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Annual academy offers hands-on lessons
Published Sunday, March 16, 2008
NATCHEZ — With the ladies in period costume, embroidery needles flying upward and a cool breeze blowing through the open widows, it’s hard to remember that this is the 21st century.
The 11th annual Ladies Academy is this weekend and the 28 ladies donned homemade dresses to learn embroidery, how to make hat pins and more at the Historic Jefferson College.
This year’s hostess is Vicky Ratliff and it’s her first year to host, although she’s been attending the academy for eight years.
Photo by Marcus Frazier
Rebecca Hiersche gives Annell Hiersche and Linda Cospelich paisley tips.
She’s been planning and preparing for this weekend’s event for the past year.
“I didn’t want to get into crunch time,” she said.
Planning is an arduous process, collecting the $35 fee per lady to buy supplies for making hit pins and embroideries.
Each woman receives a bag with all of the supplies they need for the two-day event.
Ratliff said she enjoys the academy more than she does the re-enactments.
This is because of the friendships formed during the academy.
Photo by Marcus Frazier
Patricia Salassi, of Jackson, pays close attention to a starter design during paisley class during the 11th annual Ladies Academy at Historic Jefferson College.
“You make a bond, lasting fellowship and friendship,” she said.
She also said most re-enactments involve men and they’re the main characters.
“This is strictly about us,” she said.
Ratliff is the only Natchez resident attending the academy this year, and it’s been that way for four years.
She supposed it was all the effort it goes into truly acting in the period.
“It’s a lot of work, our attire, proper etiquette,” she said. “I’m no where near perfect, it’s a lot of learning.”
Patricia Roark, from Chickamagua, Ga., said learning new things is exactly what she enjoys.
“You learn something new,” she said.
She’s teaching croquet this year and is able to bring great expertise to teaching.
She’s been croqueting her whole life.
“My grandmother taught me,” she said.
Her first piece was done when she was 4- or 5-year-old, she said.
Saturday she acquired embroidery and hat pin making skills. She made her own clothes, top to bottom.
“Everything I have on, I made it,” she said. “I have a lot of dresses but I make all mine.”
Debbie Manning from Jefferson, La., made her own dress too, something she was proud of, as she’s only been sewing for a year and a half.
There are several stipulations to what you have to wear, she said. The material must be 100 percent cotton and be an appropriate material, nothing modern.
Another skill she’s acquired through her two years of Ladies Academy is how to fix hair, that it’s not as simple as it looks.
Her brother-in-law got her into re-enactments and now many of her family members participate.
“We have a little clan,” she said.
She said she’s become quite the history buff when it comes to the Civil War.
Patricia Salassi, from Jackson, is the co-host this year and has been an attendee for six years.
She said she enjoys the ability to gather with the ladies and enjoy each other’s company.
“This is our special weekend,” she said.
Today the ladies will have a paisley class and a church service.
Comments
Posted by dynagirl (anonymous) on March 16, 2008 at 7:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The democrat knocks another one out of the park!
It's crochet, not croquet!
Posted by kpage1 (anonymous) on March 16, 2008 at 9:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The women in my mom's family can do needlework like crazy (crochet, embroidery, tatting, quilting, etc) but my mom has no patience to teach me; we're too much alike. I wish more young people would get interested in needlework. This is a dying skill and it's mostly older people who create these works of art.
csguidry, it was a wonderful article, wasn't it? I would like to sit amongst these ladies while they are sewing together. In fact, I would like to learn some skills at the needlework shop downtown. I hear rave reviews about that place and the lessons they give. What a great way to relieve stress and visit with ladies who know their art.
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on March 16, 2008 at 1:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
KPAGE, how so very right you are !!!!!. My mama was very familiar will all these arts that you speak of and I guess it just rubbed off on me. Never had I heard the word "stress" or the remark "I need some space" uttered by her mouth. She raised 10 kids and did a very good and worthy job at doing so. Her workday consisted of up to 16 hrs a day but she still found the time to sit for a moment at the time with her "ART". She made all our clothing, cooked three meals a day, did all the baking at home, the list goes on and on. Yet she found the time to relieve her "stress". This was in the days of the old wash board laundry days. New "modern things" were not even a dream then. I think that's what is wrong with our society now-a-days, all these "new modern things". They have robbed us all of the important time for all the lovely creations all the old folks found time to do. I could never have the stamina my mama had when raising her family. To me it was a miracle in which the good Lord had a hand in. Before her death she told me she was proud of me, for what I had accomplished, I felt so inadequate and humbled to what she had accomplished. Get those needles out and get rid of the stress.
Posted by ijohnson (anonymous) on March 16, 2008 at 5:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Lost arts!! It's so unfortunate Natchez doesn't have more ladies AND gents participating in this event. I have found that there are a lot of gentlemen who have taken up the art of quiltmaking and have produced remarkable pieces. Sewing, crocheting or re-creating jewelry are how I would love to pass time.
I am so grateful that my Great Aunt taught me how to crochet and tat. She tried to teach all of the little girls but I was the only one really took it up and "found myself" in it. My mother embroidered all the time and make most of our clothes. She taught me how to embroider but I never applied myself to doing it a lot. I would sit for hours, though, with one of my grandmother's cousins who was bound to a wheelchair because she was an amputee. She loved to crochet and taught me how to crochet all types of hats, doilies and scarves. I would spend hours and hours visiting with her, crocheting and talking about life.
My grandmother used to design and make the most beautiful wedding dresses and clothes. She passed away before I was born but I have seen jackets and quilts she made that other relatives have saved and I'm still in awe because of her skill level and eye for design. I taught myself how to sew and I'm very skilled at it, too (if I must say so myself). I have made wedding dresses, handbags, pillows, drapes, tablecloths, and lots of other things that I have made for myself and others who have commissioned pieces from me. I taught myself how to knit and taught my daughters how to crochet, knit and sew but they do it in spurts.
I think the problem today with passing these needlearts to the younger generation is there are too many distractions, i.e., the computer/"My Space", video games, TV, fashion magazines, cell phones, etc. However, I think they really need it to stimulate the creative juices harnessed in their brains and give them an outlet from life's day-to-day stresses.
As for us, the mothers, I think the modern day amenities have made us "lazy", too. We don't have the stamina and wherewithall to do all our mothers and grandmothers did. I often wonder to myself how my mother was able to manage it all and still does it today! Being half the woman and mother she is has been my lifelong aspiration.
Just taking the time to sit and make something has been my challenge lately because I feel the pressures of life requires me to be doing something else. Well . . . I NEED MY DE-STRESSOR!!!!! *lol*
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