Old England Grown New
We are a small group of living historians based between Chicago, IL and Milwaukee, WI. We're dedicated to studying and bringing to life the work of early modern tailors- the people who quite literally clothed those who would found America- as accurately as possible. It's our dream to bring live demonstrations to the public at reenactments, museums, and educational insitutions wherever and whenever possible. Wearing completely handsewn interpretations of historical clothing, we seek to connect the people of the present to our collective past to better understand where we come from and how we got here. At our events, the public is invited to experience history with all their senses, and are welcome to try on handmade garments or try their hand at the stitches that clothed our ancestors.
Our name comes from the chorus of an English song dated to 1630 lamenting a changing world. Being 21st century Americans seeking to recreate a slice of early modern life, we thought the idea of England "grown new" to be pretty fitting! Click here for the song lyrics!
We've spent a long time learning and acquiring historically correct tools and equipment to approximate what an early modern tailor's shop would have, but there are some incredibly important objects and tools just out of our reach. We want your help so that we can roll out our full presentations in Autumn 2014. We've already researched and priced out what we need, and the next step is you!
We've listed above some of the items we need in order to get moving, and any additional funds raised will be used to make or acquire a more historically accurate cook pot, build tailoring furniture, access primary source documents for research, and/or purchase consumables like linen or silk thread and historical textiles. Prior to this point, all of the materials, thread, fabric, tools, objects, and furniture we have used have been funded entirely out of pocket.
There are no words to describe our gratitude for any and all contributions and well-wishes. We are lifelong students with a passion for sharing what we've learned with others, and we can't wait for the chance to move forward with this project!
Our sincerest thanks,
-Dan, Elizabeth, and Ike
The Old England Grown New Facebook page
Here are some photos of our work thus far at various events and public sites. While many of the tools in the photos below belong to our project, we've been very fortunate to have been able to borrow others to bring our demonstrations to the public thus far. 
Q: How does this work?
A: All the donations we receive, we get to keep, minus some small fees (less than 10%).
Q: How soon until donations close?
A: There is no set deadline to meet our goal. However, we intend to start work on many projects by the end of summer, so our soft deadline for this fundraiser is August 20.
Q: How difficult is it to donate?
A: It's very easy. First, you fill in your desired donation amount, name, email, and zip code. Second, you enter your credit card information. Third, you confirm your payment. You should see a Thank You message and an emailed receipt right away.
