814-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 24, 1993
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
MOUNT JOY (Lancaster Co.)
There is no generation gap
between Hazel Reist and her
13-year-old granddaughter Meryl
Reist.
Their two lives are intertwined
by their shared love for weaving.
The two work side by side at the
looms set up in a spare bedroom of
Hazel’s and her husband’s Century
Farm in Mount Joy.
“I like that my grandmother and
I can weave at the same time and
talk. If I have a problem. Grandma
can help me,” Meryl said.
Under her grandmother’s tutel
age, Meryl has become so adept at
weaving that she recently placed
first in textile competition at Kray
bill’s Mennonite School in Mount
Joy. This means that Meryl’s
weaving project will be entered in
competition with all Christian
schools in the Mid-Atlantic Christ
ian School Association, which
covers several states along the East
Coast.
The school will also benefit
financially from the weaving
talents of Hazel who has woven a
finely detailed coverlet for the
school’s annual benefit auction to
be held May 8.
The Whig Rose pattern coverlet
is woven in blueberry and natural
colors. The coverlet is reversible
and measures about
80x100-inches, for a full-sized
bed.
Hazel is also donating another
major work of art to the benefit
sale. It is a watercolor of the
Donegal Witness Tree, a historical
landmark in Mount Joy.
The Witness Tree achieved his
torical interest because it was the
location in 1777 where a courier
arrived at the Donegal Presbyte
rian Church to summon the militia
to help General George Washing
ton in his attempt to protect Phil
adelphia from the British. The con
gregation joined hands and
gathered around the white oak tree
in the church yard and pledged
their lives and allegiance to inde
pendence. The white oak became
known as the Witness Tree and an
annual celebration is held in
remembrance of the occasion.
It’s a scene that is now etched
only on canvas or captured on ear
lier photographs because the Wit
ness Tree needed to be taken down
because of decay in 1991. Hazel
had painted the scene that shows
the Witness Tree with the church
during the 19505.
Hazel honed her artistic talents
when as a teen-ager, she attended
art school in Philadelphia, where
she focused on technical design
with wallpaper and fabric, and
A watercolor of the Witness Tree, which Hazel painted,
will be auctioned on May 8.
received national recognition
when she won first-place for a
wallpaper design contest that she
entered in 1948. Hazel’s rural
background was reflected in the
design she created on the wallpap
er, which shows the new and old
methods of reaping wheat inter
twined with morning glories. The
wallpaper was silkscreen printed.
In addition to prize money, the
company gave Hazel rolls of the
wallpaper, which she used to paper
the dining room wall in the
farmhouse.
But, Hazel did not leant weaving
until 1983, when her daughter-in
law recommended that she take a
weaving class at Elizabethtown
College.
“The course was basic and
elementary enough to whet my
appetite,” Hazel said.
When the Reists heard of a loom
for sale, they purchased it
Hazel regretfully recalls that her
first reaction after seeing the loom
setting in her home, caused her to
say, “What am I going to do with
this monstrosity?”
That question was in response to
the overwhelming realization that
she had no idea how to dress the
loom and no directions to do so.
“Now I consider the loom a
piece of fine furniture,” Hazel said
as she lovingly ran her fingers over
the well-made wooden frame.
Fortunately, Hazel soon teamed
of a weaving class being offered by
Mannington’s in East Berlin.
There she learned to dress the loom
and the many other details needed
to produce fine coverlets.
Hazel’s weaving time is tucked
in between her daily chores, but it
is an art that always fascinated her
granddaughter Meryl. She spent
many hours watching her grand
mother “dress the loom,” with
1,008 threads, divided into 21 sec
tions with 48 threads per section.
When Hazel offered to teach
Meryl loom weaving, Meryl
proved a conscientious student. By
following a chart that details the
pattern that is made by pushing the
four harnesses controlled by foot
pedals and by throwing alternate
shuttles through the separated
threads, Meryl produced a plain
weave pattern pillow cover last
year. This year, Meryl wove a
beautifully designed pillow cover
in a Queen Ann’s lace pattern. Col
or in the weft helps give a pattern.
Wool thread is used for the
coverlets, and cotton acrylic for
pillow tops and placemats. All
Grandmother’s, Granddaughter’s
Love For Weaving Benefits School
.. ancl Relst weave on the looms while Meryl's sister Dana, center,
watches.
pieces are washable.
It takes a lot of time to set of the
loom, but it is worth it both Hazel
and Meryl said.
Hazel’s husband, Henry, helps
wind the warp on the warp beam,
and he purchased another loom in
1986 on which he intends to
weave.
“As if that will ever happen!”
Hazel said, skeptic that her hus
band will ever slow down enough
from his seed business to weave.
In the interim, Hazel is thrilled
that her granddaughter finds weav
ing fascinating.
Hazel has woven coverlets for
each of her sons, with names, birth
dates, and wedding dates woven
into the fabric. She also made mini
ature coverlets for the grandchil
dren and many placemats for gifts.
She would like to weave a coverlet
for each of her 11 grandchildren,
but isn’t sure if she will find the
time to do so.
“It’s frustrating to want to weave
when everyday duties need to be
done,” Hazel said.
But Hazel loves the thrill of fin
ishing a coverlet “I like to create
something special, unique, hand
woven. Coverlets have both beauty
and utilitarian qualities.”
Hazel is a long-time member of
Farm Women Society 4. She and
her husband spent Easter 1992 in
Moscow when they paid a return
visit to Moldavians who had loured
their business and farm during a
Friendship Force visit several
years ago.
Henry and Hazel live on their
1828 Century Farm. The original
house is no longer there, but the
Reists’ home was built in 1833.
The Reists raise steers and sheep
and rent crop-land to a neighboring
farmer. Henry and his son, Dave,
operate Reist Seed Company,
which was established in 1925 in
Mount Joy.
The Reists have four sons. Dave
(Meryl’s father), his wife Pam, and
four daughters built a two-story
house on the famt, which enables
Benefit Auction To Be Held May 7, 8
In addition to the coverlet, the quilt and art preview will also be Strawberry pic, chicken bar
16th annual Benefit Auction at held during those hours. becue, home-baked goods, home
the school will also feature a large On Saturday, May 8 from 7 ma de icc cream, and other food
variety of quilts, art, and a.m. to 9 a.m., egg omelets, home will be available all day long,
collectibles. fries, pancakes and sausage will por more information, contact
A pig roast will kick off the be served. Kraybill Mennonitc School at
two-day auction beginning Fn- Thcauctionwillbcginat9a.m. (717) 653-5236 598 Kraybill
day. May 7at 5:00 p.m. to 8 p.m. with 21 quilts to be sold begin- church Rd, Mount Joy (717)
A craft and plant sale, plus the ning at 1:30 p.m. 653-5236
This pillow top that Meryl made for competition at her
school placed first and will advance to competition among
schools in other states.
Meryl to run over to her grand
mother’s home to work on the
loom. Meryl’s talents are not lim
ited to weaving because she also
jgu >epau .that will be sold
at the 16th annual benefit auction of Kraybill Mennonlte
School.
placed first in piano and flute play
ing and will advance to regional
competition.