2026 Agenda

Note: schedule is in EST

Monday, October 19

9:00-9:30am

Welcome & Introduction

9:30-10:30am

"The Cassimere Insanity Project" -- Sarah Wroot

10:30-11:30am

"Allen Fannin and ‘The Black Craftsman Situation' Community Session" -- OM Comstock

DESCRIPTION

OM Comstock will offer a brief overview of their dissertation, followed by a listening session to welcome community knowledge on hand spinning and weaving and Black craft during the 1960s-1980s. Their dissertation provides the first book-length study of Allen Fannin (1939–2004), a studio craft practitioner known for his spinning and weaving in the 1960s–70s. Through Fannin’s frank appraisal of what he called “The Black Craftsman Situation,” or the limits of studio craft for those with “nitty-gritty needs,” this project critiques the antagonistic relationship between the studio craft movement, economic precarity, and race. They gather heretofore unarchived materials to examine different facets of Fannin’s practice; the aesthetic and conceptual aspects of texture, Fannin’s how-to manuals, his commercial mill Fannin Spinners and Weavers, and the pedagogy he developed at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. Comstock will then open the floor to any information folks might share about Fannin, black craft, and technical knowledge of weaving and spinning that may be relevant.

BIO

O.M. Comstock is a writer, researcher, and curator. They are a PhD Candidate in art history at the University of Minnesota where their research focuses on the intersection between the history of craft and critical theories. Broadly, they are interested in questions of process.

11:30-12:15pm

"The Labor of Warmth"-- Rebekah Marshall

DESCRIPTION

Experimental reconstruction offers a rare opportunity to examine forms of textile labor that are difficult to recover through archaeological evidence alone. This project presents a scaled experimental reconstruction of a vararfeldr—an early medieval Icelandic pile-weave trade cloak—woven on a warp-weighted loom to explore the labor, time investment, and material choices involved in its production. The reconstruction documents fleece preparation, pile insertion, lock performance, and the physical demands of weaving, providing practical observations that complement the limited scholarship surrounding this remarkable textile.

By placing these technical observations within the domestic and economic context of medieval Iceland, the project explores the often-overlooked labor of rural women whose textile production sustained households and contributed to the North Atlantic economy. Drawing together archaeological research and experimental reconstruction, this study invites us to look beyond the finished garment and better understand the women whose knowledge, labor, and craftsmanship made it possible.

BIO

Rebekah Marshall is an experimental archaeologist who uses hands-on reconstruction to better understand the people who made historical textiles. Her research explores how textile production shaped daily life, women’s work, and household economies, and she enjoys sharing those discoveries through teaching, living history, and storytelling.

12:15-1:00pm

LUNCH

1:00-1:45pm

"Bringing History to Life: Restoring Jacquard" -- Donna Dubinsky

DESCRIPTION

Donna is working with a small team to restore two antique Jacquard mechanisms for eventual display at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. She will present the background on Jacquard and why his invention was so important, as well as information about our restoration plans, and photos from the project itself.

BIO

Donna Dubinsky is a long-time Silicon Valley entrepreneur. She was an early board member at the Computer History Museum, and her hobby is weaving.

1:45-2:45pm

"Tracing Tweed Fabrics—One American Fashion Designer, Two British Mills" --Susan Torntore

DESCRIPTION

The use of British tweeds in womenswear by designers and apparel manufacturers was widespread in both European and American fashion industries at mid-twentieth century. British tweeds were a signature fabric used by American fashion designer Bonnie Cashin, particularly from two key mills—Otterburn Mill in Northumberland, UK, and Bute Looms in Rothesay, Scotland. Susan’s presentation is based on research in these mill archives, with a brief look at the Scottish E. Y. Johnston Tweeds, all known for their design process and high-quality fabrics. In tracing the origin of specific tweeds, it became clear that Cashin’s tweeds tell new stories about the pivotal role of tweeds as designed textiles, highlighting relationships between the more localized or peripheral design and textile production of British tweeds within a global commercial trend.

BIO

Susan J. Torntore, PhD, is a retired textile and dress historian and collection curator, educator, author. After retiring in Bellingham WA, she now weaves, teaches weaving, presents textile history programs, and participates in 4 local and regional guilds. Since 2019, she has been learning to design and weave twills, traditional tweeds, and couture tweeds, part of an expanded research project on the tweed fabrics used by American fashion designer Bonnie Cashin.

