Melissa Johnson '77 - The Putney School

Putney PostWinter 2008

Like so many people whodo interesting work,Melissa Johnson’s pathto teaching weaving asan academic discipline atThe Putney School wasn’texactly a straight line—nor was she a willingvolunteer. During a visitto the weaving studio loftin the Reynolds Building,jam-packed with loomsand other fiber arts tools,Melissa told us about thatjourney and the status ofweaving at Putney today:that Libby had done for theprogram would be lost andweaving at Putney would dieout. Of course I couldn’t letthat happen. I took the job.In the twelve years thatI have been teaching, theprogram has grown inmany ways. It is now offeredboth semesters and for the sixweeks of the summer program.We have received an amazingtheir yarns and work with veryfine threads in complex eightharnesspatterns, often of theirown design.We have a computerprogram that helps withthe design process.You can type in a threading,treadling and tie up and thensee what both sides of the fabricwould look like in any combinationof colors you choose.Cover Artist:MelissaJohnson ’77By Don CuerdonI took weaving as awinter evening activitywith Libby Mills when Iwas 14 and instantly fellin love with it. Weavinggave me a focus and identityand ultimately changed thecourse of my life. After 33years as a weaver, I still thinkit’s great fun and am discoveringnew and exciting techniquesto try on my own or with myfiber arts students.After Libby retired fromPutney, they were havingtrouble keeping a weavingteacher in place. [AssistantDirector] Hugh Silbaugh calledme up during the winter of’94–’95 when the teacher hadquit mid-year. I was doingcustom weaving and design forThe Green Mountain Spinneryin Putney and my daughterPhoebe (now a freshman here)was two years old.There was no way I feltI could take the job, so Iturned it down. A few dayslater, [Director] Sven Husebycalled me back and said that ifI didn’t accept the position allnumber of gifts from parents,alums and friends includingfour-and eight-harness looms,spinning wheels, sewingmachines, a serger, lots of yarnand fabric and a flock of prizewinningMerino, Romney andBorder Lester sheep.An increasing number ofstudents are starting withfleece right off the sheep,then dyeing it with dyeplants from our garden,spinning the yarn andweaving or knitting with it.Students have done exhibitionsand project weeks that combinescience, math, chemistry,music and poetry withweaving. Many hand dyeThe weaving room is abright, colorful, crowdedhaven where something isnearly always happening—whether it is mending jeanswith donated batik fabric,designing a fabulous silk couturecollection of dresses orweaving a blanket of woolyarns from Putney’s sheep.Come visit!4 Putney post