Historic Work and Research

At Upper Canada Weaving, we reproduce a variety of textiles from the 18th to 20th century. We analyze the original textile for weave structure, colour and fibre type and use these specifications to recreate the textile.

Research informs all of our textile work: reproduction, restoration and conservation at Upper Canada Weaving. Canada’s textile history is accessible through the material culture of textiles and related equipment as well as primary sources such as weaver account and pattern books. This research, used to inform our reproductions is also available by presentations and workshops on a variety of topics related to historical textiles and textile workers. We also provide special care such as restoration or conservation to antique textiles such as North American and Persian carpets.

Period Coverlets

Canada has a rich tradition of woven coverlets. In 19th century Ontario, several weave structures were used to create both geometric and figured designs. Customers often supplied spun and dyed yarn for their local weaver, making the process a collaboration between customer and weaver.

At Upper Canada Weaving, we handloom weave traditional Canadian coverlets using cotton or linen with commercially produced or custom spun wool, according to our client’s specifications. Contact us to discuss a historic pattern and technique from the rich repertoire of 19th century Canadian coverlets.

Summer and Winter Coverlet

The Summer and Winter coverlet structure dates to the late 18th and early 19th century in Canada. Because the structure has a network of tie-downs, the block patterns can be quite large and bold as seen in this example which was collected in New Brunswick. The wool for this coverlet was sourced to a farm in Norfolk County, Ontario and was small batch dyed in indigo.

“Nine Roses for Miss Annie” Floatwork Coverlet

This coverlet was woven in the floatwork structure. Weavers in the 19th century referred to this structure which uses alternating throws of plain weave and a wool pattern throw as floatwork, single and sometimes just coverlet or coverlid because it was such a popular form of coverlet weaving.

Image 3 - Reproduction two panel floatwork coverlet - Copy.JPG

A historic coverlet (left) in the collection of Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto, Ontario inspired this visually identical reproduction for a New York home (right). We executed the pattern, whimsically named “Nine Roses for Miss Annie,” in a cotton warp and linen weft, with commercially spun and dyed wool.

Samuel Fry Reproduction Floatwork Coverlet

This floatwork coverlet is a reproduction of a textile woven by 19th century weaver, Samuel Fry (1812-1881) from Vineland, Ontario. The original coverlet is from the collection of the Lincoln Museum in Jordan Ontario. This reproduction was woven with custom spun Border Leicester wool dyed in madder and indigo.

“Keep Me Warm One Night” Floatwork Coverlet

This floatwork coverlet is based on a 19th century draft called “Keep Me Warm One Night” from Nova Scotia. Twenty-four threads per inch was a common density for Canadian coverlets of the time, and we designed this one to have both an outside border that fits the intended bed exactly. The customer requested black wool for the pattern on a linen warp and weft. We sourced undyed black wool from Norbouillet sheep in Pine Hollow, Ontario which was custom spun at Wellington fibres in Elora, Ontario.

Linen was grown in eastern Canada in early 19th century, and commonly used for coverlet weavings. Some historic coverlets from this period also feature an additional inside-border in a narrow diamond twill weave.

Gallery of Coverlet Patterns

Period Carpets

Floatwork Carpet for Upper Canada Village

Carpets are made using period patterns and techniques in consultation with our customers. Wool yarn can be sourced to specific breeds to create a durable and glossy carpet contributing to the period authenticity.

The carpet on the loom. The carpet was woven in four panels to get the desired width.

Upper Canada Weaving produced a floatwork carpet for Upper Canada Village in 2018.