2:45-3:30pm

"NameDraft Weaving: Coded Messages in the Cloth" -- Allyce Wood

DESCRIPTION

An artist and weaver, Allyce is fascinated by historic ways in which meaning is applied to laborious craft processes. She learned about NameDraft weaving earlier this year. This process dates back at least to the 18th century, in which names and words were algorithmically translated into the lifted and dropped warp threads of an overshot threading. The resulting textiles balance a sturdy plain weave web with an embellished overlay reminiscent of pillars, eyes, roses, and stars, depending on the treadling.

This presentation focuses on historic samples, an explanation of the process, and how Allyce uses NameDraft Weaving in her own artwork (see attached images). She hopes to inspire others to create their own drafts and meaningful weaves while honoring the work that has preceded.

BIO

Allyce Wood is a visual artist and weaver based in Seattle, Washington. A collector of tools, technology, and process, she creates unique tapestries embedded with watery, complex imagery that hover between icon and pattern. She has exhibited her work in the USA and Scandinavia, been artist in residence at the University of Washington’s DXarts Program, Peters Valley School of Craft, and the Icelandic Textile Center, and lectures and teaches about the powers of weaving and the feminist legacy of craft.

Tuesday, October 20

9:00-9:45am

"Handwoven textiles at the 1862 London International Exhibition: a snapshot of Cabo Verdean society"-- Maggy Fragoso

DESCRIPTION

The official catalogue of the 1862 London International Exhibition identified articles 1105 and 1110 as ‘cotton cloth’ and ‘fabrics of cotton and silk’ from the Ilhas de Cabo Verde. These wrappers, also known as pagnes or panos in West Africa, were sent to London as high-quality examples of textile manufacturing from the Province of Cabo Verde, then a Portuguese colony. The circumstances of their manufacture offer an insightful portrait of the Cabo Verdean societal structure in the mid-19th century, shortly before the complete abolition of slavery in 1876. They also highlight the importance of this type of panos in Cabo Verdean society and economy. This presentation will address ongoing research on the panos sent to London, as they likely represent some of the last exquisite handwoven textiles produced in Cabo Verde. The research methodology includes the study of official documents from the period, as well as fieldwork in Cabo Verde.

BIO

Maggy Fragoso is an author and independent scholar of Cabo Verdean origin. She is a weaver dedicated to revitalizing the handweaving of historical Cabo Verdean textiles. She is also writing a book entitled “Slave bodies, inventive minds and the power of the panos ricos from Cabo Verde”, which addresses the weaving methods and sources of influence on the designs and patterns of these historical textiles. Maggy was awarded the Pasold Research Fund for a Research Project Grant and the 2026 Textile Society of America Research Travel Grant to pursue her fieldwork in West African countries.

9:45-10:45am

"The Alling Coverlet Collection, Textiles and Weavers" -- Tracy Murphy

DESCRIPTION

History of our museum, collections, and current displays. Will also talk about our Palmyra Weavers, Ira Hadsell, and James VanNess. The Alling Coverlet Museum is known to house one of the largest collections of coverlets in the country.

BIO

Tracy Murphy is the Executive Director of Historic Palmyra’s 5 museums. The Alling Coverlet Museum is the first in a complex of 5 museums owned and operated by Historic Palmyra.

10:45-11:45am

"David P. Johnson, Scipio NY Coverlet Weaver: Patriarch of the Extended Conger Family of Weavers" -- Marty Schlabach

DESCRIPTION

David Parkhurst Johnson (1777-1844) has been documented as the Cayuga County weaver of many coverlets inscribed SCIPIO NY between 1829-1838. An overview of the Scipio coverlets will be provided. David P. Johnson had several occupations in addition to weaving, including operating a general store and farming. We’ll also explore David P. Johnson’s connection to the large extended Conger family of at least 12 weavers.

BIO

Marty Schlabach is a collector of 19th century American woven coverlets, who particularly enjoys researching the coverlets and their weavers. He is not a weaver, but continues to try to wrap himself around the technology and terminology of 19th century weaving to assist in his research interests. His focus is on New York coverlets and weavers. He facilitates a monthly online Coverlet Study Group that pulls together like-minded coverlets enthusiasts to share the collective interests in 19th century coverlets, weavers, weaving, spinning, dyeing and related topics.

