The Threads That Bind Us: An Account Of The Research Process Of Nineteenth Century Weaving Drafts From The Dahlonega Library Archives

Abstract

Handwritten weaving drafts dating back to 1832 were recently found in the Lumpkin County Library in Dahlonega, Georgia. Sallie Sorohan, a local historian, found them while sorting through papers, notes, and receipts in the Lorenzo Dow Davis collection. In a collaboration of local weavers, historians, and weaving students at the University of North Georgia, the drafts were translated in order to be useful in the 21^st century with the help of Barbra Miller and Deb Schillo. The current weaving professor at the University of North Georgia, Jo-Marie Karst, as well as the past, Tommye Scanlin, combined efforts to apply the knowledge gathered from Miller and Schillo and get the students involved. The students were able to read the translated drafts and weave a traditional as well as a modern sample of the patterns by Susan Davis. Their work was exhibited at the Hansford Hall Gallery on the Dahlonega campus in Fall 2014. This paper delves into the research of combined efforts of past and present weavers, making threads that bind together the legacy of weavers for more than a century.