GAIL WHITE Weaving past and present for future generations

Pulling into the winding driveway of the Mossy Rock Farm off Route 517 outside of Lisbon is like driving into a little Colonial Williamsburg.
The quarter-mile-long drive leads to a house adorned in early 20th-century decor, with a greenhouse jutting out from the back.
A large barn and workshop sit opposite the house. Down a hill behind the barn are three lakes where several families of geese have made their home.
Nestled throughout the yard are several buildings, all decorated in the same nostalgic motif. There is a basket house, gardening shed, a smokehouse and a two-seater outhouse complete with 1966 Montgomery Ward catalogs.
But it is in the Loom Room that the appeal of the estate comes to life with the century-old legacy of rag rug weaving.
Ralph and Linda Bertanzetti bought the Mossy Rock Farm in 1982. Initially, the couple thought it would be a weekend get-away retreat from their Austintown home. But the peace and tranquillity of Mossy Rock beckoned them daily. They made the farm their home in 1985.
It was the move to the country that spurred Linda's interest in artisanship.
After refurbishing their home, Ralph, a master woodworker, began building the Basket House.
"I started out weaving baskets," Linda says.
Hooked on rugs
Before the Basket House was finished, Linda discovered the art of rag rug weaving.
"I came home and told Ralph that I need a loom," Linda says with a smile.
That Christmas, Ralph bought Linda her first loom.
That spring, he built Linda a Loom Room.
Since then, Ralph has added on to the Loom Room two times.
"Looms multiply," Linda jokes, standing in the middle of the loom room that now holds 12 looms.
"Most people just have one or two looms," she says. "They're not loomy!"
The looms are more than a piece of equipment to Linda. Each one is a story to her.
"There is history to all of them," Linda shares. Behind several of the looms is a letter of authenticity dating back to the early 1900s. Hanging behind one of the oldest looms is a patent for its creation.
"This one was made right after World War II," Linda explains, pointing to an electric loom. "Someone who had lost the use of their legs could run it."
Finds them all over
Just as each loom is unique, its journey to Linda's Loom Room is just as unique.
She has tracked down looms in Minnesota, found them at auctions and been referred to looms by other weavers.
Once Linda procures a loom, Ralph is always on hand to repair or replace any broken part.
As Linda's passion for rag rug weaving grew, so did her desire to share this legacy with others.
Her looms are kept busy with students eager to learn this century-old art.
"It takes five or six hours to weave a rug," Linda explains.
Using old family clothes, curtains, bedsheets, blankets or tablecloths, each rug is a piece of art with a personality all its own.
"You can use anything to rag weave," Linda says. "You can't really do anything wrong. It's whatever you want."
Linda's collection of finished rugs now fills the Basket House. She shares the unique qualities of each one.
"This one is made out of old blue jeans," she explains, pointing to a rug of various shades of blue.
"This one is from fabric that Native Americans use to make blankets," she says, holding up a thick multicolored rug.
"It is so peaceful," Linda says of her hobby. "There is a rhythm."
Stepping outside, into the sunshine of this little Williamsburg, there is a peaceful rhythm to the setting.
While working to uphold the legacy of rag rug weaving, Ralph and Linda have created a legacy of their own at Mossy Rock Farm.
gwhite@vindy.com
XFor more information about rag rug weaving, call (330) 457-7551.