Historic Costumes and Heirloom Sweetpeas

During a visit to the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum at Singleton today we were lucky enough to stumble (almost literally in my case) over a small exhibition of historic clothing.

These have all been made by hand by the museum's needlework group.



I particularly like these outfits in the photo below, which would have been worn in the 14th Century.

Also of interest was the display of the changes in women's underwear and corsetry covering a timespan of approximately 250 years.

June and December found a rail of clothes to one side and had great fun trying on lots of items from the different centuries, creating some interesting looking combinations such as a Victorian smock with Tudor waistcoat and mediaeval peasant hat!

After this we went to explore Whitaker's Cottages, one of the girls favourite exhibits and on the way out through the garden we noticed these beautiful and unusual sweetpeas: