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April C. Thomas, proprietor and sole designer of Fashions Revisited, and Director of the Historic Foodways Program for the Northern York County Historical and Preservation Society (NYCHAPS) in Dillsburg, PA, joined the Practical Preservation Podcast to discuss her fashion business and the foodways program. We covered multiple topics, including:
- April’s background, including growing up working at local historical sites in the Chadds Ford area, and starting hearth cooking herself when she was 7 years old
- Her foray into the historical reproduction clothing fashion business over 20 years ago – including creating and providing accurate patterns for sale – in addition to ready-made and custom-made clothing
- The history of NYCHAPS, Dill’s Tavern, and her foodways program there
- Well-known projects from Fashions Revisited, including film and TV – most notably, April created the dress for Caroline Goodall’s Martha Washington in Mt. Vernon Visitor Center’s Imax Theater’s “We Fight to be Free“
- Memorable highlights from the foodways program – April and Dill’s tavern staff and historians were featured on an episode of A Taste of History
- How continuing these traditions preserves an essential part of our collective heritage
- Challenges maintaining authenticity with modern materials and mindsets, as well as trends that emerge in the historical reproduction clothing world
Contact/Follow:
April typically is involved in workshops and other events, but due to COVID this year, these will be delayed – follow her events page and other sites mentioned above to stay tuned to future options, and explore her items for sale!
In the meantime, April recommends looking into events at Dill’s Tavern and NYCHAPS, including their Oktoberfest this week, and the Colonial Market & Fair at Mt. Vernon next week!