Weavers to demonstrate flax linen process
Visitors to Harmony Borough will have the chance to watch the Weavers of Harmony show off their craftsmanship at a demonstration event this weekend.
The weavers will show the process of making flax plants into linen cloth on Saturday afternoon at the Weavers Cabin, 234 Mercer St., from noon to 4 p.m. The Weavers of Harmony event is free, and visitors can participate in the process.
“We will be demonstrating the whole multistep process,” said Lisel Moser, with the Weavers of Harmony, “from growing flax, to breaking the stalks to remove the fiber, to spinning fiber into thread and finally weaving thread into linen cloth.”
Giving a play-by-play explanation of the process will be Tom Grote from Stahlstown in Westmoreland County. Grote has been involved with the Stahlstown Scutching Festival for more than 30 years. Scutching is the process that separates the straw and woody stems from the flax fibers.
Weavers of Harmony is dedicated to preserving the skills of spinning, weaving, and basket making. The group is affiliated with the Harmony Museum and offers classes and demonstrations throughout the year at the early 19th century log cabin in Harmony.
