On a loom, the weft runs horizontally and consists of strips of rags, made from recycled materials like old clothes or sheets, which are tied or sewn together. These strips are then wound through a shuttle and pulled through the warp or frame, which runs vertically on the loom.
My farm stories are also made from strips of recycled materials: old photo albums, scrapbooks, memoirs, video interviews and digital stories. Much like a rag rug, that involves taking apart old clothes and using the material to make new rugs, my stories involve taking apart old farm stories (told by family members) and using the material to craft new stories about the farm and its importance. Sometimes I’m simply using the materials crafted or collected by family members to illustrate/enhance/verify my own stories. More often, I’m dissecting, troubling, questioning, exploring and playfully experimenting with old story fragments to remember and not forget the Farm.
Materials for Recycling
- Grandma Ines’s Memoir
- Grandma Ines’s Scrapbook
- The Farm: An Autobiography
- The Farm, part 2: The Puotinen Women
- The Farm: A Vimeo Channel
- Art’s Scrapbook
- Judy’s Photo book