Old Independence Regional Museum Hosts Family Day Event

Old Independence Regional Museum

Hosts Family Day Event “From Sheep to Cloth”

Did you ever wonder where your clothing REALLY comes from? Which regional plants make good dyes?  How did our ancestors water-proof their clothing? How many spinners did it take to keep one weaver busy? When should sheep be shorn?  Why did people from long ago have so few garments?  Find the answers to these questions at the “From Sheep to Cloth” Family Day.  This free, fun-filled event takes place outside and inside the museum on Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.   Visitors will have the opportunity to purchase lemonade, sandwiches and bake sale items for lunch.

The morning begins with a meet and greet with the real “stars” of the event, the sheep!  Visit them on the side lawn of the museum and learn about wool sheep and listen to a reading of sheep stories.  After seeing where the wool comes from, visitors are invited to try their hand at wool washing, wool carding, and weaving.  Museum volunteers and staff will also lead demonstrations in natural dyeing and spinning wool.

After the wool has been processed, dyed, and spun, a garment can finally be started.  In the afternoon, visitors will have the opportunity to practice knitting a row or sewing a seam.

Amanda Nikkel, the museum’s Volunteer Coordinator, states “we will have a different activity or hands-on demonstration starting every half hour beginning at 10 in the morning and ending at 2 in the afternoon. We encourage families to spend the day with us learning about how our ancestors made clothing.”

Old Independence Regional Museum, located at 380 South Ninth Street in Batesville is non-profit institution serving 12-counties in north central Arkansas.   The Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on Sundays.  Admission is $3.00 for adults, $2.00 for seniors and $1.00 for children.  The museum is located at 380 South 9th street, between Boswell and Vine Streets in Batesville.  The Museum’s Gift Shop is open to the public and has an extensive collection of books, historical reproductions and gift items related to local history and culture for all ages.   Call 870-793-2121 for more information