Intertwining autobiography with historical and contemporary documentation, this volume reflects Eveline MacLeod’s extensive and varied experiences with textiles in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. A retired teacher, long-time weaver, and active member of many community groups, MacLeod has been well-positioned to research and record the topic. Co-author and sociologist Dr. Daniel W. MacInnes also contributes a wealth of knowledge to the book; with his assistance, MacLeod’s ambition to document women’s work and the art of weaving in Cape Breton has come to fruition in Celtic Threads: A Journey in Cape Breton Crafts.
Overall, this is a beautifully and thoroughly illustrated volume, although maps would be a welcome addition in the early chapters. Careful drawings by Barrie Fraser provide imagery for chapter 1 (which primarily addresses a time prior to the prevalence of photography), and help to create a cohesive visual narrative throughout the book. Later chapters are then peppered with photos and diagrams to illustrate the text. While the organization of the book at times leaves something to be desired, it is written in a very approachable style and will likely be of interest to those both within and beyond academia. Readers may find that the frequent jumps in time period and location (as well as from one craft form or medium to another) can be disconcerting; however, the many sub-headers within the chapters will be of great use to those who desire to locate specific topics within the text.
Following Eveline MacLeod’s introduction to her research and varied engagements with weaving, chapter 1 provides a summary of the early history of Gael migration to Nova Scotia. This introductory chapter provides useful context for readers unfamiliar with the history of Cape Breton; it addresses immigrants’ reasons for leaving the Scottish Highlands and the challenges of establishing new settlements in Canada. The overview of pioneer life focuses on the many tasks necessary for survival; as Macleod and MacInnes say, “In a subsistence lifestyle, families produced just about everything they consumed” (20). This is followed by an overview of the shift to industrial society, which is further addressed later in the book. Chapter 2 then delves further into specifics of the history and distribution of coverlet overshot weaving as it is linked to cultural diffusion from Europe to North America. The second chapter also includes a discussion of the Harris Tweed industry as well as common coverlet patterns.
While the many discussions of weaving techniques will be more accessible to those possessing a prior familiarity with the art of weaving, chapter 3 does provide a useful overview of the general terminology related to the process. Tools and methods for the preparation of the wool, spinning, dyeing, and then weaving, plus necessary finishing tasks completed after the weaving, are all addressed in this chapter, taking the reader “from sheep to shawl, as some say” (77). The third chapter is also interspersed with mentions of superstitions and ritual practices related to weaving; while these are not discussed at length, they do add depth to the depiction of the weaver’s life. Moving from process to product, then, chapter 4 delineates various items that were created for use in the home and to wear on the body; this primarily includes woven objects, but quilts and needlework are also discussed. Chapter 4 also addresses the establishment of woolen mills and provides biographies of those who lived and worked in the mills. The latter part of the chapter is primarily devoted to a lengthy discussion of tartan, from the Highlands to the Scottish diaspora and beyond, and includes some of MacLeod’s personal experiences designing official tartans.
Chapter 5, titled “Quilts and Social Change,” introduces the reader to many figures and institutions instrumental in developing textile industries in Cape Breton. This includes Mabel Bell—wife of Alexander Graham Bell—who helped to develop the lace industry and rug-hooking industry, and Rev. A.W. R. MacKenzie’s role in the establishment of the Gaelic College. The college was a strong influence in the development of a market for home-produced crafts and the tweed industry, and it also provided courses in various methods of production. Others who were influential in preserving or maintaining the craft of weaving in Cape Breton also feature prominently in this chapter, as does the link between music, dance, and the use of weaving in making costumes for performance. A summary of the establishment of the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design is also provided toward the end of the chapter.
Cape Breton’s change to an industrial society is further addressed in chapter 6, along with the eventual shift of many crafts to the status of leisure activity or hobby. This chapter includes introductions to various groups dedicated to the pursuit of crafts, including rug-hooking groups, quilting groups, weaving/spinning/dyeing groups, and the Highland Village living museum. Finally, chapter 7 offers a substantial collection of additional weavers’ biographies—historical and contemporary—with notes on each of their contributions to the tradition. Also included are notes on woven objects in contemporary individuals’ collections, as well as some well-known quilters and collectors of quilts. As the authors note in the afterword, the inclusion of these individual perspectives is an important contribution to the documentation of material culture: “The struggle we face with the mere artifacts in our possession is in the all-too-frequent lack of recognition of the human agency involved – the context of creation.... [T]he artifacts by themselves, ultimately, are materials stripped of their original meanings invested by the makers and users” (165). Certainly, this book offers a substantial collection of resources for those who would study the textiles of Cape Breton and related areas. Thanks to the dedication of MacLeod and MacInnes, many of the meanings and personal associations with these objects will be preserved for posterity in their book.
--------
[Review length: 956 words • Review posted on April 1, 2015]