The 7th annual Working Weavers Trail is seeking to weave together a community through fabric.
On Oct. 18 and 19, five weaving studios across Franklin and Hampshire counties will open their doors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and give visitors a chance to see how textiles are made by hand.
“The Working Weavers Trail is a self guided trail of weavers studios along the backroads of western Massachusetts during peak fall foliage,” organizer Emily Gwnn said.
Gwynn said that despite the number of people pursuing the trade having diminished since the Industrial Revolution, there are still several weavers in the region who have turned textiles into a profession.
“There’s really a shocking number of us,” Gwynn said.
These include production weavers who spend their days creating textiles for sale, teachers who lead weaving classes, and authors and pattern makers who make their living by developing new patterns for handwoven textiles.
At each stop, visitors can get a glimpse into how each individual artist works, see the different tools and methods used, and handle and purchase handmade cloth.
“And you get to do all of that on a beautiful fall weekend,” Gwynn said.
Weaving is “a complex craft,” according to Gwynn. In the 21st century, most fabric is mass-produced in factories, and while some people may still choose to sew their own clothes, clothing is commonly also made in large-scale factories. The Working Weavers Trail gives people a glimpse into life before mass-production, and a chance to meet the weavers who still practice the trade.
Gwynn said the trail is a “labor of love” for the local weavers, who created the trail in 2017, and that they welcome a “revolving cast of characters” each year. Participating weavers this year are Lisa Bertoldi, Trish Colson-Montgomery, Emily Gwynn, Elisabeth Hill, Kate Jenkins, Sue McFarland, Scott Norris and Veronique Perrot.
This year, the weavers are starting a new emerging artists program, allowing new weavers to join the trail and showcase their work without the associated cost. The participating artists fund the trail, printing the postcards and flyers for it themselves. With the new emerging artists program, participating weavers can sponsor an emerging artist and host them at their studio.
The emerging artists being featured this year are Tammy Renner and Jenn Girouard.
Gwynn said in addition to uplifting new weavers, the trail is a good opportunity to connect with other weavers and the general public. Last year, the trail saw between 400 and 500 visitors.
“Weaving is, for most of us, a really solitary activity. The only time we’re out and about in the community is with this tour,” Gwynn said. “It is so gratifying to share my work and my studio.”
Gwynn’s studio in Shelburne Falls is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and she said the weavers tour is the only show she is doing this year. She said she took her first weaving class in 2014 and started her business a year later.
“I lived in New York and came up here for a class and within 24 hours I knew this is what I needed to do and where I needed to be,” Gwynn said. “I knew it couldn’t be just a hobby.”
The tour is free to attend, and visitors have the option to purchase a $2 trail pass. Participants who get their pass stamped at all of the studios will be entered for a chance to win a gift card to one of the studios.
For more information, visit workingweavers.com
