by Hannah Leann Wallace
“If it can be cut, it can be woven.”
-This serves as our family’s basic rule to rug weaving, as told by my Grandmother, Mary.
Growing up in the late 90's and early 2000's, Grandma Mary & Grandpa Norm's loom was kept in the basement of their home in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The basement was an active workspace; filled with all sorts of gadgets and many, many rolls of fabric. At the furthest reach of the room stood the loom. A single light sat above it, casting shadows that seemed to broaden the reach of its wooden frame. All of the rag rug rolls sat on shelves along the wall. The rolls were packed so well, you'd think they came with the foundation of the house. At that age, the loom stood well over my head. With so many important strings aligned perfectly in rows, I knew not to go near it. The basement was a bit scary to me anyway, so staying away was not hard. I preferred to dig around the attic cubby holes accompanied by my favorite toy or around back in the raspberry patch bothering the bumble bees. I only have a brief memory of watching my grandmother weave. Grandpa sat nearby on his stool in the gun room with the red and black checkered floor. Mom had brought my sister and me down to watch Grandma at work. The loom was loud and rhythmic. Grandma would stomp her feet and wave her arms and strings and fabric would start moving in all directions. Grandpa had taught Grandma how to weave. Before him, his father, Great Grandpa John O. taught him. Great Grandpa was taught by his mother, Hannah. How my great-great grandmother Hannah learned how to weave is not yet known to us, but with good research, we may one day find out. I stand as the 5th generation of my family's weaving practice. Our practice has moved across centuries and continents, and still we feel compelled to do what we do. Now, our practice operates from Easton, PA. I was well into my teens before I grew the temperament to make my first attempt at weaving. The story of how I joined in the family tradition is not the most mystical tale. I began weaving in 2015 as a means to help support myself through college at Temple University in Philadelphia. During holidays, I would head home to visit and weave, then as classes would resume I'd return to the city to vend and make sales amongst my friends and colleagues. Even after graduating from Temple and later with a MA from The University of the Arts, this commute continues to serve as my seasonal rotation. To my and my mother's surprise, I took to the loom rather quickly and began making quality rugs early on. I have a lot to learn though, rethreading the loom is still quite the task that I've yet to master alone. Mom has been a skilled and patient teacher. Whenever we really get into the rugs, she begins telling and retelling stories about the family that I ought to know. Each of our rugs carries a story from my mother and I, and it is our joy to share them with you today. ...I often wonder how far my family's rugs would stretch if they were placed side by side from one generation to the next. What a sight that'd be! Hannah Wallace, 2021
Loom Woven Rugs 