A new season begins.

Dear Friends,

Shear, scour, pick, card, spin, weave, full, repeat. The ancient process of turning wool into cloth is as much a spring ritual as daffodils and lilacs. For several years now, Fleece to Fulling, our class that begins with sheep shearing and ends in a handspun blanket, has marked the start of our teaching season. It's no accident that we begin the year where all textiles begin, in the natural world, transforming raw fibers into finished cloth.

Before our hands were greased with lanolin, we took the show on the road with our first in-school programs. Kindergarten–eighth grade classes at two elementary schools learned about the history of wool in Vermont and did their own hands-on weaving. Giving kids an opportunity to work with their hands is essential for the future of the weaving school and our craft. Though our time with each class was brief, there's no telling what curiosity might ignite from our visit.

As a teaching institution we don't do a whole lot of making ourselves, but this year we're embarking on an ambitious project to recreate an early-American flag to mark the nation's semiquincentennial. The wool for the bunting was grown on Newbury soil, and when complete, the flag will be a literal piece of this particular spot. Textiles have moved globally for centuries, but have also been deeply integral to specific locales, and our flag will be exactly that.

With gratitude on behalf of the team,

Justin Squizzero

Director

Coming Up

Spaces are filling fast for many of this year's programs, but we still have some space left in:

Coverlets & Counterpanes

Beginning with Classical Natural Dyes

A Young Person's Guide to the Tape Loom

Introduction to Bobbin Lace

In-School Programs

We were fortunate to work with the art teachers at Sharon and Newton Elementary schools to develop an in-school program for their K–8 students. We began each class with a slideshow covering the process of turning wool into cloth, some history of wool in Vermont, and early mill technology. We got to see a tableloom in action, and then, inspired by Helena Loermans' "Living Loom," each class wove multiple weave structures in strips of cloth to see the relationship between mathematical pattern and woven interlacement.

These programs are a huge step towards our goal of engaging children and partnering with schools. We plan to develop a full package of pre and post-visit materials and then make this program available to teachers for the 2026–27 school year. We learned so much from the students and the teachers and can't wait to get back in the classroom.

The photos below are courtesy of the Newton School, Strafford, Vermont.

Fleece to Fulling

Foundations

Flag Project

To mark the nation's 250th birthday, we're recreating an early American flag using wool grown here in Newbury. Lewis Cleale of Nobletown Fiber Works is spinning the yarn, and in his tests he spun our Burroughs Farm wool into the finest singles he's ever produced at 9,600 yards per pound (that's a 1/17 worsted, but if you've taken a class with us you already knew that). Ironically, when studying a recent conservator's report on the Star Spangled Banner at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, the average thread counts, original dimensions, and estimated weight when new indicate that its bunting was woven of yarn closer to 1/11 worsted, or 6,160 yards per pound. The slightly heavier yarn is being spun now and will soon be woven in a mad dash countdown to July 4.

As always, we can only do what we do with your generous support. Gifts of all sizes make a tremendous impact. Thank you.

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