The March 2023 Nashoba Valley Weavers Meeting Zoom Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 28, at 7:00 PM. Our program for the night is a tour of the Saunderstown (RI) Weaving School historic looms with Norma Smayda.

HISTORY

The Saunderstown (RI) Weaving School was established in 1974 and continues to offer classes in handweaving on floor looms. The school began with two Glimakra looms and a Monica table loom from Scandinavia, two small Harrisvilles’, one big Hammett, and five weaving students. This number quickly grew to between twenty-five and thirty students per semester, year-round. Over the years more looms came in, many were donated, others were bought, new, and used, and occasionally a few looms were left to make room for others. At this time there are about forty-five floor looms, plus several table, tapestry and band looms. Over twenty-five loom makers are represented. Some of the looms are historic, and most have stories to tell. Two looms belonged to Weaver Rose, another was built by Milo Gallinger for his wife Osma, one loom was used in the Bauhaus, another is a specially designed two-legged loom, and one was built by a Hollywood movie actor for his Rockette wife. The weaving school also houses a large library of about 2,000 volumes. This will be a narrated slide show into the workings of the Saunderstown Weaving School.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

Norma Smayda learned to weave in Norway, and occasionally returned there to teach. In 1974 she established and continues to run the Saunderstown Weaving School. In addition, she lectures and gives workshops, especially on her favorite topics–Scandinavian weaving techniques, weave structures, and the work of Weaver Rose and Bertha Gray Hayes. She has written two books: Weaving Designs by Bertha Gray Hayes and Ondulé Textiles: Weaving Contours with a Fan Reed.