Visitors From Many Places Learn About Silk

During our first week of Moth to Cloth our 125 silk worms grew and grew and grew, eating so many mulberry leaves that it was hard to keep up with them. By Tuesday we were collecting leaves four times a day! The silkworms hatched on June 15, and this week will be ready to spin their cocoons.

We have had many visitors; some of them coming from faraway places. Martina and Erica are two sisters who came to Historic Deerfield with their parents from Northern Italy. Their great grandparents worked in the Italian silk industry.    Both girls painted beautiful silk book marks. Caroline is a high school student from California. She came to see the silkworms because she is interested in Japanese fashion design. Caroline wants to specialize in silk kimonos.  

We are learning so much from our visitors as they tell us about their own interest in silk. Karen and Peter are visiting New England from Scotland.  They came to Historic Deerfield so that  Karen could do some research on textiles. She knit a pair of lace stockings using silk and merino wool.

Visitors also got to see silk objects from our collection in museum houses and at the Flynt Center of Early New England Life.

This incredibly detailed man’s suit consists of a coat, waistcoat, and breeches. It is made of silk velvet and can be viewed at the Flynt Center of Early New England Life.