11:45-12:15pm

"Little Loomhouse Archives Go Public" -- Michelle Amos

DESCRIPTION

The Little Loomhouse is making its archives publically searchable. This presentation will give a brief overview of what the entire collection holds, where to go to search, and when you can expect each collection group to be available.

BIO

Michelle Amos is an award winning fiber artist and an emerging fiber arts historian residing in New Albany, IN. She is the Executive Director for the Little Loomhouse in Louisville, KY and a 2024 Center for Craft (Ashville, NC) Archive Fellow.

12:15-1:00pm

LUNCH

1:00-2:00pm

"Making the Invisible Visible - Textiles as Actors in the Slave Era" -- Maggie D'Aversa and Robin Muller

DESCRIPTION

Maggie and Robin’s project examines how the infrastructure in 18th century Rhode Island functioned as an economic engine for the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the plantation economies, linking merchant families, textile production, and maritime industries into a tightly connected system. Through the material practice of weaving, sewing and embellishing a jib sail, the interpretation of Negro Cloth through sites of textile production, and the weaving of the Middle Passage seabed, the work reclaims the physical infrastructures that enabled the capture, transport and commodification of African lives. This presentation intends to make the invisibility of the enslavers of Newport, Rhode Island visible.

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

Robin Muller, a textile artist based in Nova Scotia, has been creating and designing distinctive fiber art from the mid-1970’s. Robin, a highly collaborative artist as well as an individual designer has spent time in a variety of situations with her faculty appointment at NSCAD starting in 1979 and ending in 2015. The imagery for much of her work comes photos of patterns and people she has collected during her travels over the past 30 years. Robin earned a BFA from VCU in 1976 and her MFA from University of Michigan in 1978.

Maggie D’Aversa, a materials scientist, textile engineer and a weaver for most of her life worked as a materials researcher at Johnson & Johnson, Inc. After a 32 year career in the mills of Rhode Island and Johnson, & Johnson, Inc., Maggie turned her attention to researching the role of textiles in the slave era, specifically in the Newport, Rhode Island during the 1700’s. Maggie holds degrees in both the physical sciences (Materials and Textiles) from Drexel University and a PhD in the social science from Rutgers University examining the conditions underneath the high rate of homicides for young black men.

2:00-3:00pm

"Weaving in the 1950s"-- Mickey Stam

DESCRIPTION

The decade of the 1950s was a time of significant growth in the number of weavers and the industry that supported them. Wartime shortages were disappearing. New manmade yarns that emphasized texture and color were popular, as were publications that inspired both weavers that craved traditional patterns and those that wanted to decorate their homes with a more modern aesthetic. This talk will share some of the information that Becky Johnson and Mickey found in our research for the new book “Inspiration from the 1950s; Handwoven Swatch Periodicals.”

BIO

Mickey Stam is the coauthor of the new book “Inspiration for the 1950s; Handwoven Swatch Periodicals,” as well as “Innovative Weaving; A Guide for Study Groups.” She is a long time weaver, spinner, and dyeing, with a second level Weaving Certificate of Excellence from Handweavers Guild of America and a Masters in the History of Decorative Arts in America from the Smithsonian Institution/Parsons School of Design.

Wednesday, October 21

9:00-9:35am

"The Sensory Epistemology of the Kashmiri Shawl: Colonial Textiles, Comfort and Bourgeois Femininity in Nineteenth-Century France" -- Stuti Verma

DESCRIPTION

This presentation examines how the tactility of Kashmiri shawls led to the construction of cultural meaning in nineteenth-century France. It interprets these textiles as conduits of tactile knowledge and demonstrates how repeated bodily encounters with their material properties informed socio-cultural ideas such as comfort and femininity in France during this period. Shawls produced in Kashmir in the Indian subcontinent circulated widely among transimperial material networks and gained popularity in Europe due to their soft texture, warmth and lightweight feel. Used to drape across the body, the value of these shawls was attested by the extremely fine ‘pashm’ wool they were woven from. This research revisits existing scholarship on Kashmiri shawls and approaches the topic through the lens of sensory history and postcolonial analysis, foregrounding tactility as a critical, but often overlooked, aspect of textile craft. By further analyzing depictions of shawls in contemporary visual culture, it examines how emphasis on the tactility of these textiles in visual depictions affirmed ideas of oriental luxury, comfort and femininity within this historical context. The presentation aims to emphasize the sensory history of textiles as a means of decolonial inquiry through an analytical framework that examines the epistemic entanglement of colonial textiles in European socio-cultural history. It further encourages discussion on the tactile dimension of textiles, and how considering the history of touch and corporeality can reshape how we approach their history, particularly in an imperial context.

