Weaving
Bristol, VA
Jesse Halverson’s mother taught her how to crochet when she was a young child, and since then, she has “derived great pleasure and satisfaction from creating with my hands.” Jesse soon learned how to cross stitch and knit, frequently finding herself either working on a project or planning her next one. After encountering spinning as an adult, she tried to teach the craft to her daughter—who instead wanted to learn how to weave, after seeing a demonstration at a local festival. Jesse and her husband bought their daughter a small table loom for Christmas, which prompted Jesse to take a weaving class from the Overmountain Weavers Guild. “Joining this guild and helping my daughter with her loom ignited another passion in my textile journey,” she said.
Jesse lives with her husband and six children on a small farm in Southwest Virginia, where they raise chickens, cows, pigs, goats, rabbits, and dogs. She and her husband demonstrate historic skills at Exchange Place, an 1850s living history farm in Kingsport, TN, and meeting place for the Overmountain Weavers Guild. Exchange Place received a Cultural Caretakers Grant in April 2023 from the Greater Bristol Folk Arts & Culture Team, supported by Mid Atlantic Arts’ Central Appalachia Traditions initiative. Jesse will be in the Appalachian Traditions tent in the Virginia Folklife Area on Saturday, October 15 and Sunday, October 15.
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