Mary Elva Erf
Glastonbury, Connecticut

Mary Elva is a textile artist with an emphasis on the history of fibers. Her interest in the Shaker textiles evolved from a proximity to the Shaker communities in the northeast where she was fascinated with the beautiful linens and rugs, stored in a protected environment. In 1981, she was commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art to reproduce documented woven textiles for their permanent Shaker exhibit. This work entailed reading the journals of the Shakers to document the period when they were weaving household linens and examining Shaker pieces at Hancock Shaker Village, MA, Canterbury Village, NH, Sabbathday Lake, ME, and Pleasant Hill, KY. Following this project, Mary Elva began teaching other weavers how to reproduce the linens and rugs. She continues to teach workshops and present lectures on Shaker Towels, Rugs, Documented Miniature Textiles, 18th and 19th Century Weavers of CT. and Linen. Her book, Tiny Textiles, has a variety of documented miniature Shaker pieces made for a doll house. 

Information will be given on how to handle fine linen threads when making the warp, dressing the loom, sleying the selvedges, use of a dressing, wrapping the shuttles, weft techniques and diaper patterns that lend themselves to a linen warp. Emphasis will be on the properties of linen, selection for a project, suggested setts, the historical threading designs that were used in the 18th & 19th centuries to produce fine linen towels and tablecloths, and finishing. A bibliography for linen resources and many linen textiles will be available for students to see.

Supplies: Note-taking materials.
Fee: None
Level: All

There has been widespread interest in the story of the Shakers, a religious community of the 19th and 20th centuries concentrated in the northeastern area of the United States. This seminar on Shaker Textiles is a combination of slides and hands-on of reproduction Shaker linen towels. A history of the Shaker communities and the instructor's work in reproducing documented textiles for the Shaker Retiring Room at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City will also be shared.

Supplies: Note-taking materials.
Fee: $2.00
Level: All.

S404 MY SHAKER STORY WITH AN EMPHSIS ON THE REPRODUCTION TOWELS
Sunday Afternoon Mini-Session, 2:00 – 4:30

A Repeat—See S206

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