BIO

Stuti Verma is an art historian with a Master’s degree from the University of Groningen, The Netherlands with a specialization in modern and contemporary art. She is currently working as an independent researcher with a focus on colonial material culture and European painting, particularly examining Indian textiles as mediators of sensory, aesthetic and socio-cultural knowledge across imperial contexts.

9:35-10:05am

"Threads of Memory and Change: Tatar Women's Weaving Traditions and the Transformation of Cultural Identity"-- Anita Grey

DESCRIPTION

This presentation explores how Tatar women’s weaving traditions and ornamental practices reflected changing historical realities while preserving elements of cultural identity across generations. Through the study of woven textiles, embroidered household objects, traditional garments, and decorative motifs, the presentation examines how craft functioned not only as a practical skill but also as a visual language through which women expressed belonging, memory, and adaptation.

The presentation asks: How did Tatar women reinterpret cultural symbols and textile traditions in response to political, religious, and social transformations? By examining patterns, techniques, and surviving textile examples, this talk explores how ornaments evolved over time and how women’s creative practices preserved, transformed, or reimagined inherited traditions.

Special attention will be given to Tatar ornamental language, including geometric, floral, and vegetal motifs shaped by layers of cultural influence from Turkic, Volga Bulgar, Islamic, and regional traditions. Rather than viewing traditions as fixed or unchanged, the presentation considers textiles as living forms of expression that absorbed new meanings as communities experienced historical change.

The discussion will explore weaving as a form of women’s knowledge transmission, including the preparation of wedding textiles and dowries (бирнә), where handmade objects represented family history, social values, aspirations, and personal creativity. Through these objects, women recorded aspects of everyday life that were often absent from written historical narratives.

By focusing on the relationship between textile design, ornament, and historical context, this presentation examines how Tatar women used craft as a way to negotiate change, maintain cultural continuity, and transform inherited traditions into expressions of identity.

BIO

Anita Grey is a multidisciplinary educator, sustainable design expert, and creative facilitator with over 20 years of experience in design, education, and international cultural projects. Through her work in textile heritage, sustainability, and experiential learning, she explores how creative practices preserve knowledge, identity, and cultural memory across generations. She has delivered international talks, including TEDx presentations, and collaborated with global sustainability and design communities.

10:05-11:05am

"Passing the Torch; A Report from 12th International Shibori Symposium" -- Patricia Martin

DESCRIPTION

Standing in Basel at the 12th International Shibori Symposium, surrounded by artists, scholars, and visionaries brought together by Yoshiko Wada and the Museum der Kulturen (MKB), that exact shift in perspective took hold. The theme—Textiles and Architecture: The Art of Dimensional Transformation—wasn’t just an abstract theory. It was a lived reality. We explored how a flat piece of two-dimensional cloth, through memory, tension, and traditional resist techniques, can transform into a dynamic three-dimensional structure. Patricia will take you through her journey at the symposium—the people she met, the groundbreaking panels she attended, and the discoveries that redefined how she views the space around us.

BIO

Patricia Martin is a California-based textile artist and educator whose coastal-inspired woven works blend natural dyes and complex textures to spark urgent, generational dialogues about environmental stewardship.

11:05-12:05pm

"Spreading the technology of Patterning Devices for Ingrain Carpets and Coverlets 1790-1840" -- Sandra Rux

DESCRIPTION

In this talk Sandra will discuss how patterning technique for “fancy weaving” advanced from back harness to barrel loom to punched cards. The geographical area for this early work is primarily New York, New Jersey and New England. This builds on research by Pat Hilts on the back harness; and Ron Walter and Rabbit Goody on early patents for patterning devices, plus hert own work on ingrain carpet factories. How did the technology spread from the Haight patents in 1820 (New York) and subsequent ingrain carpet factories in Connecticut and Massachusetts to smaller establishments and talented loom designers and weavers. How did population density and the availability of capital influence these businesses? As power looms took over much of plain cloth weaving after 1815 the advances in the use of patterning devices provided a last bastion for hand weavers to make a living.

