Almonte - Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

As I had to pick the girls up from school in Almonte, I went early and visited the Textile Museum.

It is located in the old administrative building and warehouse of the Rosamond Woolen Mill

The second floor of the warehouse houses the permanent exhibit, "Fabric of a small town" which traces the industrialization of knitting and weaving, wool material and the role of the textile industry in Almonte and Canada.

This is the permanent collection and has displays "from sheep to shawl"

Televisions scattered through the room provide commentary and show the machinery in operation.

A huge "carding" machine. The video made me realize how loud it would have been

Pictures on the wall depicted workers, many of them children and described the loud, oily, dangerous working conditions with wool fibres floating on the air causing lung conditions.

Example of machine woven wool.

The Ottawa valley was a good place to raise sheep and the rivers provided power for the mills. Wool for uniforms and clothing was produced here from the early 1800s until the mid 1900s and provided employment for a large percentage of Almonte's population.

The temporary exhibit space was being cleared out after Fibrefest but still had the 50 mile coat produced by an Etobicoke weaving group and

some magnificent woven pieces by William Hodge.

In another room, a quilt commemorating Canada's 125th.

Over 450 squares made by people from all over Canada

and their explanation

in an accompanying book.

The actual Rosamond Woolen Mill building has been converted into condominiums

next to the waterfall that powered the mill.

My own woolen piece from this week. Not quite finished, but destined for the Delhi Tobacco Museum, in November, when JJs will be hooking there.