Lot 18: Longhunter Sash by Christine Tolbert

This 18th century style longhunter sash is woven with linen thread in dark gold, medium brown, dark olive green, and Shetland wool, the color of golden autumn foliage.  

On the loom, the linen threads make up the warp and run the length of the sash, becoming the twisted fringe at each end once the piece is finished. This linen is some of the finest quality thread available for weavers today, and was processed, spun, and dyed in Sweden using environmentally friendly practices that conform with the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation. 

Handwovens made with this linen are durable, stable in their length either wet or dry, and have a subtle sheen. Once the loom is warped with the linen threads, the weaver uses a shuttle to pass the weft back and forth across the warp, thus creating the woven fabric.

For this sash, the weft is 100% virgin Shetland wool. In this case, Shetland refers to the size of the yarn and not the origin of the wool. This wool is tightly spun in New Hampshire from a blend of Australian fine wool and sturdy New Zealand wool.  

This creates a yarn with a luster and durability that will become better with use and wear over the lifetime of the piece. Once the weave was complete and taken off the loom, the sash was wet finished and fulled, a process that turns the work into a finished fabric that will neither stretch nor shrink with use and wear.

This sash has a twill weave structure and was woven on a four shaft jack loom.  

The loom itself is 36 inches wide, a size that would have been common for floor looms used in homes in 18th century colonial America. 

At nearly 5 inches wide and 133 inches long, with several inches of twisted fringe at each end, it is meant to be worn twice wrapped around the waist. This sash will be the perfect compliment to your hunting frock, with your favorite hawk and knife tucked in for your next trek in the forest.

For More information on the work of Christine Tolbert, contact the artist directly:

18thcenturyweaver@gmail.com

Text provided by Christine Tolbert