A cloth menagerie: Saint Vincent coverlet exhibit to spotlight bird patterns

Sep. 5—A new fall exhibit at Saint Vincent College's Foster and Muriel McCarl Coverlet Gallery will take wing on Sept. 12.

The public is invited to a free opening reception for "Flights of Fancy: A Menagerie of Handwoven Birds" from 4 to 6 p.m. that day on the ground floor of the Fred M. Rogers Center in Unity.

Running through Dec. 20, the exhibit features 28 antique coverlets with designs that incorporate images of birds — ranging from pheasants and turkeys to exotic birds-of-paradise. The textiles are paired with field guide prints of birds that may have inspired the woven designs.

These "figured and fancy" coverlets were woven on a jacquard machine. The machine manipulates threads one by one, using punch cards to program intricate patterns.

The gallery had its start with a collection of more than 300 antique American coverlets gifted to the college by the McCarls, of Beaver Falls. Most of the coverlets date from 1820-1860.

Also housed in the gallery is a collection of more than 100 pieces of textile and weaving equipment including looms and spinning wheels. The equipment was transferred to the Unity site when the American Textile History Museum in Lowell, Mass., closed in 2017.

The nonprofit gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and by appointment. Guided tours are available. Parking and admission are free.

For more information, visit coverletgallery.org or call 724-805-2188.

Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at [email protected].