The Weavers Friend

On the left: Finish rug weaver Rora Strom 1972 seated at her handmade loom
On the right: The Newcomb Semi automatic rug loom manufactured in the 1890s.

Hand looms have evolved throughout the centuries. Originally all looms were hand made. Then came the industrial revolutions and looms were transformed into metal weaving machines, powered by water and then by steam. However, hand weaving continued to be important. In the late 19th and 20th century, using some of the technical advances of industrial weaving equipment, specialized looms were manufactured for hand weavers who still used their own physical strength to operate the weaving equipment. Much of this web site deals with these hand weavers and their looms. Look for links to be added later to this website.

Pictured here are several rugs brought to Rag Rug Show & Tell at Convergence 2006 in Grand Rapids MI. On the left Kathy Berlincourt of Battle Creek, Michigan shows a plane weave with alpaca weft ,wool roving. The rug on the right belongs to Beverly Weaver, Colorado Springs, CO. Beverly Weaver (not pictured here) took the Convergence photographs. More on Convergance 2006 Rag Rug Show & Tell later.

Weaver/historian Ute Bargmann stumbled across these rag rugs in Slovakia. She was in the home of a lace maker in a village near Bratislava. See the Rag Rug Gallery for more photos of this collection.

The Weavers Friend Rag Rug Newsletter has been publishing since 1990. Twice a year this newsletter provides a forum for rag rug weavers to share their stories and experiences with other rug weavers. You will find here: tips on warping, cutting rags, color and design. and old loom restoration and repair. Emphasis is on rug weaving and the looms that were designed to make rug weaving practical and rewarding. Call 218 525 5778 or write to The Weavers Friend at 5672 N Shore Dr., Duluth MN 55804.
Back Issues, any combination: 2 for $8, 4 for $15, 6 for $22, 4 for $29, 6 for $36, 8 for $43, 10 for $50.
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The Weavers Friend Newsletter Vol. 15, No. 1 Spring/Summer 2004 featured an in-depth article about Barn-Frame Loom restoration by Kathryn McMahon of Long Island, New York. See the Hand Made Rug Looms section for more.