Five examples of weaving patterns, each of these pieces may have been commercially woven rather than hand-crafted on one of the homestead's antique looms:Piece A in burgundy and white with a weft surface diamond pattern is probably cotton; Piece B in blue and white is also probably cotton; Piece C is a red embroidered design on an eggshell colored fabric;Piece D is mainly cotton with a rayon supplementary weft in a tulip-like pattern; The largest sample (without any identifying letter) with its roughly cut edge, (not shown), is probably a piece torn or cut from a linen tablecloth. It is woven with a Damask pattern in red and white with a knotted fringe.It is presumed the samples were used for pattern ideas by members of the group known as The Buckland Weavers, probably during the mid 1940's through the early 1960's, when this group was quite active. The Buckland Weavers formed their group shortly after Miss Eleanor Clark (1902-1958) and her aunt, Hattie Bertha (Sanderson) Wilder (1867-1958), came to live together at the Wilder Homestead in Buckland, Mass. in the early 1940's. There were antique looms, spinning wheels, and yarn winders at the Wilder Homestead. Both Hattie, known to most everyone as Aunt Bertha, and Eleanor soon discovered a love and talent for pattern design and weaving on treadle looms. In 1944, Eleanor was appointed Postmaster of the Buckland Center Post Office, which was housed in a building she owned on Upper Street. The building had an apartment that Miss Clark converted into a two-room studio for teaching weaving. She gave lessons in setting up the loom and designing patterns for projects. Other weavers brought their looms and set them up to work together. The group became known as The Buckland Weavers. Eleanor also took on the task of teaching weaving to a group of 4-H girls known as the Buckland Busy Bees. There were seven or eight girls aged ten to sixteen who learned how to set up a loom, work a pattern, and weave a piece to proudly take home.
