On Friday, members of the Enchanted Mountain Weavers’ Guild could be seen setting up their personal table looms at the Grace Lutheran Church.
As they settled in for a long evening of handiwork — this month’s project was lace weaving — members talked about the group’s goals, accomplishments, and recent fiber arts related traveling.
The guild has monthly meetings 10 months out of the year, with the exceptions of January and February. They range between day and night time meetings and are held at multiple locations, with the main two being the Grace Lutheran Church and Crooks Farm of Bradford. In the summer months of July and August, day-long, workshops are held each year at Crooks Farm.
Regina VanScoy of Limestone, N.Y., one of the guild’s project leaders, said people who join the guild range from beginners just interested in crafting to professional artisans.
To the outside observer, weaving might seem like a simple hobby. But a closer look shows that the world of fiber arts is vast and intricate.
These weavers and spinners have sponsored meetings with workshops such as beginning spinning, overshot weaving, drafting, boundweave, ripsmatta weaving, tapestry, inkle weaving, Andean weaving and spinning, tablet weaving, tartan weaving, knitting, basketry, felting and dyeing.
The meetings consist of hands on activities, videos, slide programs, show and tell, a business meeting — usually held in the beginning, and refreshments with snacks. The guild also provides samples of projects and has a video and book lending library available to members.
The monthly meetings are not the only attractive feature the guild offers its members; they commonly participate in community events, activities and exhibits. They carpool to fiber festivals, museums, workshops and fiber shops.
These activities include but are not limited to the following: Crook Farm weaving studio, country fair, a barn loom restoration, library displays, kids’ fiber fun days, the International Festival at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, displays and exhibits for the McKean County Historical Society, county fair wool days and the Alpaca Festival.
When asked what brought Linda Larson of West Clarksville, N.Y., to becoming a member of the guild, she explained that “it was always about the history for me. It is important for me to feel that connection to and with the past. If you think about it, we are only doing what women have been doing for thousands of years — it is a time-travel kind of thing.”
Speaking of history, the guild was founded in 1991 and has had an average membership of 22 to 24 members each year, ranging in ages from youth to seniors.
In fact, one avid crafter stayed with the club until he was 99 years old.
The club’s eldest active member was Jim Baker of Smethport, who was 99 when he passed away earlier this year. His son was still transporting him back and forth from meetings up until his death, according to VanScoy.
Members are encouraged to join as individuals or as families; fees for membership include a discount for students. More information about becoming a member can be found on the guild’s Facebook page. All are welcome at meetings, including children who are interested in the fiber arts.
