Weaving and Loom Photos - University of Kentucky

Weaving

A Treasured Kentucky Handicraft

Kentucky Cooperative Extension It starts with us

Handicraft vs. Handcraft

• Handicraft (noun) = the skill or trade of making decorative or useful objects by hand; or object made by hand • “The handicraft of weaving should be preserved.”

• Handcraft (noun) = variant of handicraft• “These handcrafts are very valuable.”

• Handcraft (verb) = to engage in making a hand-made item• “We will handcraft the scarves with our knitting needles.”


Weaving is almost as old a human civilization

• Remnants dating back to 5000 B.C. have been found in Egypt

• Cotton and linen textiles dating 2500 B.C. have also been found in the Middle East

• The Old Testament even identified three types of weavers:• Plain weavers

• Multicolor weavers

• Art weavers


Early fibers used in spun yarns for weaving cloth

• Hemp

• Raffia

• Leaf fibers

• Hair

• Wool

• Strips of animal hide

• Fur


Colonial America

• European settlers brought looms and patterns to America

• Linen was the most abundant fiber used for clothing and household use

• Use of wool fiber began after Merino sheep were imported from Spain in the 19th century


Woven Coverlets

• Most common of the textiles that remain from the 1800s

• Woven on a simple loom

• Illustrated a high level of craftsmanship

• Overshot weaving technique

• Scandinavian and European origins


Kentucky’s Appalachian Mountains

• Weaving was a daily activity prior to the Industrial Revolution

• Arts and Craft Revival in the 1890s

• Berea College

• Fireside Industries• Anna Emberg hired in 1911 and served a superintendent for 25 years

• Settlement Schools• Pine Mountain

• Hindman


Churchill Weavers

• Founded in 1922 and continued for 85 years

• Employed local weavers from Berea and the surrounding area• At its peak they had as many as 150 looms

• Supplied retailers across the nation and internationally in Europe and Asia with hand woven items

• The Kentucky Historical Society now houses The Churchill Weavers collection of 32,000 fabric samples


Rebecca Boone Carriage Throw


Overshot Weaving Technique

Photo Courtesy of the Kentucky Historical Society, a part of the Churchill Weaver’s Collection

Coverlet woven by

Churchill Weavers features a

combination of twill and plain weaves


Lou Tate Bousman (1906-1979)


• Simply known as Lou Tate, she was born in Bowling Green and later moved to Louisville.

• Attended Berea College and the University of Michigan

• Developed the “Little Loom” to teach weaving

• Opened the “Little Loomhouse” in 1938 in Louisville

• The Lou Tate Foundation continues to operate and ensure the history of weaving and textiles arts is kept alive.


The “Little Loom” pictured above.

Picture on the right shows Lou Tate and Eleanor Roosevelt admire a woven coverlet at the Little Loom House in Louisville.

Photos courtesy of the littleloomhouse.org

Break for Learning Activity 1


Basic Weaving Diagrams


Basic Knitting Diagrams (stockinette stitch)


Front side Reverse side

Types of Hand Weaving



Plain Weave


Placemat features Overshot weave


Bookmark Woven on an Inkle Loom


Loom Weaving

Design controlled by the weaver


Rag Rug Plain Weave

Woven on a 4-harness floor loom


Huck Weaving

Surface weaving on Huck toweling


TapestryWeaving

on a box loom


Pin Loom Weaving

Animal made by stitching woven swatches together




Types of Looms Used for Hand Weaving


Rigid Heddle Loom


Flip LoomRigid Heddle

Loom


Inkle Loom with thread heddles


Inkle Loom with cards for controlling weaving design


8-Harness Wolf Loom


Tapestry Looms


Table Loomwith 4 hand levers to

raise each shaft/harness


Table Loomwith 8 hand levers to

raise each shaft/harness


Countermarche Floor Loom


Pin Loom

This example is a 4”x 4” square with a 6” long needle


Pin Loomhttps://www.threadsmagazine.com/2010/01/25/create-intricate-fabric-with-pin-weaving

https://www.threadsmagazine.com/2010/01/25/create-intricate-fabric-with-pin-weaving


Tools Used for Hand Weaving


Boat ShuttleUsed for holding the weft

yarns for weaving


Weaving Draft


Warping Board


Weaving Needles




There are a multitude of weaving resources on the internet that demonstrate

how to weave on the various looms or use other hand weaving techniques.

Be sure to visit local establishments that promote weaving.


Questions?


For an information on Inkle Loom weaving go to this link:https://www.thebeginningartist.com/inkle-loom-weaving-beginners/https://www.ashford.co.nz/images/download_pdfs/learn_to/learn_to_weave_on_the_inkle_loom.pdf

For information on Pin Loom weaving, check out these links:https://handwovenmagazine.com/weaving-on-a-pin-loom/https://www.mielkesfiberarts.com/pin-loom-weaving-a-photo-tutorial/http://www.pinloomweaving.com/p/blog-page.htmlhttps://www.threadsmagazine.com/2010/01/25/create-intricate-fabric-with-pin-weaving

For an explanation of overshot weaving go to this link Overshot Handbook by Madelyn van der Hoogt: http://magazines.interweave.com.s3.amazonaws.com/cdtv/January%202015/Overshot%20handbook.pdf

https://www.thebeginningartist.com/inkle-loom-weaving-beginners/

https://www.ashford.co.nz/images/download_pdfs/learn_to/learn_to_weave_on_the_inkle_loom.pdf

https://handwovenmagazine.com/weaving-on-a-pin-loom/

https://www.mielkesfiberarts.com/pin-loom-weaving-a-photo-tutorial/

http://www.pinloomweaving.com/p/blog-page.html

https://www.threadsmagazine.com/2010/01/25/create-intricate-fabric-with-pin-weaving

http://magazines.interweave.com.s3.amazonaws.com/cdtv/January%202015/Overshot%20handbook.pdf


Sources and Additional Reading:

https://thevintagetraveler.wordpress.com/2019/09/04/fireside-industries-handwovens-in-berea-kentucky/

https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2014/08/churchill-weavers-berea-ky.html

http://littleloomhouse.org

Broomfield, S. S. (2006). Weaving Social Change: Berea College Fireside Industries and Reform in Appalachia https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tsaconf/297/

Held, S. E. (1978). Weaving, A Handbook of the Fiber Arts, Saunders College.

Tate, L. (1938). Kentucky Coverlets https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/monographs/tl_kcov.pdf

Wilson, K. C. (2001). Textile Art from Southern Appalachia: the quiet work of women. The Overmountain Press.

https://thevintagetraveler.wordpress.com/2019/09/04/fireside-industries-handwovens-in-berea-kentucky/

https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2014/08/churchill-weavers-berea-ky.html

https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tsaconf/297/

https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/monographs/tl_kcov.pdf

Many of the photos were taken at The Woolery in Frankfort, Kentucky by the original author, others were taken at her home or office.

Original AuthorMarjorie M. Baker, M.S.Extension Associate for Clothing and TextilesDecember 2019

Revising AuthorJeanne BadgettSenior Extension Associate for Clothing and TextilesMay 2020

Date post:	24-Nov-2021
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Weaving and Loom Photos - University of Kentucky

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