Woven Coverlet 1935 - 1942

Martha L. Lanscher created this Woven Coverlet, and I see in it such a dedicated, repetitive act. I imagine her hands carefully interlacing each thread, building up this pattern. The colour palette is earthy; it’s a combination of oranges, browns, and tans, suggesting natural dyes and a close connection to the land. It's the act of making that really gets me. I imagine Martha deeply absorbed in her craft, her thoughts unfolding with each pass of the shuttle. Each movement contributes to the rhythm of the woven surface. These horizontal and vertical lines intersect and overlap, creating a kind of a grid that’s a bit wonky, imperfect, and human. Weaving is such a bodily act, isn't it? It reminds me that all art forms are just different ways of thinking through making. We’re all just trying to figure something out, one thread, one brushstroke, at a time, building on what came before us. And in that process, we leave a little bit of ourselves behind, a trace of our being, woven right into the fabric.