An Evening in Acadia
(by Lisa Charbonnet)

Our January 12th program will be a real treat! Allow me to introduce you to our visitor, Miss Hannah Elizabeth. Miss Hannah is an Acadian who will tell you all about her family and how they moved from France to settle in Quebec. While in Canada, they developed a very distinctive, yet simple, style of weaving. Acadian weaving is a beautiful art that’s been nearly lost over the last two centuries. Miss Hannah Elizabeth has been a muse to Gladys Clark, a weaver published in Spin-Off and acknowledged as one of America’s ‘Treasures”. Miss Hannah Elizabeth has a few beautiful Acadian weavings of her own to show and she will be thrilled to share her experience with you!

Miss Hannah Elizabeth will also bring her newfound friend, yet another Hannah!, who’s a hooker of primitive rugs. (There has to be a better way to say that, primitive rug hooker…hum…) Anyway Hannah’s rugs are delightful; the themes are joyful , the fabric hand-dyed, and the crafting exquisite.

I suppose I should also reveal that Miss Hannah Elizabeth and her friend Hannah do have an alter ego, namely dear Charlotte Allison, a Fredericksburg weaver. More than that she is a member of the Complex Weavers and leads a study group on Acadian weaving. She’s also been kind enough to host our recent Theo Moorman study group for a small cocktail party in her home. She’s driving in for one night just to speak to us! Please come out to welcome Miss Hannah Elizabeth and Acadiana on January 12th.

Some related links if you want to read up on Acadian weaving:

http://acim.umfk.maine.edu/textiles.html

http://www.nsula.edu/folklife/database/biography/bourqueE.html

http://www.itaaonline.org/downloads/USDA/Acadian/production.html