October Musings

After all the enjoyable celebrations in August, the month of September seemed quiet, boring and uneventful – until our much-anticipated annual Heritage Weekend with the national Whimmy Diddle competition. The youth group saw some new participants showing great form and enthusiasm! Some of our old-timers continue to win in their categories, setting a lofty example for our younger Diddlers.

Heritage Weekend is a lovely reunion for us artists who practice heritage techniques to keep our culture and especially the local Appalachian heritage crafts alive. I am the exception, because my lace techniques have very mixed global backgrounds. Hairpin lace started in Queen Victoria’s court, Tunisian crochet and lace in northern Africa, thread lace started in Germany, Austria and Italy and of course, Irish lace came from Ireland. Broomstick lace is credited to the Pioneer ladies, which makes it the only true American lace technique. All others are immigrants, coming across the ocean with women who, despite challenges of adapting to the new world, continue to practice their favorite craft and skills.

All forms of heritage crafts were represented last weekend, and we often collaborate on different projects or exchange ideas. It was especially joyous to celebrate the second anniversary of Hurricane Helene and the resurgence of tourism to our area, which is still affected by rebuilding efforts and the closure of the Blue Ridge Parkway north of Mount Mitchell.

We are Western North Carolina Strong and celebrate steady progress. Having well-known local bluegrass and folk music groups is a big draw for visitors and makes the festivities a joyful gathering. The old songs and instruments, many of which were hand-made, are a welcome nostalgic blast from the past. Opposite my table a couple of new members showed their cakepan banjos and handcrafted dulcimers. We frequently joined in as they sang softly together, especially one of my favorites: You Are My Sunshine. Artists and visitors ended our gathering with a tribute to Dolly Parton, a chorus sing-along of her lesser known Tennessee Mountain Home. Everyone left on a high note!

Every month I talk about the restorations I worked on during any given month. This time the two requests I received were the Two that Got Away! For the first time ever, both requests were impossible to fulfill.

The first one was a white machine woven tablecloth that was damaged in the woven texture part, with the floral lace inserts next to it completely intact. Someone had already attempted to reattach some of the woven but broken rows back together, which is very noticeable. Unfortunately, I cannot restore a woven texture back to original condition. I suggested a white underlayment to make the damage less noticeable, and the customer was open to that suggestion. She tried it and was satisfied with the look.

The second request was from a young lady who had literally loved her baby blanket to death. She realized that it was impossible for me to restore something I could not recognize. I was hoping she might have an old photo, a pattern or some idea of the original look so I might be able to recreate her beloved blankie. No such luck!

I suggested maybe using a lesser damaged part of the blanket to wrap around a small pillow to retain as a keepsake. The moral of the story is: Don’t wait until something you cherish is completely beyond help before attempting to save an old keepsake. And remember my mantra to always wash your special items in a zippered mesh bag to distribute the weight of the water.

October promises to be exciting with leaf season bringing more visitors to the mountains. Our annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands takes place at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center downtown Asheville on October 15^th through 18^th. I will be volunteering as usual on that weekend, helping with lunch relief and then covering the Educational Outreach Booth on the Arena level.

Then on October 22^nd through 25^th I will be demonstrating Heritage Lace at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the end of the month is our large neighborhood Halloween party, where young and old get together to celebrate fall and fun. So, I am looking forward to a busy month.

Last month I had an upswing in book sales and my video workshops on Udemy.com. In these times where many of us are tightening our belts, the idea of Do It Yourself crafting and gift creating is quite popular. Dust off your talents and start your list. Christmas is less than three months away!

I hope you have a happy and colorful fall!