Friends of the Red Mill September Meeting

Hilltop Herbals, LLC's Cheryl Karcher is a Clinical Herbalist, herbal educator, product formulator and steward to our green plant allies. Resolving health concerns and formulating healing protocols are her most interesting and rewarding work .Creating community between plants and people through educational workshops, herb walks and hands-on garden activities is her passion. Her company, Hilltop Herbals, blends potent and tasty teas, herbal syrups, tonics and topical soothing creams and salves.

On September 8th, she presents "Let's Talk Tea" From the historical beginnings to present day versions including Bubble tea, tea is the number one consumed beverage in the world . . . after plain water. In this lecture she will discuss this long and complex history, the different types of tea, brewing tea and a demonstration of the art and science of blending a tasty herbal tea.

Light refreshments (and tea!) will be served.

The public is invited to the Friends of the Red Mill's free monthly meetings which feature speakers, presentations, light refreshments and camaraderie.

Knitting, sewing, embroidery, quilting-throughout history, these and other forms of textile work have often been dismissed as merely "women's work" and attached to ideas of domesticity and obedience. Yet, as psychologist and avid knitter Nicole Nehrig wonderfully explores in this captivating book, textile work has often been a way for women to exercise power. When their voices were silenced and other avenues were closed off to them, women used the tools they had-often a needle and thread-to seek freedom within the restrictive societies they lived in.

Heartfelt and deeply moving, With Her Own Hands is a celebration of women who have woven their own stories-and a testament to their resilience.

Part of our new Discovery Days at the Red Mill Museum Village!

Step into the tradition of craftsmanship and community at our weekly Spinning Bee! Inspired by the homespun movement, when colonial women spun, wove and wore homespun fabric to protest British taxation on imported textiles. These public spinning gatherings became a powerful symbol of resistance, offering women a public role in the growing independence movement.

At our Weekly Spinning Bee, members of the Red Mill Education Team invite you to learn the historic skills of spinning wool and flax using drop spindles as well as antique and modern spinning wheels. Bring your own wheel or spindle and fiber to spin along-or try your hand using our equipment. Locally sourced wool roving from Windswept Acres Farm in Pittstown is available for purchase in the museum shop.

Spin a yarn, share stories, and discover the power of hands-on history.

During Friday Discovery Days, pop into the ArtifactLAB found on the second floor of the Red Mill. Here you will find museum staff and volunteers working cleaning and cataloging historic tools from our permanent collection. The public is invited in to observe and ask questions to learn more about artifact preservation when the curator is here cleaning and cataloging tools.

The ArtifactLAB is open to all even when no staff member present and has a variety of hands-on and digital interactives.

We are pleased to once again welcome harnessmaker and leather worker Gary Elsing. Gary learned to work with leather from his father and uses the tools he inherited to demonstrate this highly skilled craft that was once essential to everyday life.

Some of Gary's fine handmade goods are available for sale in our museum shop.

The historic Mulligan Quarry has a long history of ROCK . . . this summer, we'll continue that tradition with rock music instead of limestone! The Clinton Music Studios Majors Band will be warming up the crowd at 6 each night with the headliners starting at 7.

Bring your chairs, blankets and dancing shoes. Picnic baskets are welcome, however we ask that you purchase your drinks here at this fundraising event. All proceeds benefit the Red Mill Museum Village; tickets are only a $5 suggested donation at the door.

On August 30th, we'll have High In the Mid 80s (or simply HITME) playing here! They are seven pro musicians, playing the best New Wave and Pop music from the early to mid 1980s. Formed in 2010, they have exceeded expectations, packed rooms and developed a faithful fan base of great people who just want to have fun and hear the music of their youth . . . played true to the original recordings.