting Flax | Jeff Silberman (Fashion Institute of Technology, NY)
  • 10:05-10:15am: Q&A

10:15-10:30am: Break

10:30-11:15am: Session Two—Retting it Right | moderated by Jeff Silberman (Fashion Institute of Technology, NY)

  • 10:30-10:50am: Basic Retting Methods and Getting It Right | Cassie Dickson (John C. Campbell Folk School, NC)
  • 10:50-11:10am: Flax Ponds | Gina Gerhard (New England Flax & Linen, NH), Johannes & Christian Zinzendorf (Authors of “The Big Book of Flax”, PA)
  • 11:10-11:15am: Q&A

11:15-11:45am: Session Three—Flax Processing

  • 11:15-11:45am: Overview of Dressing | Ron Walter (Textiles & Tool Collector, Researcher, Author of “Stay at Home and Use Me Well”)

11:45am-12:00pm: Transition to lunch

12:00-1:15pm: Lunch

1:15-1:30pm: Transition to demonstration area for the rest of Session Three

1:30-3:00pm: Session Three (cont.)—Flax Processing

  • 1:30-3:00pm: Demonstrations of dressing flax including braking, scutching, and hetcheling; other displays including other flax tools, dressing a distaff, spinning demonstration, and linen fabric and thread | Johannes & Christian Zinzendorf (Authors of “The Big Book of Flax”, PA), Cassie Dickson (John C. Campbell Folk School, NC), Peter Cook (Retired Museum Curator, Educator, Textile Tool Collector), Becky Ashenden (Vavstuga, MA), Ron Walter (Textiles & Tool Collector, Researcher, Author of “Stay at Home and Use Me Well”), Justin Squizzero (Eaton Hill Textile Works, Marshfield School of Weaving, VT), and Members of the New England Flax and Linen Study Group

3:00-3:15pm: Transition to Session Four

3:15-4:45pm: Session Four—Flax Today | moderated by Michelle Parrish (Local Color Dyes, New England Flax & Linen)

  • 3:15-3:30pm: Patricia Bishop (Taproot Fibre Labs, Small-Scale Flax Production Equipment, Nova Scotia)
  • 3:30-3:45pm: Sandy Fisher (Chico Cloth, CA)
  • 3:45-4:00pm: Destiny Kinal (Reinhabitory Institute, Berkeley, CA)
  • 4:00-4:15pm: Jeff Silberman (Fashion Institute of Technology, NY)
  • 4:15-4:45pm: Q&A

4:45-7:00pm: Dinner

7:00-8:00pm: Keynote Talk—For the Common Good: Flax Processing in Colonial Bethlehem | Johannes & Christian Zinzendorf (Authors of “The Big Book of Flax”, PA)

 

Sunday August 21, 2016

8:00-9:00am: Coffee, tea, snack breads, and fruit

9:00-10:00am: Session Five—Spinning a Thread

  • 9:00-9:20am: Introduction to Flax Wheels | Florence Feldman-Wood (The Spinning Wheel Sleuth)
  • 9:20-9:40am: Spinning Basics | Cassie Dickson (John C. Campbell Folk School, NC)
  • 9:40-10:00am: Distaffs | Becky Ashenden (Vavstuga, MA)

10:00-10:15am: Break

10:15-11:45am: Session Six—Weaving Linen | moderated by Scott Norris (Handweaver, Elam’s Widow, MA)

  • 10:15-10:45am: Basics of Weaving Linen | Justin Squizzero (Eaton Hill Textile Works, Marshfield School of Weaving, VT)
  • 10:45-11:05am: Finishing Techniques | Chris Hammel (Hill Institute, MA), Gina Gerhard (New England Flax & Linen, NH)
  • 11:05-11:45am: Panel: Varieties of Linen Weaving Today | Becky Ashenden (Vavstuga, MA), Chris Hammel (Hill Institute, MA), Scott Norris (Handweaver, Elam’s Widow, MA), Craig Evans (Textile Collector, Heritage Weaver), Justin Squizzero (Eaton Hill Textile Works, Marshfield School of Weaving, VT)

11:45am-12:00pm: Transition to lunch

12:00-1:00pm: Lunch

1:00-1:10pm: Transition to Session Seven

1:10-3:15pm: Session Seven—All Manner of Useful Cloth | Moderated by Scott Norris (Handweaver, Elam’s Widow, MA)

  • 1:10-1:30pm: Rough Cloth | Christian and Johannes Zinzendorf(Authors of “The Big Book of Flax”, PA)
  • 1:30-2:05pm: A Simple Box of Weaving Equipment | Sandra Rux (Independent Historian)
  • 2:05-2:15pm: Break
  • 2:15-2:50pm: The Shakers and Linen | Roben Campbell (Shaker Historian)
  • 2:50-3:10pm: Interpretation at Historic Deerfield | Faith Deering (Historic Deerfield, New England Flax & Linen)

3:10-3:25pm: Break

3:25-3:55pm: Session Eight— Selected Pieces from the Helen Geier Flynt Textile Collection | Ned Lazaro (Associate Curator of Textiles and Collections Manager, Historic Deerfield)

3:55-4:00pm: Farewell and concluding remarks | Philip Zea (President, Historic Deerfield)

4:00-5:00pm: Refreshments will be served. The Flynt Center of Early New England Life will open for extended hours. Ned Lazaro will be available for questions in the Helen Geier Flynt Textile Gallery.

5:00pm: Symposium ends

Note: Sessions, times, and presenters subject to change