Minutes from January 2012 meeting:
Founder Eva has relocated to the West Coast and hopes to make the
Society into a national organization. Founder Zoh has stepped down from
the steering committee but will continue to run the Parlourcraft Circle
and to be involved as an active member. Samuel and Rachel are now the
steering committee until additional active and dedicated members are
identified.
The Parlourcraft Circle meets monthly for those interested in antique
textile and needlework techniques such as embroidery, tatting, crochet,
knitting, darning, Victorian sewing techniques, cross stitch, as well as
other ladies’ parlour crafts such as quilling, china painting,
calligraphy, decopauge, etc. The next circle is on Saturday, March 3.
Visit handwork.tumblr.com for meeting dates and more information.
The Bartitsu Club also meets monthly, for those interested in learning
Victorian martial art and especially Bartitsu, the martial art of Sherlock
Holmes. No experience is required. The next session is on Sunday, February
26. Visit www.nycsteampunk.com/bartitsu for meeting dates
and more information.
Historian Mark Donnelly will return to NYC to teach another Bartitsu
workshop in Chelsea on March 11, and to host a steampunk and 19th century
Pub Quiz on March 10 at the Way Station in Brooklyn. Visit
http://www.nycsteampunk.com/bartitsu for more on these events.
The Society’s monthly Speaker Series launches with historian Christine
Evans’ presentation of a Victorian lady’s wardrobe, with emphasis on the
underpinnings. The event was held on February 21 and was a resounding
success. The next speakers in this series will present on pocket watches
and on the history of stereoscopic photography. Victorian drug addiction
and the art of tying men’s neckwear are additional topics in the Speaker
Series queue.
Update from Samuel on the April 27-29 Extravaganza, a weekend of
19th-century events and activities. The event will culminate in a day of
picnicking and activities at the historic Old Stone House in Park Slope.
Further information is forthcoming.
Open floor: ideas from members about a more formal ParlourCraft circle
event, a guided shopping tour of the Garment District, possibilities for
“Dumpster-diving” for fabric remnants in the Garment District, thrift-shop
excursions, and other ideas for future events were discussed. At this
point, the Society’s event calendar is well-stocked until late Spring, but
event ideas are always welcomed and encouraged.
