Textile Study Group

Cathryn Washell Bergeman

The Handweavers of Modern-Day Southern Appalachia:

An Ethnographic Case Study

Extensive research has focused on historical Appalachian weaving, but there is little on the current weaving community. The core of this study, which was developed as part of Cathryn's MA thesis, were interviews with ten contemporary weavers. Using concept coding, four major themes were developed that highlight the weavers’ discovery of their weaving passion, their motivation for weaving, how they use weaving as a source of income, and their connection to Southern Appalachia’s art and craft making traditions.