Common Ground Country Fair-Weave a Square for the Fair

I created a community project for the weekend and worked with fair-goers over the weekend in the Folk Arts Tent of Common Ground Country Fair (CGCF) It is an annual event in Unity, ME. put on by Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Assoc.

Visitors were invited to weave a 4x4" square on cardboard and wooden looms. Approximately 150 participated, either by weaving a whole square or a few rows. I made looms using shingles and cardboard with notched edges and pine boards(some from our lot)or scraps of plywood with rows of small nails in either end. I made a couple with adjustable beams, little bamboo dowels tied with string at each end. I brought large eye needles, doll needles (they are about 4-5" long) and popsicle sticks with a hole drilled in one end to use in the weaving. With simple tools we created a cozy blanket about 2x4".

I selected pink, yellow, white, orange and gray yarns I had on hand. It was mostly Maine yarn I had used for the handbags I made for Maine Center for Craft. The simple palate worked well for this project. With so many weavers at varying skill levels and each with their own ideas, the colors pulled the project together. The bright yellow stipes on the tent made everything glow, so the yellows looked even more intense.

Almost everyone knew how to weave. Only one child said they had never woven. With about 30 seconds of instruction, he was off and running. I had great help from Laurie Sims on the project and she came up with the name.

The whole project took place between open 9-5 Fri, Sat and Sun. I donated the finished piece to the CGCF Volunteer Auction on Sunday evening. I took the little looms off the table about 2pm Sunday and asked fairgoers to help sew squares together and weave in the loose ends.

The project came about because I wanted to simplify and reduce the number of things I carry in and out. Last year I dragged a portable floor loom up there, (borrowed from the Art Van) and fairgoers enjoyed weaving on that. This year I carried everything out on the kid's little, old, red, Radio Flyer, wagon.

It was great to sit across a table and listen to weavers' stories. I heard many people say, "I used to do that as a kid" and a few took pictures with the plan to replicate the activity for their school, group or camp. Early Friday morning, while weaving, a woman said that the look of one of my looms reminded her of a loom her dad had made. He used sticks nailed to the kitchen door. One at the top and the bottom stick was adjustable. "Maybe that was why that door was in such bad shape", she said. I asked where her dad was from, and she said he was Abenaki. He did all sorts of textile activities, including crochet, when he had to slow down and was less physically active.