RUSSIAN OLD BELIEVERS
Beltweaving in Oregon,
USA
Card woven belts
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Belt woven in Harbin region, China. The weaver commented that she collected mushrooms to sell for the thread, and then had to wait for winter for the river to freeze over, since that was the only way to get to town through the dense forest. |
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Belt woven by the same woman as above. Her name is woven into this belt, and she requested that the name not be publicized as she still had relatives in the Soviet Union at the time (1986). |
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This belt was worn out and dirty from being used during berry picking. The owner, an acknowledged belt weaver in the community, gave it to me to use as an example, and inspiration for "making up" patterns so that no design repeats within a belt. |
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Three belts from Brazil which were considered fashionable at the time of investigation. They consist of a regularly repeating design, with or without a small separator motif. The patterns are taken from cross stitch books, and sometimes the same pattern was cross-stitched on the woman's blouse. |
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Click on image to the left to see the full length of this belt. |
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Wooden weaving implements. The weaving sword belonged to a deceased weaver, passed on to me by the woman who taught me to card weave. I was enjoined to be a good weaver like the original owner, but not to drink like her! |
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