Weaving on a loom was one of the daily chores of the Madawaska pioneers in the first part of the 19th century and of their descendants in the hundred years that followed. Only in the last half-century has what was formerly a common household task became perceived as a craft; looms are now found in only a very few homes.

The making of woven pieces on the loom still has the same requirements today as then, and it is still women, who excel at this craft. These woven pieces were flax fabrics, textile cloth and rugs or blankets made from rags (known as “catalognes”). All weaving requires placing a filling thread (the weft) at right angles to parallel foundation threads (called warp) which are strung the length of the loom. The basic operation is to string the warp thread first and then weave the weft thread over and under (with a shuttle) across the loom. The resulting fabric is used to make shirts, sheets, tablecloths and towels.

A French-Canadian blanket called a “catalogne”, an article produced on a loom, was made with strips of old clothes. These catalognes are still made in Madawaska and can be admired in craft fairs. It is a kind of weaving made of cotton and strips of rags. It was used as a rug to decorate the floor or as a blanket for warmth. To understand the importance of the loom for Madawaska inhabitants, especially between 1785 and 1850 or so, it is necessary to know that these courageous pioneers made almost everything by hand, being too poor or having too far to go to buy clothes and other woolen goods.