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Fiber Art Experiences and Heritage in Asheville, NC

January 4, 2024

By Janet Moore

Weaving Wonders: Get a Feel for Mountain Fiber Arts in Asheville

The natural fiber tradition runs deep in Western North Carolina. Spinning, knitting, weaving and felting are literally part of the region’s fabric.

Some say that the tradition of selling functional weavings began 40 miles north of Asheville at a Presbyterian mission located on a remote crossroads near the Tennessee border. It was here in 1897 at Allan’s Old Stand that a hand-woven coverlet inspired the formation of Allanstand Cottage Industries. Today, you’ll still find Allanstand weavings at the Southern Highland Craft Guild’s Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway.   FOR MORE

Welcome to Local Cloth in the River Arts District of Asheville

Our Blue Ridge Mountains Fibershed, roughly within a 100 mile radius of Asheville, NC, encompasses the rural mountainous region of Western North Carolina, parts of East Tennessee, and Upstate South Carolina. Our region of Appalachia has a deeply rooted history in handcraft and textiles, but also in economic struggle and resilience. FOR MORE

 

Photo Credit: Amanda Heyn

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