Weavers Guild
Hosts Workshop
By Bob Eddy

When Anita Luvera married Jack Mayer in the late '50s, the gift of a 36-inch floor loom from her mother-in-law, a popular Seattle area weaver, was part of the covenant. The gift, and the gentle enthusiastic instruction which accompanied it, became the source of a life-long quest "to understand the creative process, identify inspiration, and learn how to translate those concepts" into her life.

At the outset, Mayer fashioned place mats and table coverings, which were sold to garner money for more supplies.

"I was fortunate to have a patron in my husband, Jack," she smiled, taking a break from her three-day workshop sponsored by the Vermont Weavers Guild at their home in the White River Crafts Center in Randolph this past weekend.

"Thanks to Jack, I had the freedom to create without worrying about income," she explained.

Because of this freedom, Mayer was able to eschew smaller, less creative projects. The first national weavers’ conference in Detroit in 1972, proved a personal tipping point.

"I attended a lecture on hand-woven clothing there, and wrote in my journal: "June 1972: from this day forward any major piece of clothing I wear, I am going to make myself."

In 1976 Mayer attended a regional conference in Washington state. She was by then wearing her own clothing, and a weaver from British Columbia asked her to come north to lead a workshop.

This first gathering shaped the next 30 years of Mayer's life. Word of mouth has catapulted her into the upper echelons of international weaving. Her days are now a blend of work at the loom, weaving workshops, writing articles and books, and travel to study weaving culture throughout the world.

"I weave for the reason women have woven for centuries; to adorn their homes, their bodies, and the people they love."

Over fifty area weavers met with Mayer at the White River Craft Center this weekend. Mayer's clothing, personality, and philosophy thoroughly engaged her audience. One sensed that the world might be changed here, one strand of fiber at a time.

The White River Craft Center is hosting an open house 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 4. On that day you can learn more about the Weavers Guild and other offerings at the Center, including stained glass, pottery, wood-working, painting, photography and other arts and crafts. You'll find the White River Craft Center in the Kimball House at the end of Randolph Avenue in Randolph Village. The phone number is 728-8912.

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