The Walla Walla Textile Artists have joined with Kirkman House Museum to present a history of weaving, sheep raising, and the wool industry in the Walla Walla Valley. As part of this living history, a Weaver’s Cottage has been established on the grounds with a loom and typical furnishings of that time. The focus is on textiles produced in the home in the era of 1850 to 1920, including household linens and coverlets using handspun wool with dye colors from plants in the Dyer’s Garden. Demonstrations of weaving and spinning with other displays will be held in the Weavers Cottage during normal museum hours.
Another facet of the Textile Center is a loose coalition of knitters, quilters, embroiderers, weavers-spinners-dyers, and other textile artists meeting periodically at Kirkman House Museum to share ideas.
The Textile Center holds monthly Spin-Ins on the first Sunday of the month. Everyone is welcome to bring a spinning wheel and join in. See the Events page for times and dates.
SPINNING AND WEAVING CLASSES If you are interested contact: textiles coordinator or phone: 529-4373 or 529-5978
The Dyer's Garden has been established as a part of the Textile Center to illustrate historic use of plants to produce coloring materials for yarns. The plants have been used for thousands of years until 1856 when a British chemist discovered synthetic dyes. The garden features marigolds and safflower to produce yellows and greens along with madder root plant which produces various reds and oranges depending on the mordant used. Though Walla Walla sweet onions are not grown, the rich colors produced by the papery brown skins can be seen in textile displays of handspun and woven local wool in the Weavers Cottage.
Flax is another important textile plant featured in the garden. Fibers from the stem of the plant produces linen, one of the most ancient fibers used by humans (evidence of woven linen from 7000 B. C.). Fine linens for tableware and clothing were the pride of many a Victorian household. The garden features three stages of flax processing and in the Cottage is a display of these finished handwoven and dyed linens as well as 'living history' demonstrations of weaving them on the cottage looms.