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SHUTTLES AND SHEARS<br />
by lan Bell<br />
..IF<br />
IT WASN'T FOR THEWEAVERS, WHAT<br />
would we do?" Until the invention of the<br />
power loom, the question posed by this old<br />
Scottish song was a serious one indeed. For<br />
centuries the handloom weaver was an<br />
indispensable member of any society living<br />
in a temperate climate. The changeover to<br />
mechanical weaving came fast and<br />
mercilessly with the industrial revolution and<br />
in all but the most remote area the<br />
handweaver became an endangered species.<br />
In the early days of weaving by steam or<br />
water power, hand-craftsmen sought to show<br />
their superiority through "John Henry" type<br />
exhibitions. Sheep would be shorn at dawn,<br />
and a completed woolen garment manufactured<br />
from the fleece over the course of a<br />
single day. One of thse feats.is outlined on<br />
the accompanying broadside. Eventually<br />
however, the quality of mechanical spinning<br />
and weaving improved sufficiently that hand<br />
weavers were supplanted for all save the<br />
most specialized tasks. In many places, the<br />
skills once so vital were forgotten and<br />
supplanted by the new technologies. Luckily<br />
they were not forgotten forever. In the late<br />
1gth century, at about the same time as the<br />
first major folk music "revival",<br />
interested<br />
individuals endeavoured to revive the textile<br />
arts of previous generations. Through their<br />
efforts new life was breathed into the old<br />
traditions and soon an active renaissance<br />
was underway. Since the demands placed<br />
upon the "new wave" of spinners and<br />
weavers were not of the proportions that their<br />
predecessors had faced, the work and<br />
technioues took on a somewhat different<br />
character than before, and new elements of<br />
art were introduced to a once strictlv<br />
functional craft.<br />
Weavers and sprnners today work in a wide<br />
variety of styles, ranging from traditional,<br />
functional work to decorative and sculptural<br />
pieces. For <strong>Mariposa</strong>'s Shuttles and Shears<br />
project we have chosen to present one of the<br />
most basic applications of hand weaving, the<br />
manufacture of blankets. While this is not a<br />
'glamorous' proiect it requires a high degree<br />
of consistency in both spinning and weaving.<br />
II.LUSTRATr|rE<br />
o!<br />
IIIAIIUIICTUAIilO ffI,IAITT<br />
IITn.lr<br />
!u lrv|J<br />
tO PROVD TEE POSAIAIJrY O!<br />
CLOTH<br />
A.ND UADI IIr!lO A<br />
gatherings at which cloth is passed from<br />
person to person, around a large table and<br />
beaten on the table to the rhythmic<br />
accompaniment of Gaelic songs rserved<br />
expressly for that purpose. Primal Sanforizing.<br />
In addition to the work connected with the<br />
blanket there will be other skills and<br />
techniques being presented in this area.<br />
There will be demonstrations of natural dying<br />
(find out whv so many of our flags are red,<br />
white and blue), 65 well as the breaking and<br />
COAT<br />
spinning of flax fibre for linen, and the<br />
spinning of angora.<br />
The blanket completed by our craftspeople<br />
will be awarded as the orize in a raffle to be<br />
drawn on Sunday July 28, during theevening<br />
concert. You can buy tickets in the Shuttles<br />
and Shears pavilion lilD and other locations for<br />
$Uil$IT $1.00each, or a bookof sevenfor $5.00. A low<br />
price for the chance to take home a lasting<br />
and useful memento of <strong>Mariposa</strong><br />
'85.<br />
Many thanks are due to the many<br />
individuals and groups whose enthusiasm<br />
AT rrvE O'CLOOE TE.A'T f,Oallxo<br />
and assistance has made this special project<br />
possible, particularly Alison Madden and the<br />
TWO SHEEP Huronia Spinners Guild, Helen Doherty and<br />
