EMERGING ENTREPRENEURS

More weft than warp
in local fabric

	TRR photo by Charlie Buterbaugh Charles Blanchard, the Dyberry Weaver, kneels on his hand-woven rugs in his open studio in Narrowsburg. (Click for larger image)

NARROWSBURG, NY — Charles Blanchard has brought his unique fabric trade to Narrowsburg, a place where he knows a critical mass of artists is ready to emerge. The unique hamlet on the Delaware was a natural destination for his weaving studio and hand-woven rugs that are designed for durability and meant to please the eye.

Blanchard weaves variations of the ancient diamond twill pattern on his Harrisville loom. “Everything in here is woven on the same four-harness loom set-up,” he said.

The vast majority of his rugs are made entirely of wool or silk, though he also weaves an acrylic rug. Each takes roughly 120 hours to complete, and he ties the finished ends with linen tassels that lend to a decorative appearance. Each is thick and soft and delivers a scintillating electric charge to bare feet.

“I try to work with horizontal and vertical symmetry, which young kids always notice when they look at my rugs,” Blanchard said. Each may be called a work of art; more particularly, the artist creates different visual patterns that guide the human eye over the rug’s surface. Blanchard does not see the entirety of the pattern until he takes the finished rug off of the loom and rolls it out, at which point he always says, “Hi.”

For many of his rugs, Blanchard dyes, cards and spins the wool. In short, his work is comprehensive, with the exception of raising his own sheep, which he declines only because it would take away from his time to weave.

He began to experiment with tie-dying methods and acid-dying chemistry during his graduate work when he studied nonverbal modes of communication. Never having studied weaving formally, he has come to know the nuances of weaving primarily through experimentation.

Blanchard bought his first loom in 1970 and began by weaving traditional Navajo saddle blankets. He moved to Dyberry Township, PA in 1977, an area where, coincidentally, spinning mills were common during the Industrial Revolution since ample water flow provided plenty of energy sources, said Blanchard.

Through talking with many weavers in various guilds and organizations, he has developed a compulsive affinity for perfect, unblemished fabric.

	TRR photo by Charlie Buterbaugh Charles Blanchard treadles on his Harrisville rug loom. (Click for larger image)

His signature weave incorporates four to five warp ends and 40 to 120 weft ends per inch, which means that only the weft, or horizontal threads, can be seen in the final product, which will undoubtedly impress rug and weaving enthusiasts to no end.

Before the Industrial Revolution, Blanchard explained that fabric was more precious than it is today. He considers himself fortunate that he has time to treadle at his loom. “Not long ago when things were made by hand, it was not a joy to weave. I often think about early laborers and how fortunate I am to enjoy this process. I love weaving, and it just turns out that I produce many rugs,” he said.

“I believe that if Narrowsburg succeeds, then I will succeed. I hope that I can add to the scene, which is incredibly pleasing and nourishing,” he said.

Blanchard plans to introduce a line of Dyberry tweed jackets and other goods in the near future.