Cherry Valley, NY:  Rabbit Goody and Thistle Hill Weavers are delighted to announce that a special Symposium on Traditional Woven Coverlets will take place May 1-3, 2015, at Hyde Hall in Springfield, NY. Anyone with an interest in coverlets is encouraged to attend. Participants are especially encouraged to bring their own coverlets and images to share and discuss.

“This is a unique opportunity to explore an exciting and important range of woven coverlets not typically available for examination” says organizer Rabbit Goody. “We benefit from shared discussion, and it is always exciting to see what participants bring to share.” The Symposium brings together historians, collectors, curators, and enthusiasts for a lively exchange of ideas and information. Goody will also bring a selection of coverlets from her own extraordinary collection to share with the group.

What about that lion border? Is this an unusual design or color combination? This Symposium is designed to contribute new understandings of the woven coverlet in America. Goody, a leading expert in the study and manufacture of 18th and 19th century textiles, will lead discussions on the definition of the genre, regional styles and influences, and what we might identify as common to all coverlets.

Participants will also have the opportunity to see the recently installed reproduction carpets at Hyde Hall, and tour this magnificent 50-plus room regency mansion located at the north end of Otsego Lake. One of the finest representations of romantic classicism in America, Hyde Hall is one of the “two or three greatest houses in America,” according to Brendan Gill, architecture critic for the New Yorker. Designed by Philip Hooker and built by George Clarke between 1817 and 1835, Hyde Hall is a National Historic Landmark, on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a New York State Historic Site. The stone mansion sits inside Glimmerglass State Park, a lake front park with 42 campsites, beach, showers, boating, and picnicking facilities on Otsego Lake (1 Mill Road, Springfield, NY 13333).

Rabbit Goody is owner of Thistle Hill Weavers in Cherry Valley, NY. For more than 20 years, Thistle Hill Weavers has been weaving luxurious custom fabrics, carpet, and trim for designers, home owners, museums, and the film industry. Goody specializes in creating accurate historic reproductions, working from surviving examples, documented patterns, and period weavers’ drafts.

The Symposium begins 10:00am Friday May 1 and concludes at 4:00pm Sunday May 3. Registration is $155 and includes lunch all three days and special tours of Hyde Hall. For registration information and questions, see our website (www.thistlehillweavers.com) or contact Rabbit Goody 101 Chestnut Ridge Road, Cherry Valley, NY 13320. Call 518-284-2729 or email rabbitgoodythw@gmail.com.