"Windows Through History" is an award winning "hands on" living history series for  young ladies ages 7 to 14.  Each Session I is geared for girls to experience dancing, cooking, sewing, a craft as well as attend a social of the various time periods shown below.  To give the session a more historical flavor, girls will be dressed in the proper period clothing straight from the closets of the William Vicary Mansion.  Classes are held on Saturdays between 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Session II is for girls as well as adults who want a more in depth learning session.  The focus is on creating as well as learning the  history of  a specific sewing or craft project. Classes are generally held on Friday evenings from 6:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Fee:  $18 per session

Reservations are required and a fee applies.   Contact the Foundation for more information. 

 2010 Sessions:

Session I - 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

January 16th   -----  1770's Frontier Beaver County.  The use of a drop spindle and treadling of a spinning wheel; sewing a small white cap; cooking turnip soup, baking shrewsberry cakes and tea. 

February 13th -----   1800's Lewis & Clark.  The art of paper quilling; sewing a "reticule" or small hand bag; cooking salt pork fried in cornmeal; baking apple tarts and cinnamon water.

March 13th -----   Late 1820's Vicary Mansion.  Weaving a bookmark on a hand loom; sewing a pincushion; making homemade sausage with fried apple; baking jumbles (cookies) and hot chocolate.

April 17th -----   1860's Civil War.  Making a yarn doll;  hand quilting a potholder; making potato soup, cranking home made ice cream, baking ginger bread, drinking switchel and root beer.

May 8th ----   1890's Victorian.  Sewing a crazy quilt patch on a treadle sewing machine; embroidering the crazy quilt patch; baking Waldorf Astoria red cake, making tea sandwiches and tea.

September 18th ---  Eastern Woodlands Indian.  Making a small bracelet out of wampum beads; sewing a leather amulet bag; grinding corn with a mortar and pestle; cooking corn and bean soup, and cornmeal mush/fried mush, cooking pumpkin, watermelon and "sumac" lemonade.

Session II - 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Call 724-775-1848 for dates)

January  --- Weaving (The time for this session is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.).  Learn to use the looms at the Vicary Mansion.  Cost of this class will depend on the project undertaken.  Session will consist of three days as noted above.  

February  --- Basic Sewing Stitches.  A small booklet will be completed in class that will contain basic hand stitches, such as a running, basting, back, hem and flat felled seam etc.

March  --- Doll Clothing.  Using the stitches that are learned in the Basic Sewing Stitch class, create clothing for a cloth or 18" doll.  You must attend the Basic Sewing Stitch class to attend this class.

April  --- Bobbin Lace.  The class is designed so that a progression of lace projects is offered.  Beginner students will work on a "snake bookmark"; the second time a student attends, they will work on a ground stitch bookmark, the third time the project will be a heart motif, etc.  Additional projects will be developed as students progress.  Samples can be seen on the pillow displayed in the Mansion hallway. 

May  --- Open Hearth Cooking.  Participants must be over 10 years old to register.  Class will be conducted at the open hearth fireplace outside of the Mansion, so weather may be a factor.  Different techniques of 18th and 19th century cooking will be explored.  Weather permitting.