Lectures by Rabbit Goody

“How Do We Know What We Know:
Identifying and Dating Historic Woven Textiles”

Rabbit Goody will be leading this hands-on educational workshop from Friday, November 4th through Sunday, November 6th at the Shaker Farm Mill Inn in Canann, New York. Anyone with an interest in textile history, bed hangings, blankets, coverlets, or historic interiors is encouraged to attend. Goody will discuss a number of topics pertaining to historic textiles, such as "17th and 18th Century Dutch and English Bedding Textiles," "Dressing the Historic Bed," "Coverlets and Carpets and the Weavers Who Wove Them," and "Flat Woven Carpet." Those attending are encouraged to bring their own heirloom and antique textiles for examination, in addition to having the opportunity to examine historic textiles from Goody’s collection.

The workshop is being held at the historic Shaker Farm Mill Inn, originally built in 1824 by members of the Shaker faith as a grist mill. Packages for the weekend are priced at $260.00 for single occupancies, $230.00 per person for double occupancies. The price includes two nights’ accommodations at the Inn, a reception and dinner Friday evening, breakfast, lunch, and dinner Saturday, and breakfast and lunch on Sunday. Other package options are available for one-night stays or for those choosing to commute daily. For more information and reservations, please contact the Shaker Farm Mill Inn at (518) 794-9345.

Schedule:

Friday, November 4th

6:00 PM Opening reception and introduction to historic woven textiles, followed by an informal dinner/meet and greet.

Saturday, November 5th

9:00 AM Coffee and registration

9:30 AM “Tools of the Trade: linen testers, measuring tapes and microscopes. Examining 17th and 18th Century Dutch and English Bedding Textiles.”

12:30 PM Lunch

2:00 PM Examining textile mysteries from the collection of participants and Rabbit Goody

6:30 PM Group Dinner

7:30 PM Saturday Evening Lecture: “Dressing the Historic Bed.”

Sunday, November 6th

9:30 AM “Coverlets and Carpets and the Weavers Who Wove Them.”

12:30 PM Lunch

1:30 PM “Flat Woven Carpets.” This session will include discussions of Venetian, striped, block, geometric ingrain, and figured ingrain carpets, as well as other variants.

Prices:

Two nights: Single: $260.00, Double $230.00 per person
Includes two nights accommodation, meals, and tuition. Meals include dinner on Friday, breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturday, breakfast and lunch on Sunday.

One night: Single: $173.00, Double $158.00 per person
Includes Saturday night accommodations, meals, and tuition. Meals include lunch and dinner on Saturday, breakfast and lunch on Sunday.

Commuters: $159.00, includes dinner on Saturday, lunch on Sunday, and tuition

Extra night: Single $40.00 per night, Double $30.00 per person per night to stay November 3rd and/or November 6th.

New York State tax of 8% will be added; credit cards, personal checks, and cash accepted.

For reservations or more information, contact the Shaker Farm Mill Inn at (518) 794-9345.

Recent Lectures

  • "Textiles in Taverns," Eastfield Village, Nassau, NY, August 2007.
  • Two-Day Workshop in Venetian Style Rag Carpet Weaving, Sauder Village, Archbold, Ohio, March 2007.
  • "What to Do with Your Bed, from Blankets to Bed Hangings," Greater Philadelphia Historic Home Show, January 2007.
  • "Coverlets Uncovered," Alfred University, Alfred, NY, September 2006.
  • "From Floatwork to Figured: Woven Bed Coverings of the 19th Century," Greene, NY, April 2006.
  • "Woven Bed Coverings: Understanding Historic Block Weaves," New York Guild of Handweavers, New York, NY , October 2005.
  • "Homespun to High Style: Early American Furnishings and Fabrics," Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference," Philadelphia, PA, 2005.

Professional Experience:

  • Founder and Director of the Textile History Forum, a conference of textile researchers, scholars, and museum professionals that publishes papers in the Textile History Forum Proceedings.
  • Director of the Summer Coverlet Institute, a three-day seminar program for curators and collectors
  • Owner, Designer, and Master Weaver of Thistle Hill Weavers, a custom weaving mill providing historic reproductions to the museum field, the film industry, designer and home owners, and custom woven textiles to designers.
  • Consultant to museums and the film industry on textile history, the history of technology, and interior furnishing fabrics.

Recent Publications

  • "Setting the Table in Early America," Old House Interiors, Summer 2007.
  • "The Humble and Elegant Blanket," Early American Life, December 2006.
  • "Bed Hangings for Your Historic Home," Old House Interiors, Spring 2006.
  • "Create Period Curtains," Colonial Reproductions and Designs, Fall 2005.
  • "Historic Window Treatments," Old House Interiors, Summer 2005.
  • "Right Underfoot: Venetian and Ingrain Carpets," Early American Life, 2002.
  • Technology and Innovation in Long Island Coverlets, SPLIA, Cold Spring Harbor, NY