Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 25, 1994 TAG: 9411080053
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ALMENA HUGHES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Entranced by the sure rhythmic moves of the women's hands and tools, most observers don't realize that the intricate patterns emerging on their looms are more the result of precise mathematical calculations painstakingly translated into graph-paper designs than creative art.
Jones, who in 1945 was the first woman graduate to earn a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from Virginia Tech, said, "Having a math and engineering turn of mind, weaving's precision appeals to me. But if you don't have a lot of patience, you wouldn't like it."
"I'm a perfectionist, and I thrive on tedium," Oxley said, explaining weaving's attraction for her.
Jones, in Blacksburg, and Oxley, in Fincastle, are the only fabric weavers from this region among only six or seven in the entire membership of the Virginia Mountain Crafts Guild, although Oxley said she is sure there are many other weavers in the area, including people who have looms in their homes and weave simply for personal enjoyment.
Oxley, from 1985 through 1990, with artist Joan Henley, operated Unicorns and Butterflies - a shop on the Roanoke City Market dedicated to giving artists and craftspeople exposure. She first studied her craft under weaver Jerry Bourdeaux in the early '80s as a way to unwind from her primary work at that time as a watercolorist. For the past seven years, she has concentrated exclusively on weaving and working in stained glass.
"The fabric side of me has always been there," Oxley said. "My mother taught knitting. My father designed rugs and my mother hooked them. From the first time I sat down at a loom, I felt like I'd known how forever. I just had an immense affinity."
Jones said she was able to pursue her longtime interest when during the mid '70s arts benefactors Miles and Ruth Horton brought in acclaimed weaver Persis Grayson to teach a week-long workshop at Mountain Lake.
"I am eternally grateful for that, because she started me, and I've been going ever since," Jones said.
Jones and Oxley occasionally take classes to expand their knowledge and techniques. But both said much of what they do is learned from experience, exchanging information with other weavers, experimentation and practice, practice, practice.
Oxley said she mainly weaves tartans and yardage for kilts and banners, and also makes saddle pads, blankets, throws and clothing, including jackets and lightweight but warm cape-like ruanas. Several years ago, she and artists James Small and Gary Fitzsimmons collaborated in designing the primarily blue, green and rust tartan of the Blue Ridge.
"We tried to pick colors that represent the Valley in all its seasons," Oxley explained.
About four years ago in Arizona, she studied Navajo weaving techniques and since has added Navajo rugs and hangings to her repertoire. She also recently learned to spin and plans to incorporate her yarns into her weaving.
Jones specializes in book marks, table runners, place mats, scarves and lap throws, some reflecting her special interest in traditional Appalachian Mountain patterns such as Chariot Wheel, Whig Rose, Lovers' Knot and Snails Trail.
She's selective about the shows she participates in, but certain kinds draw her. "I like those that have historical or Appalachian heritage themes to raise money for historic research and preservation. The Frontier Festival in Staunton is the highlight of the year for me," she said.
One of her most prized possessions is a nearly 200-year-old handmade barn loom and accompanying hand-carved tools, with which she makes some rugs.
She recently began reproducing the usually indigo and white coverlets that were popular during the 1800s and said she is encouraged by the warm reception they have received.
Both Jones and Oxley work primarily in natural fibers - mostly cottons, wools and linens - with some acrylics for economy, for example, as a substitute for silk, which can cost as much as $140 per pound, or for frequently washed items such as babies' blankets and place mats.
Both tend to favor the traditional, although they said there are some very abstract forms of fabric weaving, done both on and off looms, usually seen at international rather than local shows.
Jones' and Oxley's items sell for from $4 or $5 for book marks to about $125-$175 for throws. The necessary looms, averaging between $200 and $700, plus auxiliary equipment and supplies can easily climb to thousands of dollars. Then there are the several days it can take to properly arrange on a loom the roughly 1,200 threads needed to weave a large tartan, or the several months it can take to produce a Navajo piece, whose waterproof-tight weave is accomplished through finger manipulation, sitting on the floor in front of the loom and without benefit of a foot treadle.
"If I ever actually calculated it out, I'd probably be earning about $1.25 per hour," Oxley laughed.
Yet, she said she charges only about $40 to $45 per yard for her tartans because she wants to remain competitive with those woven in Scotland at about $50 per yard.
"You do this because you love it," Oxley said. "You either love it or hate it, and most people know pretty quickly which."
She keeps that latter principle in mind when teaching occasional classes in weaving, such as one now in progress at The Weavers' Edge in Picadilly Square, Roanoke.
" I try to run the class about four to six weeks for two and a half or three hours each class, so that way if you hate it, you're not in for a long commitment," Oxley said.
All materials, including portable looms on which students are required to do homework, are included in a price of about $75. For information, call Oxley at 992-4979.
Jones teaches and does demonstrations at schools as a crafts guild volunteer. She can be reached at 552-1845.
by CNB