Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-06-05
VILLAGE INDUSTRIES.
REVIVAL OF WOMANLY CRAFTS A
NOTABLE MOVEMENT.

-Coverlets from Kentucky Mountains.
The arts and crafts exhibit recently
held in Minneapolis brought together
from various parts of the country
specimens of handiwork which are of
interest and value from a sociological
and ethical standpoint, as well as from
the standpoint of the artist and the
craftsman.
The establishment of village indus
tries in various parts of the country is
a notable movement of the time. By
means Of these industries, most of
which have been established and car
rled on by women, the people of the
small villages are given profitable EN-
ployment at home, and thus kept from
entering into the competition of the
already overcrowded centres of trade.
While the exhibition brought to-
gether many beautiful examples of
craftsmanship from all over the coun-
try, including leather and metal work,
needlework and ceramics, the feature
OF broadest interest was that of the
textiles of various sorts which are
Probably the greatest interest CEN
tired in the rugs sent by Mrs. Albee OF
Pequakee, N. H. These rugs are made
by the village women under Mrs. AL
bees direction and according to her
designs. The patterns are adaptations
of Oriental rugs and the effect pro-
duced is remarkably good. The fin
ished rugs are soft and velvety in ap-
pearance and look much like Axmin-
stc!s. One would never suspect their
manner OF making except upon the
closest inspection. Rags of uniform
quality are cut in narrow strips and
hooked through heavy foundation of
burlap, leaving a very short loop upon
the upper side. The rags are dyed
with vegetable dyes of home manufac-
ture. All are soft and rich in tone,
giving a subdued color scheme which
is artistic and pleasing in effect. The
rugs sell for very moderate prices
considering their beauty and inde-
structibility, and a thriving industry
has been established among these vii
lage women.
Another industry carried on along
as homely lines as the one just de-
scribed is the coverlet making of the
women among the mountains of Ken
lucky. The coverlets are of the same
patterns as those "our grandmothers
used to make" and the work is super
vic-d and marketed by the managers
of Berea college. This college is a
missionary enterprise, established for
industrial and educational work among
the mountain people of Kentucky.
Home industries. nursing and various
trades are taught the younger gener-
alton, besides the educational train
ing, and among the older women the
art of coverlet making has been re-
vived and encouraged. Some of the
women had made coverlets "off and
on" since their early girlhood, and
still preserved their spinning wheels
and looms. These were brought out,
and put to regular use. and the "pine
bloom" and the "roseleaf' patterns
were reproduced over and over again,
not for family use only now. but for
the general market, which welcomed
them eagerly and found more buyers
than could be supplied. Most of the
coverlets were in blue and white, with
few in red, white and yellow. but all
have the familiar look of our treasured
heirlooms, and are as strictly hand
made as they. The white used is cot
ton. the colors are in wool. This is
spun and carded by hand and woven
on hand looms, in the various patterns.
They sell for So a piece, while an
antique" in good condition brings
from $50 to $75.
An industry of the same sort has
also been established among the noun
tains of Tennessee. where favorable
pattern is the Missouri trouble" The
work here is practically the same as
in Kentucky.
AS has already been told in the Star,
Mrs. Douglas Volk. wife of the we'll
known artist. has introduced and is
carrying on rug-making among the
women of another New England town,
but none of her work was shown in
Minneapolis owing to other exhibi-
tions to which they had been sent.
The work is similar to that of Mrs.
Albee, and is carried on with the same
object-that of helping the village
women to help themselves.
Along a still different line of handi-
work is the Deerfield industry in Mas
sachusetts. The work is carried on
under the name of the Deerfeld Blue
and White society, and consists of en-
broidery upon linen. embodying the
designs of early colonial times. Nearly
all the work is done in shades of blue
upon white linen. hence the name of
the society. Recently red and green
have been added to the colors used
in order to produce some of the early
designs as originally carried out. The
linen used to embroider upon is hand
woven and the threads used for en-
broidering are dyed with vegetable
dyes of their own manufacture. made
according to early day rules. and are
prOOf against fading The Datternc