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Vineyard fiber art has a deep history. Sheep were brought to the island by European settlers in the 1600s. “Sheep were used for both meat and wool,” said Boudin van Riper, research librarian at the MV Museum. “At one point he had 15,000 sheep on the island, but things changed during the Revolutionary War.” The incident Van Riper is referring to is commonly known as “Grey’s Raid.” It had a major economic impact on the island.
“In September 1778, General Gray arrived at Holmes Hole Harbor, now Vineyard Haven, with orders to requisition livestock, munitions, and city funds. “They had rescued 10,000 sheep, 300 cattle, tons of hay, weapons and ammunition, and the contents of the town’s tiller from the island,” said Nora Van Riper, Beaudoin’s wife and independent historian. added. She said: “It took nearly 30 years for the vineyard sheep population to recover. The following years were economically depressed and there was no wool to sell.”
Weaving, knitting, and sewing are often seen as female-dominated activities, but this is not necessarily the case. “For most of Western European history, weaving was an occupation performed by men trained in the field,” Nora says. “However, some rural families saw value in employing their wives and daughters to produce cloth, and some women took up weaving in the 1700s.”
“People who were spinning and weaving at home were doing it for the needs of their families,” Boudin added. “It’s not for leisure.”
So when did making textiles turn from a necessity to an art? “The kind of self-fulfilling aspect of textile art emerges much later,” Nora said. “There is a big difference between “I do this because I need the money” and “I can show that I have the time and money to do this.” By the mid-19th century, industrialization had made textiles more Fewer people are doing the monotonous work.”
“Being able to purchase machine-made cloth freed wives and daughters from necessary labor and gave them more leisure time,” Boudin added. “At this point, fiber art is starting to become a symbol of leisure, and we’re seeing more individuality and creative expression being brought into the process.”
Historically, fiberwork seems to have waxed and waned in popularity. “During World War I, there was a big movement to use knitting skills to make hats and gloves for the war effort,” Bowdoin says. “Once the war ended, we went back to being people doing what we loved. Then World War II broke out and we saw the domestic arts put back on a pedestal.”
In the late 1960s, the women’s liberation movement arose. “Many women at the time were rejecting everything that had been imposed on them as domestic art,” Boudin continued. “Home economics taught in schools began to disappear, and it became cheaper to buy clothes in stores.”
“Switching to the coronavirus, fabric art has come back in a big way. Knitting and crocheting became popular because people had time,” Nora added.
The island is home to many talented fiber artists who recognize and celebrate the history, joy, and artistry of fiber art, regardless of era. These artists use a variety of techniques to create numerous products, from fine felt sculptures to more utilitarian pieces such as scarves, mittens, hats, and potholders.
Anna-Marie D’Addarie is the founder of Hatched, an original brand of handmade items made from unsold donations at the Chicken Alley Thrift Shop, one of the largest ongoing financial supporters of MV Community Services. Dudderly is also the self-proclaimed queen of upcycling. She teaches people how to turn old items into something fun and useful. She also teaches knitting, crocheting, weaving, hooking and spinning, and runs fiber tents with Liz Toomey at agricultural fairs.
Dudderly works closely with Chicken Alley Thrift Shop Manager Jessica Turtel to keep Hatched alive. “The products that the volunteers and I are making are based on things that didn’t sell or didn’t sell at Chicken Alley,” Dudderley said. “I take items, reuse them, sell them at craft sales, and put the proceeds back into Chicken Alley.”
Some of the items Dudderly makes include denim bracelets made from the hems of blue jeans and decorated with old jewels, wine bottle holders made from shirts, reusable scrubs (cleaning pads) and cat beds. there is. “Scrubs are made from three layers of netting: batting, cotton, and an old wedding dress,” says Dudderly. “It was so popular when we first made it that it sold out at the Chilmark Holiday Flea Market. The cat bed is made from old sweaters and old pillows. “It’s hand sewn with a big, thick tapestry needle and thread,” she says. Mr. Dudderly says. “I use almost everything: ties, shirts, pants. Nothing goes to waste.”
Fiber artist Prin Van Gulden is an adjunct instructor at the University of Sterling in Vermont. She also travels around the country teaching fiber arts. One of the places she teaches is at Slough Her Farm in Edgartown. Van Gulden and Slough Farms executive director Julie Scott met at the University of Stirling, where they both attended.
“Julie and I focused on sustainable agriculture in college and became fast friends. We are still friends today and share ideas for February textiles.”
Why February? At Slough Farm he holds a month-long festival of sheep and wool, which he cleverly calls ‘Feb-EWE-Ary’. For two weeks every February, he offers fiber art activities for all levels, using mainly wool grown on his own farm.
Although Van Gulden and Scott have a common interest in agriculture, Van Gulden focused on fiber arts. “I love animals, and as a child I was very interested in arts and crafts,” Van Gulden said. “I also had a pet sheep. I learned how to knit, spin, and make felt. My ongoing passion for fiber art is to explore our place in culture and the natural world – the ecosystem.” Because I have a passion for the traditional techniques of tying things together.”
In February this year, Van Gulden held a Beginner Weaving Workshop at Slough Farm. About eight students participated and used small looms to create their own wall hangings. Lauren Lindheimer and his daughter Sophie Lindheimer were two of the students in attendance. “Sophie and I have taken classes together many times. Last week we did a sheep tanning class. It was tough but so cool,” Lauren said.
