A afternoon out in Bunschoten~Spakenburg

Yesterday, I went with a friend to a village north of here called Bunschoten~Spakenburg. We went to see a museum called 't Vurhuus. It contains a street scene and various "rooms" depicting typical interiors of this area of Holland.

There is still the Dutch folk costume from this village still being worn, mostly by the older generation. Above is a photo of a little boy on a rocking horse. Boys wore these 'dresses' until their fourth birthday.

This is a baby's shirt which has been hand~sewn by a woman of the village. It is beautifully made and has satin edging and pretty lace on the cuffs. I will be hanging this precious item in my quilt studio.

The inside is fully lined and the entire shirt has been crisply starched. Don't forget to click on the photos to really see the detail.

Women of the village volunteer in the museum and many wear the costume. They were very friendly and full of enthusiasm for their local culture. A starched garment worn over the shoulders is called a 'kraplap'. This type is found only here and varies in color according to whether the woman is in mourning or not. If not in mourning, it is normally light and contains a colorful floral pattern. When in mourning, blacks and purples are worn.

I was also able to purchase a couple of the fabrics used to make mourning 'kraplappen'. They begin the mourning period with a black fabric and then reduce it in varying shades of purple in later stages.