Macintosh Weaving
It’s a little too early in the season for produce, but there were many Crafters and Artisans displaying beautiful hand-made wares.
Judy MacIntosh had a table displaying some of her lovely hand woven creations and I wanted to know more about her craft.
She graciously gave me a tour of her little shop the next day.
Judy has been knitting and sewing as far back as she can remember. Crafts have always been a part of her life. Her Grandmother MacIntosh’s old loom was up in the attic, all in pieces. It called out to her for years but there was no one to who knew how to put the loom together, much less teach her how to weave!
During her career with the RCMP she was posted in Springdale, Newfoundland during the 1990’s. There, she learned, was a chapter of the Women’s Institute and all of the members were weavers. She joined the WI and thus made friends with a wonderful group of ladies and learned the art of weaving.
Judy has since retired from the RCMP, and last July she moved back to her old family home on the Tobique Head Pond.
She set up a loom and sewing shop in her father Graeme’s old workshop and garage.
It’s a beautiful loom shop, set up with two looms and a sewing station.
Judy also does alterations and custom sewing. It’s been years since I’ve done any sewing outside of patching up ripped jeans, but I could recognize a Rolls Royce of a sewing machine when I saw one! She has a fantastic quilter’s machine that can stitch through many thicknesses of fabric and even leather.
Judy uses all natural yarns and fibers in her weaving. The dish cloths and towels are woven with multicolored cotton threads.
For blankets, throws and afghans she uses our own New Brunswick all wool Briggs & Little Yarns.
Briggs & Little has been in yarn production in the same location in York Mills, NB since 1857. They use domestic wool to produce their fine yarns.
Like us, Judy is a strong proponent of Shopping Local to support our merchants, businesses and the over-all economic health of our village. She grew up here and informed me that up until the 1960’s Perth was actually larger than Grand Falls.
Since I moved here in 1996 I’ve heard various tales about the decline of the business community in Perth, and much of it seems to hinge on the fact that various factions in Perth prevented McCain’s Foods from building a factory here. …I’ve actually heard the blame directed at several different parties. And so we passed up the chance to have a major production company in the village and 50 years later many folks are still carping about it!
However this all shook out, living in our small rural communities should be about the quality of our lives, not the quantity of stuff we collect and amass. The happiest and most successful of small, local economies are those that support each other from within.
Judy commented about how frustrating it is to have to actually leave town to purchase something as simple as sewing notions, and how nice it would be to have a department store in Perth.
We couldn’t agree with her more!
Judy’s lovely woven stuff makes wonderful, unique and thoughtful gifts for any occasion. Actually, if you give someone a dishtowel and dishcloth set from Big Box Mart they aren’t likely to be too impressed. But a hand woven, hand crafted towel is a whole different story! It’s useful, locally crafted, and pretty!
Call Judy at 273-2369 or email her at weaveapples@gmail.com to inquire about custom sewing, alterations or weaving.
