Delhi Jacquard Coverlets on WIOX Tonight!

 

Conventional overshot coverlet, most likely handwoven in a household, not a factory.

All photos courtesy of the Delaware County Historical Association

 

On Catskills Folk, our biweeky program at 7 p.m. Wednesdays on WIOX 91.3 FM (and WIOXradio.org on the internet), host Ginny Scheer will talk about an historical folk art in Delaware County , the hand weaving of woolen coverlets – specifically the ones woven in Delhi, New York, in the early 19^th century.  Hand weaving was common in Delaware County households in the 1830s, but our county was benefitted by the arrival of a  coverlet weaver from Scotland who used the Jacquard loom to create elaborate double weave coverlet figures when most families had coverlets that were single layers in geometric  patterns.

The Jacquard coverlets that this weaver and subsequent weavers produced were the subject of a study by Shirley Houck and the Delaware Rural Crafts Guild in the 1970s and 1980s, resulting in an exhibit in 1982 at the Delaware County Historical Association in Delhi.  At the time 77 Delhi coverlets were known, and since then 57 more have come to light, totaling 134.  DCHA keeps a register of the coverlets and would be happy to hear from anyone who has or knows of coverlets with the word Delhi woven in the corner.

On her program tonight Ginny will talk about the traditional coverlets and the Delhi Jacquard coverlets from the point of view of a weaver and a folklorist.  Take a look at the coverlets illustrated above and below and listen at 7 p.m. to Catskills Folk!

 

 

 Jacquard coverlet woven by John Homes, Delhi, 1834, using a loom

 that lifted individual threads to make the fancy curvilinear patterns..

 

 

Reverse of the 1834 coverlet, above.

Note the colors are reversed.  This coverlet is two layers thick,

 interwoven a the design motifs.

 

 

 

Jacquard coverlet woven by Asahel Phelps, Delhi, 1848

Occasionally both handloom and Jacquard loom weavers used red wool yarn.

 

 

Jacquard coverlet in more common blue, woven by Asahel Phelps, Delhi, 1848.

 

Note the linked motifs in the border of this Jacquard coverlet

 woven by John Benjamin Phelps II, the son of Asahel Phelps, Delhi, 1854.