Our Story: Continuing Local Weaving Traditions

Have you ever examined a blanket passed down through generations and wondered about the name of a particular pattern? The next installment of our "Our Story" series will focus on local Appalachian weaving traditions! Frances Fox Shambaugh and her granddaughter, Jess Cox, will share their expertise and insights into local weaving patterns from the Gatlinburg area. They will demonstrate various weaving techniques and illustrate how they incorporate personal touches into their beautiful work on Tuesday, May 6, at 6 p.m.

This year, Frances and Jess Cox were accepted into the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program and Frances will be teaching Jess the art of traditional overshot weaving. Frances is a 5th generation weaver and began learning her family's tradition in 1980 after receiving her grandmother's loom. This led her to teach a weaving program at Arrowmont in 1983. Frances stated in the Tennessee Arts Commission Folklife, "This traditional art form was…