Searle Farm Program mail-outs that came with the loom and allowed me to trace its history.
This loom of mine has some history attached to it. It was originally part of a philanthropic program launched by the Searle Grain Company intent on assisting farm wives. This program offered free lessons and payment programs for women wishing to purchase weaving equipment. The story is quite facinating and can be read in detail in The Searle Grain Company and Manitoba Handweaving, A Program of Imaginative Philanthropy.
As part of this program, Hilda Gilpin, purchased this 20 inch, 4 harness, LeClerc loom and began weaving. Over the years, her daughter Jean watched her mother and when she inherited her mother’s loom, intended to one day take up weaving herself. But life has a funny way of filling itself until it is overflowing with activities. So Jean found herself even more years later simply storing the loom without getting around to using it.
My Jano loom with a recent work in progress.
At last she resigned that she would not take up weaving after all, but rather than just selling off the loom, she decided to be philanthropic herself and hoped to give it to someone who would use it.
At that time, I was just learning to weave on a crude loom that Tim built me and had been telling my friend Ava about my challenges, failures and successes. It was she, who hooked up Jean and I. This is how I came to be the proud owner of a LeClerc Jano loom.
The placemats that were on the loom and I have since woven off.
When I received it, the loom still contained a work in progress — some colorful placemats. I was able to figure out the structure and weave it off.
While the actual mechanical use of the loom was easy to learn, weaving itself is an artform complex enough to fill a lifetime. I am thoroughly enjoying exploring this age old craft and hope to offer some of my creations in my Etsy shop this year. Actually, I have one posted already and if you’re the curious type, you can have a look.