Work or Fun?

The Charlton Coffeehouse in Colonial Willilamsburg, recent inspiration for a study program project and fascinating historic building to explore.

The Charlton Coffeehouse in Colonial Willilamsburg, recent inspiration for a study program project and fascinating historic building to explore.

Working both sides of the miniatures hobby, as I am frequently doing, I have just returned from teaching at the Guild Study Program in Williamsburg, Virginia. While many of the IGMA Study Programs are held in locations around the country, this one has been held annually in Colonial Williamsburg  since about 1995. There have been so many really neat projects offered here that I have almost gone as

The barrister's wig box and wig that was the inspiration for one of the class projects this year. It was brought out of storage during the museum tour for students to view.

The barrister’s wig box and wig that was the inspiration for one of the class projects this year. It was brought out of storage during the museum tour for students to view.

a student many, many times, but, I’m in the same boat as many others, I just can’t afford to do everything I’d like to, so when the opportunity came up to teach there, I happily took it.

This year there were 4 classes offered,  35 students divided among them, a handful of guests to round out the group and, just as at Guild School in Castine, a gathering of miniaturists is a really fun event!

The wig box class hard at work with the wool roving from which the wigs were made.

The wig box class hard at work with the wool roving from which the wigs were made.

There was a museum tour to examine some really wonderful examples of early American furniture, lots of great food, good shopping and plenty of other things to explore and enjoy.

Next year the Colonial Williamsburg

Mornings started out a little chilly, but that didn't stop these herbs under their protective glass cloches in the colonial garden.

Mornings started out a little chilly, but that didn’t stop these herbs under their protective glass cloches in the colonial garden.

Study Program will offer classes by Pete and Pam Boorum, Bill Studebaker, Phyllis Hawkes and Pat Richards, yes, I’m lucky enough to be invited back for a second year in a row! Projects are as yet, not firmly decided upon, the Boorums have tentatively selected a ladderback chair and Bill Studebaker thinks a spinet might be a nice challenge. More information will be posted on the IGMA website later in the year.

The next study opportunity with the Guild will be the classes on offer in the 3 days prior to the Kensington Dollshouse Show in London, England. The next Study Program will be held in Portsmouth, New Hampshire at the Strawbery Banke Historic Museum in September. More information on that program will be found on the IGMA website when it is available.

One Response to Work or Fun?

  1. Catherine Soubzmaigne says:

    I love to read about all the opportunities offered by IGMA, I just wish I could be part of all those events…it seems to be such fun.
    See you all in Castine.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>