BIO

Sandra Rux received a BA in History from the University of Connecticut and an MA in History from Trinity College, Hartford CT and is a graduate of the Museum Studies program of the Munson Institute, Mystic Seaport Museum. Her business career was with AT&T in New York City. She moved to Portsmouth NH in 2005 as the manager for the Portsmouth Historical Society, Warner House and Wentworth-Gardner and Lear Houses and then served as manager and curator for the Portsmouth Historical Society until December 2014. A hand loom weaver herself, she has written about nineteenth-century carpet weaving for the Dublin Seminar and in Corsets, Clocks and Locks, a book about the industrial development of New Haven, CT. Her most recent exhibition in 2023 at the Portsmouth Athenaeum was The Wentworth Takeover: How One Family Dominated Portsmouth and New Hampshire 1715-1775. In 2021 Sandra and her husband Alan Haesche moved back to CT. Current research interest focuses on makers of weaving reeds in the northeast US (1750-1830).

12:05-1:00pm

LUNCH

1:00-2:00pm

2:00-2:45pm

"Dorothy Liebes: I’m with the government and I’m here to help"-- Liz Schott

DESCRIPTION

In the spring of 1942, Dorothy Liebes accompanied representatives of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB), a project of the U. S. Department of the Interior, on a five-day road trip through Oklahoma. Liebes had been invited to consult on weaving design with the Native American (mostly) women, in an attempt to make their products more marketable. World War II had taken the men to fight, and the women and children were fending for themselves. While Liebes thought the mission went swimmingly, it actually was a colossal misunderstanding of the assignment. She even failed in her later effort to link the IACB and the Red Cross Arts & Skills program, which was actually a really good idea. Liebes’s other good idea, to “intensify the indigenous” in the designs, revealed her naïveté and idealism, two of her most endearing qualities.

BIO

Liz Schott is writing the biography of Dorothy Liebes. She spent the summer traipsing through Europe and Oklahoma, tracing Liebes’s steps and discovering aspects of her character, despite the equally stultifying temperatures in Paris and Tulsa.

"Tradition in the Warp: Carrying Tapestry Weaving into Contemporary Practice" -- Maryanne Moodie

DESCRIPTION
Tapestry weaving is an ancient practice that continues to evolve through the hands of contemporary makers. In this richly illustrated presentation, Australian artist Maryanne Moodie traces the connections between traditional tapestry techniques and her own contemporary practice, from the fundamental structure of warp and weft to large scale, sculptural and experimental fibre works.
Drawing on fifteen years of weaving, teaching and material exploration, Maryanne will consider how knowledge is carried through making and how traditional techniques can remain alive without remaining fixed. She will share how reclaimed fibres, domestic textiles, unexpected materials and an intuitive approach to colour have allowed her to extend the language of tapestry while remaining connected to its history.
The presentation will also explore the place of tapestry within the home, women’s creative lives and contemporary art, asking what is preserved, transformed and passed forward each time a maker returns to the loom.
BIO
Maryanne Moodie is a contemporary tapestry artist, author and educator based in Melbourne, Australia. Since beginning her weaving practice in 2011, she has taught thousands of makers through workshops, retreats and online programs, and is the author of On the Loom and Modern Weaver. Her work combines traditional tapestry techniques with reclaimed fibres, experimental materials and a contemporary approach to colour, texture and form.

FAQ

How much is it to attend? There is a $65 suggested donation, although we greatly appreciate any amount.
Is this conference held in person? No, the WHC is entirely virtual and is held over Zoom, so you can attend no matter where you are!
But I can’t make it to all of the presentations… Not to worry! Everything is recorded and available to attendees for two weeks after the conference ends.
Can I just attend a certain talk or one specific day? Can do! Everyone will receive the same Zoom link, which is good for all three days of the conference, and can join and leave at will.
What time zone is the conference held in? The schedule is in EST.

A word about the Weaving History Conference…

In order to celebrate, promote and share academic work on the subject of handweaving, the Historic Manuscripts Conference was founded in 1994. The name was changed to the Weaving History Conference (WHC) later to reflect the expansion of the subject of the conference to contain not just academic weaving presentations, but information on all fiber arts. Today the WHC is entering its impressive 31st consecutive year!