Sophie Lindheimer, 25, has a job that requires her to be at a computer all day. Her Slough classes give her a chance to take a break from screens. “I moved here from New York and I really enjoy making traditional crafts – working with my hands and meeting people.”
Sue Carroll took her first weaving class. “I told myself there’s a first time for everything. I’m just trying not to mess it up,” Carol laughed. “I used to say to myself, “When I get older, I’m going to try this and that.” Can I learn something?’” Looking at her weaving projects, it seemed clear that she could indeed learn new things. It’s work.
Island fiber artist Debbie Ware began partnering with Dr. Michael Jacobs and his wife Genevieve, who raise several Colmo sheep. According to cormosheep.org, scientific breeding has given the cormo a remarkable range of commercial virtues, including white, high-yielding wool, a soft, dense fleece, and resistance to fleece rot, making it suitable for both the wool and meat industries. did.
“We use their wool to make a variety of one-of-a-kind animals that we sell at the farmers market,” Ware said. “I’ve been a knitwear designer for over 50 years. I’ve sold kits and held workshops all over the country. One day, when I went to an artisan’s fair, I saw Michael holding a yarn. I saw him. I’ve known him for years, but I thought, “Why not collaborate?” Even though I’ve been using colorful cotton instead of wool for years. and i love it. Michael has great wool. It is delicious, very soft and very pleasant to handle. ”
Speaking of Michael and Genevieve Jacobs, the couple own Pasture Prime Farm, home to Colmo sheep. “Genevieve is the one actually taking care of the sheep,” Dr. Jacobs said. “She feeds them and cares about them. Although she is a retired nurse, she is still a nurse at heart and that shows her deep love for our sheep. I am.”
The Jacob family first raised sheep 11 years ago. “Liz Packer, who owns a farm and runs SBS Grain Shop, gave us four or five sheep to start with so we could see what it would be like to have sheep.” Dr. Jacobs said. “Then we bought six Colmo sheep, about 3 years old, from a place in western Massachusetts. We’ve had six to 10 sheep for the past 11 years.”
The Jacob family raises sheep solely for their wool. “We don’t slaughter sheep. When they die, we bury them,” says Dr. Jacons. “Genevieve knows all the sheep by his name and cares for them as if they are part of his family.”
The Jacob family sells their wool at farmers markets and has a deep respect for the island’s history of sheep farming. “Sheep farming on the island is very well-established, with a history dating back to the American Revolution. I am aware of that and want to be respectful of preserving that history. And I love being around animals,” said Dr. Jacobs. “I think we need to be grateful for what animals do for us. These sheep make useful products for non-synthetic clothing. By raising animals, we learn more about animal husbandry. We also learned a lot about preserving things that, while not necessarily profitable, make an important contribution to the island.”
Slough Farm’s Julie Scott has always loved animals of all kinds. “Livestock farming is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Scott said. “When I first started working on the farm, I loved the idea of it being a partnership with the animals. I also love connecting people with local fibers and educating them about fiber animals.”
According to its website, Slough Farm is a nonprofit educational farm committed to integrating small-scale, sustainable agriculture and the arts through educational programming.
Scott is also vice president of the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society. “We always want to support other shepherds and one way we do this is by introducing shearers at different times of the year. But you can use her services while she’s here,” Scott said.
Allen Farm has been in the family since 1762. The Allen family farmed everything, but their main product was sheep. “I’ve been in business for about 40 years,” Clarissa Allen said. “I took over the farm after college and now run a small shop that is open from May until Christmas.” There are currently around 68 sheep on the farm, with more expected during the spring lambing season, Allen said. says. “We make sweaters, hats, scarves and signature vests, and sell the yarn to other artists.” Allen also sells organic meat and owns a large loom in central Massachusetts. You can work with a company that has the ability to create queen- and king-sized hand-woven blankets. “She has a great affinity for the process of using local wool to create beautiful hand-woven products,” she says.
On this island, there has historically been a strong partnership between sheep, farmers and artists, each dependent on the other for survival. And while industrialization, the ever-changing world of the internet, and the vast array of choices people have both professionally and creatively have changed some farming and fiber art methods, fiber art has fallen into the abyss. It doesn’t seem to be going away. In fact, fiber art is so popular on the island that entire tents are dedicated to it at agricultural fairs. There are also signs that a new generation of fiber artists is emerging, as children on the island have many opportunities to learn about fiber artists.
“For example, we teach fiber arts at Island Grown Schools,” Julie Scott said. She says, “When her daughter wakes up, she asks, ‘Is it a school day or a felt day?'” I wonder if there’s a child on this island who doesn’t know what felt is? I do not understand. ”
Allen Farm: 421 South Road, Chilmark. 508-645-9064. Email allenfarmmv@gmail.com or visit allenfarm.com/index.html.
Pasture Prime Farm: Pasture Hill Road, West Tisbury. 508-645-5057.
Slough Farm: 15 Butler’s Cove Road, Edgartown. 774-549-5400.To join our email list, please visit sloughfarm.org/Contact.The website is: sloughfarm.org.
Learn more about Colmo sheep here. cormosheep.org/history.html.
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