Hoopskirts

So, why would you want to make oiled linen? At reenactments I usually portray the president of a local Soldiers' Aid Society. I like bringing a display to engage the spectators and help them understand some of the items that were collected and sent to the armies. I also find that I learn a lot when I research and then recreate period items. The Annual Report, Issues 1-4, of the U.S. Christian Commission issues directions for packing supplies to be shipped. It mentions, "Stone jars of jellies should be corked and firmly bound with oiled linen or leather over the cork...." The Kentucky Housewife , by Lettice Byran, a cookbook published in 1839 suggests that many jars of food, especially pickles, be covered with leather. While I had already used leather as a cover for many of my jars, I wanted to add oiled linen for variety. First, I had to make oiled linen. Researching oiled linen, I learned that it was used in window panes as a substitute for glass, as an early umbrell...