Open house focuses on weaving

Published 9:45 am Thursday, March 7, 2019

Jacqueline Stewart shared her love of weaving during an open house at her home in Farmville on Sunday, Feb. 24.

Stewart, who moved to Farmville about two and a half years ago, developed an interest in weaving while working as an occupational therapist.

“Weaving was used quite a bit in therapy then,” she explained. “I did a lot of weaving during the time I was a therapist.”

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Marriage and household duties intervened for a number of years.

“Around 2000 I started weaving again,” Stewart added with a smile. “It got a little out of control.”

Touches of hand-woven art — placemats, scarves and blankets are evident throughout Stewart’s home.

After guests enjoyed socializing and an assortment of homemade refreshments, Stewart held a mini-workshop on weaving.

She discussed the history of weaving that had its beginning in ancient times, and the arts and crafts movement of the 1930s that created new interest in the craft of weaving.

Stewart discussed various looms and how they operate.

“Looms come in many shapes and sizes, but all of them serve two basic functions,” she explained. “A loom holds warp threads under tension, and it must also split the threads into two groups to create a space for the shuttle to pass through.”

Weaving, she explained, is not accomplished overnight. Displaying a large woven blanket, Stewart described the process from design to completion. All total the blanket was years in the making.

Also at the open house was local weaver Patricia Morton, of Appomattox. Morton, co-owner of Treeditions, a weaving, woodworking and weaving tools company, will be the instructor for a weaving workshop at Holiday Lake 4-H Center April 14-17. Information on the workshop is available at holidaylake4h. com.

“Why do I weave?” Stewart concluded. “Weaving is like gardening. It fills a creative need — and it’s fun.”