Finding the charm and fun of crafts and trades at Eric Sloane Museum

Finding the charm and fun of crafts and trades at Eric Sloane Museum
Katie Strano of Heddle over Heels in Southbury teaches a young crafter how to operate a floor loom at Touch a Trade in Kent on Saturday, Oct. 22. 
Photo by Riley Klein

KENT — Seeking to promote a next generation of trade and crafts people,  Hudson Valley Preservation promoted a Touch a Trade event on Saturday, Oct. 22, hosted by the Eric Sloane Museum and the Connecticut Antique Machinery Association.

The event featured professionals from fields including carpentry, woodworking, masonry, welding, plumbing, electrical wiring and more. Guests were offered the opportunity to get hands-on instruction from experts.

The Eric Sloane Museum hosted crafters who specialize in historical trades, such as the Kent Quilters and Heddle Over Heels.

“I’m working on a little floor loom. These are just some samples that people can sit down and play with, showing different weaving styles,” said Katie Strano of Heddle over Heels in Southbury.

Next door, Connecticut Antique Machinery hosted more modern tradespeople, including Eastern Water Solutions and CrateCrafts Fine Woodworking.

“We do historical architecture element repair and our bread and butter is window sashes,” said Laura Peckar of CrateCrafts in Waterbury as she worked to restore a 19th-century window.

In addition to technical training, the event offered arts and crafts, pumpkin painting and some unique experiences. The lumber slalom course, for example, was a challenge in which two-person teams traversed a slalom course while carrying a 12- foot wood beam.

Hands-on experience was at the heart of the event’s efforts with every booth offering a different tool, machine  or piece of equipment to try. Safety was also a top priority with protective goggles and ear plugs distributed to all who entered. This was the first Touch a Trade event, with the hope for more community outreach in the future.

A potential summer camp and regional maker space for Litchfield County communities are envisioned for the coming years. For more information, go to www.touchatrade.org.

 
Related Articles Around the Web

Latest News

Books and bites beckon at the upcoming Sharon Summer Book Signing

Author and cartoonist Peter Steiner signed books at Sharon Summer Book Signing last summer.

Photo by Stephanie Stanton

The 27th annual Sharon Summer Book Signing at the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon will be held Friday, Aug. 1, from 4:45 to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 3, at noon.

Friday’s festivities will honor libraries and the power of the written word. In attendance will be 29 locally and nationally recognized authors whose books will be for sale. With a wide array of genres including historical fiction, satire, thrillers, young adult and non-fiction, there will be something for every reader.

Keep ReadingShow less
Voices from Ukraine to America come to Stissing Center July 27

Ukraine Emergency Fundraiser at The Stissing Center in 2022 raised over $120,000 for Sunflower of Peace.

Photo by Michael Churton

The spirit of Ukraine will be on display at the Stissing Center in Pine Plains on Sunday, July 27. Beginning at 5 p.m., the “Words to America from Ukraine” fundraiser is set to showcase the simultaneous beauty of Ukrainian culture and the war-time turmoil it faces, all the while fundraising in support of Ukrainian freedom.

“Words to America from Ukraine” aims to remind and spread awareness for the suffering that often gets forgotten by those who live in comfortable worlds, explained Leevi Ernits, an organizer for the event. “We are trying to make an attempt to remind people that we are human, and we are connected with human values,” she said. “With very few words, poetry can express very deep values.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Grumbling Gryphons’ set to celebrate 45th anniversary with gala and summer theater camp

Celebrating its 45th year, the Grumbling Gryphons will perform at HVRHS Friday, Aug. 1, at 7 p.m.

Photo provided

The Grumbling Gryphons Traveling Children’s Theater is preparing to celebrate its 45th year — not with fanfare, but with feathers, fabric, myth, chant, and a gala finale bursting with young performers and seasoned artists alike.

The Gryphons’ 2025 Summer Theater Arts Camp begins July 28 and culminates in a one-night-only performance gala at Housatonic Valley Regional High School on Friday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. Founder, playwright, and artistic director, Leslie Elias has been weaving together the worlds of myth, movement and theater for decades.

Keep ReadingShow less
Learning calligraphy by hand

Attendees practive brushstrokes led by calligraphy teacher Debby Reelitz.

Photo by Patrick L. Sullivan

Calligrapher Debby Reelitz came to the David M. Hunt Library to give a group of adults and children an introduction to modern calligraphy Thursday, July 17.

Reelitz said she was introduced to calligraphy as a youngster and has been a professional calligrapher and teacher for more than 25 years.

Keep ReadingShow less