In the second gallery there were two Women’s’ blankets from the late classic period which were smaller and more coarsely woven than the Chief’s blankets. On the opposite side of the gallery were two Wedge Weave blankets that were exceptional. The larger and the least traditional of the two was breath taking. The diagonal bands of wedge weave were expansive and colorful using the undyed natural wools to full advantage and the reds were likewise varied creating a wonderful energy. Having done some wedge weave recently and 25 years ago, the technical facility of the weaver was inspiring.

The last gallery contained one poncho and 6 serapes from the late classical period and printed displays showing the scientific techniques used for classifying the yarns. The Navajo weavers took advantage of the availability of new yarn colors when weaving the serape. They also incorporated Mexican design elements such as serrated diamonds, and vertical zigzags combined with the stepped and terrace motifs from their early Navajo basketry. Again the Navajo adapted and brought in new ideas and made them their own.

I would like to thank Ann Lane Hedlund for her assistance helping me to better understand the history and complexity of the Navajo weaving tradition. The recently published Blanket Weaving of the Southwest by Joe Ben Wheat, edited by Ann Lane Hedlund, is a fine book with many colored reproductions and interesting text, well worth reading.

by Linda Rees

Last summer, Carole Greene, an apprentice in Christine Laffer’s studio, visited Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. As the tour guide, Theresa Conley recalls, Carole kept asking questions about tapestry. Theresa revealed that she had been a tapestry weaver as a young woman and one of her tapestry’s was included in the book Great Tapestries: The Web of History from the 12th to 20th Century by Edita Lausanne. They couldn’t find the book at Penland that day but when Carole got back to California, she and Christine looked up the picture. They suggested we investigate her story further.