Haywood Overshot Blanket 4 – Mary Ann Ostrander Pattern

Description

All profits from the sale of this blanket will be donated as emergency relief for victims of Hurricane Helene. The 10 overshot blankets in the WARP auction were woven by students in the Professional Crafts Fiber Program at Haywood Community College in Clyde, North Carolina. After the college was closed for 2.5 weeks due to the hurricane, students spent the remainder of the fall semester making handwoven blankets for those in need. 100% of the proceeds of the blanket sales benefiting two local relief organizations – BeLoved Asheville and the Craft Emergency Relief Fund.

Each weaver chose a historical overshot pattern to convert into a double weave for this project. The patterns are very recognizable as they are identified with the Appalachian tradition of handwoven coverlets and are constructed of washable wool. Each weaver gave careful consideration of pattern and material to ensure they are highly functional, beautiful, warm blankets.

This blanket was woven by Alina Ever, using a superwash treated Merino Lambswool donated by Jaggerspun Yarn. This youth/studio-sized blanket measures 31” x 70” and weighs 3 pounds. This design is from the “Mary Ann Ostrander Pattern”. About this blanket, Alina shares:

“I was so pleased when our teacher Amy Putansu suggested we do a project to benefit folks hard hit by the Hurricane. It was not easy to jump into school again after weeks of taking care of basic needs for our communities and selves. And for me personally, dealing with the grief and financial loss of losing my entire inventory in the River Arts District in Asheville, NC. The setup for these blankets was a challenge and stretch for me as a beginner student in floor loom weaving and dealing with mild collective/personal trauma post-Hurricane. But when I began to weave, the piece came together and it felt really good. And I’m really pleased with the result. I hope our blankets can raise a good deal of money for people who lost a great deal. There are still so many folks without housing and basic needs. Thank you for your support of survivors and of craft artists in this region.”