Article Photos

The Mountain Weavers Guild began its 42nd year with a visitor-pleasing exhibit during the 2009 Mountain State Forest Festival. The display of a sampling of work by the late B. Dorothy Thompson honored this master weaver, a National Endowment for the Arts National Treasure. The annual Forest Festival event also included sales of members' creations and a continuous round of demonstrations.

This regional fiber guild, an affiliate of the Handweavers Guild of America, was begun by Homestead weaver Olive Goodwin along with women from Montrose, Harman, Valley Bend, Helvetia, East Dailey, Gilman, Mill Creek, Beverly and Elkins. Membership quickly expanded to adjacent counties and then beyond.

From 6-year-olds to those in their 90s, male and female, the guild has enjoyed a varied membership.

The original mission of the Mountain Weavers Guild was to maintain the heritage arts of spinning, weaving, basket weaving and natural dyeing and to further the education of guild members and the general public about these crafts. Today, the mission remains the same. The education includes new techniques, equipment, information and materials as well as discoveries from the past.

When the Augusta Heritage Arts Workshop added felting to its offerings, the guild also added this craft to its listing.

Locally, boiled wool outer garments, saddle blankets and pads were made with felted tightly woven wool. Today, needle felting is also included in the membership crafts list.

Anyone, any age, who practices any of these crafts or who raises fiber animals may join the Mountain Weavers Guild.

Most members also enjoy other fiber arts including papermaking, quilling, bookbinding, chair-caning, broom-making, tatting, crocheting, sewing, knitting, quilting and bobbin lace-making. One member, Enrica Hofer McMillon, is proficient in all of these, having learned everything except needle felting while growing up in Helvetia.

One guild program highlight last fall was a broom-making demonstration in Lucy Palmisano's back yard by Patsy and Sally Riccotilli, using broomcorn grown for their 2007 family reunion. Each September, the Ricotilli apple butter-making reunion also features another traditional skill. The Ricotillis shared broomcorn seeds with guild members and also explained the 2008 kiln building and burning of limestone chunks to ready the stone for field and garden application. A bucket of the finished freshly powdered lime was on hand for Palmisano's garden.

Another favorite fall 2008 program was Becky Hammer's presentation on her Orchard Hill alpacas, their fiber and its processing, alpaca lore, husbandry and history and a display of alpaca garments.

Several members attended the Maryland Sheep and Wool Fair in May and had many stories and items to share and show. Two members attended the Rheinbeck (N.Y.) Wool Fair in October and will describe their trip at an upcoming meeting.

At one meeting, members made a large bamboo and willow garden cone and at another learned about weaving shawls on triangular looms.

Another major event in the fall of 2008 was a move. The Elkins Historic Landmarks Commission has graciously shared rooms in the Darden House with the guild for some years. When the guild suddenly needed more space, the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church offered a solution. Their currently unused nursery school space became the new home for a small library, supplies, artifacts and looms. The guild retains a small third floor room at the Darden House.

Looms belonging to original guild members Olive Goodwin and Margaret Kump Roberts were removed from the old First Ward School where weaving classes were long taught through the Randolph County Adult Education program. The guild also unexpectedly received looms and other items from Laura Dash, formerly of Moorefield and now residing in Texas. Dash is known to many. She demonstrated for decades in Charleston and at Cedar Lakes and area re-enactments.

As part of the guilds' new relationship with Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, members take part in the church's annual Christmas Bazaar. Members also have committed to a community service project each year.

The 2009 service project was making walker bags. The bags, sewn from a variety of fabrics, attach with velcro loops to walkers and enable the users to transport small items easily. After compiling and modifying assorted patterns, members chose one and constructed 25 walker bags.

The Mountain Weavers Guild usually meets at 1 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month. Meetings, unless otherwise designated, are held downstairs at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 302 First St. in Elkins.

The December meeting will be at noon and will be hosted by Susan Church, guild member and owner of The Covered Bridge Bed and Breakfast in Philippi. It is a red brick house with green awnings located behind the Barbour County Courthouse. Members are asked to bring a snack and an ornament (handmade if possible) to exchange. New members are welcome.