BBLOTODTO TO<br />
the Simcoe County Shuttle Racers'Guild and<br />
Adrienne Hood of the Boyal Ontario<br />
Btrt, Museum. Thanks also to Georgian College,<br />
WEBE IEEARID BY EI8 OWIg SEEPEERD<br />
for the loan of the loom used at the testival.<br />
$UilNI$I<br />
lItD WArCE WAs SUCOtaarlrLLy AOOOIPLTSEID o!<br />
Tll[$llll, tle 20t[ of JUt[,<br />
l8u.<br />
$ir Joln Tlroclnorton,<br />
TNAilGIS IIRUETT<br />
AITD TIIE WOOL OIVEN TO<br />
Ur. JOEII G0XETEB<br />
AT oBI,IIIgA.u TIrLg, NEAR<br />
il[WBUnI, D[[Sil[[r<br />
wEO EAD<br />
lbe WOOL Spun, The YARN Spooled.<br />
lllarped, Loomed, aod Wove. The<br />
CLOTH Burred, Milled, Rowed, Dyed,<br />
Dryed, Sheared, and pressed<br />
BY I'0UR, O'cLoCK - ALL the<br />
proceasea of IIANUFACTURE were<br />
performed BY HAND in ELEVEN<br />
HOUns.<br />
TIIE CLOTE es rh.! givcE to<br />
SHUTTLES AND SHEARS<br />
PARTICIPANTS<br />
SPINNERS OYER<br />
Alison Madden Frances Lightbourne<br />
Eleanor Andersson DROP SPINDLER<br />
Dawn Leggett Julie Barker<br />
Cora Bowman<br />
Erma Newhouse<br />
ADVISOR<br />
WEAVERS Adrienne Hood<br />
Helen Doherty CO-OROINATOR<br />
WASN'T<br />
THAT<br />
A TINIE!<br />
The blanket that will be created over the<br />
course of the festival will be of traditional<br />
Scottish/Canadian design, and will be<br />
worked on at the hexagonal wooden pavilion<br />
within the craft area. With the addition of<br />
related musical performances on a workshop<br />
stage the project will take on the festive<br />
nature of an old time "bee".<br />
ilr. ISMC WHITE, Tailor, of Newbury,<br />
On Friday evening, fleeces kindly provided<br />
by local sheep will be presented to our<br />
soinners. Out of consideration toward the<br />
sheep, we will not be shearing them at the<br />
festival. lmagine having to wearyour heaviest<br />
wool sweater until the end of Julyl<br />
Wto!. SoD, JM€s W'hib. cut tbe Cort out bal bsd it<br />
Erd6 uD eltbi!<br />
EVERY YEAR SINCE ESTELLE<br />
TWO HOURS AND TWTJ{TY MINUTES, Klein asked me to help out with the<br />
Wton tb6 Xsbr U&ufeture4 Ur. Joba Corot€r,<br />
prueDt d it to<br />
<strong>Festival</strong>, I've been saying yes to all<br />
the many other artistic directors.<br />
$ir Jo[n Tlmclnorton, Bart, Once again I've been asked. As in the<br />
,ho spporod rith ii oD bofore rD s.€bbly o? oooo spechtoE<br />
rho hrd cobe fs ud D€rr to dtDcrs thia ribgular past, ud<br />
I volunteer as one of the people<br />
uprocsdoDt6d<br />
porforEr!€<br />
coEplatod iE in the Hospitality area. We look after<br />
THIRTEEN HOURS AND TWENTY MINUTES. the cares and needs of the performers.<br />
Right now (as of this writing)<br />
On Sunday afternoon the newly woven<br />
I'm<br />
cloth will be'f ulled'. This isa process in which up to my elbows in work. Hotel<br />
the cloth is soaked, banged, beaten, and rooms to be booked; transportation<br />
otherwise abused in order to tighten the arranged; where can I find a crib?<br />
During the day, on Saturday and Sunday,<br />
the wool will be spun into yarn by four<br />
spinners. This many wheels will be necesary<br />
to feed the loom of the weavers, who will<br />
weave the yarn into bolts of cloth about 36<br />
weave and mat the fibres together. Fulling<br />
also shrinks the fabric. Many handweavers<br />
today employ an automatic washing<br />
machine for this purpose. An older, and more<br />
entertaining method will be used at the<br />
What's that? Saul Broudy wants four<br />
rooms and a personal limo! No, I<br />
haven't got time to finish this article<br />
right now ... maybe after the <strong>Festival</strong>.<br />
inches wide. Two of these will be ioined<br />
together to make one blanket.<br />
t2<br />
festival. This is known in Cape Breton as a<br />
"Milling<br />
Frolic". These f rolics are social/work Chick Roberts
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