In 19th century eastern Canada, bed coverlets in particular were made using a technique referred to as floatwork or single coverlet. This structure was used extensively by Scottish, Irish and German settlers in the 19th century Ontario. In the 1930s, a new term, overshot was used to identify this structure. The term overshot is used erroneously by textile historians and weavers to describe this structure. As this term is not found in the historical record, I refer to it by its 19th century term, floatwork. This structure was also used for carpets and horse blankets. Most floatwork patterns are woven using 4 harnesses. Floatwork creates a very decorative textile using a fairly simple loom. The structure requires two shuttles minimum. One of the shuttles is for the plain weave structure usually using cotton. The second shuttle is for the wool pattern in a weight at least three times as heavy as the cotton. If the pattern is in more than one colour, additional shuttles are required. The pattern yarn which has little structure is anchored between the plain weave structure.

Border Leicester/Romney cross sheep from Woolley’s Lambs at Schuyler Farms in Simcoe, Ontario. This wool was selected because of the strong qualities of the staple.

Sheep from Woolley’s Lambs at Schuyler Farms in Simcoe, Ontario. The strong wool from these sheep was essential to creating a glossy and durable yarn for the carpet.

The wool was custom spun into carpet grade wool by Wellington Fibres

The yarn was dyed by Made by Liam using primarily madder. To get the distinctive ‘Turkey Red’ colour, Liam dipped the yarn into a diluted bath of cochineal. — The yarn was dyed by Liam using primarily madder. To get the distinctive ‘Turkey Red’ colour, Liam dipped the yarn into a diluted bath of cochineal.

This type of carpet, floatwork uses two shuttles, one in wool for the pattern and one in cotton for the structure.

The carpet in place at Upper Canada Village

Rag Carpets for Montgomery’s Inn

Upper Canada Weaving produced two rag carpets for Montgomery’s Inn in 2018 for the Traveller’s Sitting Room and for the Boys’ Room. There was a period rag carpet in the Boys’ Room that was in poor condition. Montgomery’s Inn wanted to reproduce this carpet so that the period carpet could be preserved in storage. This carpet has a limited number of colours: white, brown and pink. The predominant colour is white with random additions of brown and pink making it a ‘hit and miss’ carpet with a limited colour range. For the carpet for the Travellers’ Sitting Room, we created a more formal pattern based on a rag carpet in the collection of the Royal Ontario Museum. The checkerboard pattern was created by alternating dark and light warp threads.

Rag carpet weaving was prevalent in mid to late nineteenth century Canada. This weave structure was used primarily for carpets in English-speaking Canada and as bed coverings in French-speaking Canada. Many weavers in Canada wove rag carpets for customers. In the mid to late 19th century, rag carpets costed about 12 cents per yard.

The consumer or customer of rag carpets supplied the cotton warp and the rags. This arrangement meant that they took part in the pre-weaving production by collecting cloth from worn clothes, cutting the cloth into strips, joining the strips of cloth together, winding the joined strips into balls. The customer then brought the balls of rags to the weaver who wound them on a rag shuttle for weaving.

Rag carpets are representative of the Ontario nineteenth century household economy, small scale industry and interior aesthetic. They were also a way to get value from old clothes by making use of the household economy.

In the 19th century practice of customer involvement in textile production, visitors to Montgomery’s Inn joined the strips of fabric together. The joined strips were wound into balls and then used to weave the carpets.

Using old sheets, strips of cloth were ripped into strips.

Visitors to Montgomery’s Inn joined the strips and wound them into balls.

The Travellers’ Sitting Room carpet on the loom

The carpet for the Boys’ Room on the loom

The finished carpet in the Travellers’ Sitting Room

Period Upholstery Projects

Upholstery Fabric for a Model A Ford Car

Using a swatch of original upholstery fabric, upholstery fabric was custom designed. Coopworth wool from Norfolk County, Ontario was selected for its strong characteristics. The wool was blended with mohair to increase strength and luster to the yarn. The yarn was custom dyed by Iron Cauldron to match the original swatch. The original fabric was analyzed to achieve the correct weave structure.

Upholstery Fabric for a Regency Period Sofa

This sofa which dates to c. 1830 is in the collection of Black Creek Pioneer Village. The frame is a mahogany veneer over a pine groundwood.

