Roscoe Village keeps the tradition of weaving alive with classes at new Loom Loft

COSHOCTON − The traditional style of rugmaking and other items involving a loom is being kept alive with the new Loom Loft in Roscoe Village. It's located in the schoolhouse, part of the recreation of a Canal Era town.

Instructor Rami Sawyer has worked for Roscoe Village off and on for about 30 years, serving as a tour guide and in other positions. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Roscoe Village switched to kiosks in its historical buildings for self-guided tours. There are people who do live demonstrations still, such as the blacksmith and crafts in the Hay Craft and Learning Center. Sawyer will soon lead three 4-hour weaving classes to reignite that tradition of weaving in a Canal Era style.

"Weaving rugs was a method of showing people how they would have made cloth back in the day. They would have used yarn they would have spun to make material so they could have clothing. But, with the canal boats coming through, they brought material from the East, so they had the luxury to buy material. Therefore, they had some extras," Sawyer said. "Extras is when they started weaving what I call the pretties. Things like rag rugs or runners to put on a table or placemats. You didn't have a lot of extra material. When you did have extra material you might sew it to make yourself a quilt, but having some kind of floor covering would have been delightful."

Classes will be offered at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 3 and 15 and Sept. 7. Cost is $90 with all materials provided. For the classes, looms will be pre-warped, meaning material will already be on them. Each loom will have four different choices of colors or material. For the rag rugs, participants can make plaid, striped and checkerboard patterns.

Sawyer said she has some traditional made rugs that are 30 to 40 years old and such rugs are still sold commercially, including at the Roscoe Village Visitor's Center. She said these rugs can be washed in a washing machine, but then hung on a line to dry.

Fancier patterns require a different type of loom, which the loft does have and Sawyer is looking to offer classes with those looms in the future. Those looms have four harnesses, instead of two, and one can make circles, stripes, diamonds and other more intricate patterns. Those classes will be $35 and participants will make two mug rug coasters.

Those who know how to weave can also rent time with the looms to make their own items with their own materials or provided materials. The Loom Loft has 10 looms, most of which are antique and were donated to Roscoe Village. New looms made in the old style are still produced, Sawyer said.

"What we do is geared for what would have been done during the Canal Era. It's not the Navaho-type or the tapestry-type, that's a whole other technique," she said. "I'm hoping people will take the opportunity to continue learning and have a keepsake they can pass on."

To register for the rug making class, visit roscoevillage.com or call 740-622-7644. Participants should bring a drink and snack and be aware there are stairs to climb to the Loom Loft.

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Roscoe Village keeps the tradition of weaving alive with classes at new Loom Loft