Mindful of history

Interview with Diane Myers, Weaver, by Pam Parziale OMST blog June 1. 2025

“I’m fascinated by history,” Diane Myers told me as she described her weaving on a huge “barn loom” at the historic Burwell-Morgan Mill in Millwood, Virginia. The loom dates from the late 1700’s and was made by early settlers who had to weave the cloth to make clothing and blankets.

On many Saturdays at the mill, Diane may be joined by her eight-year-old grandson, “throwing the shuttle” as he learns to use the treadles, peddles that control the design. She deciphers weft and warp, weavers’ lingo that describes the difference between the threads on a shuttle, the weft,  and the warp, the threads that run lengthwise on the loom.

Recently, Diane journeyed to Japan, expanding her knowledge of ancient weaving techniques. Joined by another Over the Mountain Studio Tour member, Denise Ray, the two weavers were part of a weaving and cultural tour to Fukuoka in southern Japan.  Weaving factories, similar to our cottage industries in this country, produce not only indigo dyed fabrics, but cutting-edge carbon fiber fabrics.

As we talked, Diane pulled out a thread from the history of weaving and art and said, “Few dyes do not easily fade with use and exposure to the sun. One is indigo, the ubiquitous blue of denim jeans, another is red madder found in underground stems of Rubia plants, and cochineal, a red color found in the bodies of some insects. In looking at the flags of countries with long histories, notice how many are red, white and blue.”  

Her love of history and high level of skill on multiple looms propelled her curiosity to explore ancient techniques. What she found, she said, was what she already knew from years of devotion to her craft, “I can take my time. The change is a mental change, I don’t have to rush to finish the work.”

Like indigo dyes fermenting in pits in an ancient city, the weaver takes time to reflect. The old ways of making and doing will create subtle changes in the weaver’s mind as she explores a more wordly, contemporary, weft and warp of her loom.