The upholstery seen on the sofa is not original or period appropriate.

The fabric for the restoration will be woven using a blend of custom spun Coopworth wool and Mohair. The yarn is glossy and strong to produce a durable upholstery fabric.

The design for the fabric is Pattern 207 taken from the Norwich Worsted Pattern Book, 1785-1831 and is seen below in a digital mock-up.

The yarn will be small batch dyed by Liam Blackburn, woven by Upper Canada Weaving and upholstered by Johnathan O’Neill.

Upholstery Fabric for a Gothic Revival Settee

This Gothic Revival Settee will be on display in Flynn House, Black Creek Pioneer Village, Toronto in the spring of 2020.

The fabric for this settee is based on a herringbone and satin striped fabric on a sofa in the collection of Black Creek Pioneer Village. The sofa has provenance to the Merritt family of St. Catharines.

The yarn was custom spun at Wellington Fibres in Elora using Coopworth wool for luster and strength and mohair for softness and luxury. The Coopworth wool is sourced to Woolley’s Lambs in Simcoe and the Mohair, from Wellington Fibres in Elora.

The yarn was small batch dyed in two shades of indigo by Liam Blackburn of Made by Liam; the fabric was woven by Deborah at Upper Canada Weaving and the settee was upholstered by Johnathan O’Neill.

Reproduction Radio Grill Fabric

Right side of original fabric sitting on right side of reproduction fabric

Wrong side of original fabric sitting on wrong side of reproduction fabric

Consultation and Appraisals

As part of her work, Deborah inspects historic textiles. Her detailed technical analysis includes a survey of the density, weave structure, materials and production methods, all of which provide insight into the textile material culture of 19th century eastern Canada. Works, such as this figured coverlet woven by Wilhelm Armbrust 1840 (right) lend important insight into traditional weaving techniques.

Restoration and Conservation

Restoration of a 19th century Pennsylvanian Rag Carpet

The hem of this carpet was frayed in several places.

The carpet had several holes and weak points.

The raw edges of the carpet were protected with a band of twill tape. The holes were repaired and the weak areas were reinforced.

Restoration of a Persian carpet

This commission required matching the original carpet’s pattern, colour and structure. Observe the progression of re-weaving and knotting the hole to arrive at this restored, final product.

Conservation of a Hooked Rug

Presentations

Panel discussion pictured above, “The Field to Fashion Runway” at the Guelph Organic Conference, 2018.
“The True Measure of Men’s Wear in Ontario: A Select Examination of Cloth in 19th and 21st century Men’s garments.”
The Upper Canada Fibreshed: 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.”
“The Contribution of Scottish Weavers to Ontario Textiles.”
“When a Horse Blanket Provides more than just Warmth: Using Textiles as a Historical Source in Nineteenth-Century Canada.”
“‘I went to the Weavers after some Carpet:’ the Relationship between Weavers and Customers in Rural Ontario, 1859 to 1922.”
“A Look at Both Sides of the Cloth: Middlesex County Handloom Weaver, John Campbell and his Customers.”

Research and Writing

When A Horse Blanket Provides More Than Just Warmth: Using Textiles As A Historical Source In Nineteenth-Century Canada

This paper examines the physical and social function of horse blankets hand woven in Canada in the nineteenth century. Horses conveyed status to their owners, further reinforced by using these beautiful and sometimes intricately woven textiles. Understanding the manufacture and social perception of these blankets increase our understanding of the agency of nineteenth century rural people in the creation of status.

Weaver Account Book Of John Campbell 1859 1885 Middlesex County Ontario

This paper is an examination of the account book of Middlesex County, Ontario weaver, John Campbell, dating 1859 to 1885. I describe the provenance and physical format of the account book and I provide context by discussing the weaver, John Campbell. I consider themes such as the production and consumption of cloth and speculate about how the account book can be used as a historical source.