This past winter I have been traveling up to Thistle Hill Weavers to work on a herringbone for spring. Frank Taylor as seen in the video edited by Naomi Yang changes the weft every 6 to 10 inches to create the striping.

We used different cottons, linens and bamboo.

I had never noticed the graveyard of beautifully rusted old looms outside until the snow had finally melted. I love this time of year when the green is quickly coming in but the hesitant skeletons of winter allow your eye to see into the landscape.

Lincoln Jacquard

photo: Rabbit Goody

 The Lincoln jacquard pattern is an exact replica from a small sample of the original damask parlor curtains from Abraham Lincoln’s home in Springfield, Illinois. It was from this parlor he received the news in 1860 of his presidential nomination. Rabbit Goody of Thistle Hill Weavers replicated these in the original gold and red color way for the museum. I fell in love with the design and asked Rabbit if she would run it again in different yarns and color ways. It was a great second 422 project and an honor to work with Rabbit who not only rebuilds the historic looms she works from but is an artist, an activist, and a textile historian. Every Summer she leads the Textile History Forum in Vermont which I will definitely be attending this year.

We ended up choosing four Wefts and ran a cotton warp in varying muted tones. There will be small runs in a black cashmere, a burgundy and grey heathered merino and a natural alpaca. There will be two styles cut and a limited run of 15 pieces available the first week of November.