Hilary Crowell (left) and employee Becca Abuza attend The Cultivated Threads grand opening at its new location on South Old Sheepscot Road in Wiscasset on Oct. 4. (Photo courtesy Katie Kelley, The Cultivated Thread)
After more than five years of selling products online and at local shops, The Cultivated Thread in Wiscasset christened its new storefront with a grand opening on Oct. 4. The shop, at 227 S. Old Sheepscot Road, will be open for regular business hours starting in November.
The Cultivated Thread owner Hilary Crowell began her business by weaving and selling towels, rugs, and other products mostly online. After securing grant funding, Crowell has renovated the barn attached to her S. Old Sheepscot Road workshop into a storefront for customers to browse her handcrafted offerings.
In addition to a physical retail location, the renovated barn will serve as a classroom space for Crowell to host workshops. Crowell has previously taught classes on weaving at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, where she designed her own curriculum.
The Cultivated Thread owner Hilary Crowell demonstrates to visitors how to measure thread in the preparation process. Crowell, who has operated The Cultivated Thread, recently opened a storefront for the business on South Old Sheepscot Road in Wiscasset. (Photo courtesy Katie Kelley, The Cultivated Thread)
“The classes will take place right here in the shop,” Crowell said. “There will be some different formats, but all very accessible to folks who have no weaving experience.”
In addition to barn renovations, grant funds allowed Crowell to purchase four looms that will be used specifically for weaving classes.
The Cultivated Thread will offer weaving workshops of various lengths at which students will produce their own towel and learn about the various intricacies of weaving.
“There is a whole lot more to do if you want to produce a textile than just weave,” Crowell said. “Weaving is a very small fraction of the whole process.”
While Crowell’s classes are designed to teach people how to weave, she stressed that weaving involves more prep work than one would think.
“When I weave a towel, it takes me 15 to 20 minutes, which is a very short amount of time,” Crowell said. “To get ready to do the weaving, that’s at least a day of work.”
Students who sign up for a multiday course will learn how to prep and load a loom with thread, which can take beginners up to a day and a half, according to Crowell. For students looking to get a taste of weaving, Crowell will also offer two-hour workshops during which they will learn to weave on a loom prepared by her.
A collection of Cultivated Thread towels on display. Students in Hilary Crowell’s classes can expect to weave similar towels during workshops and courses she plans to offer at her new retail location. (Photo courtesy Katie Kelley, Cultivated Thread)
“It’s nice to have folks come and do a two hour session where they just weave, so they kind of know where they’re heading,” Crowell said. “If you’re feeling a little daunted by prepping, this is a good way to start.”
Students can expect to walk away from the workshops having produced a hand towel similar to the ones Crowell has for sale.
The Cultivated Thread’s storefront will be open for holiday shopping starting on Thursday, Nov. 6. The business will be open from 1-7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The Cultivated Thread will close for the winter on Saturday, Dec. 20 and reopen in the spring, when Crowell plans to start offering classes.
For more information, go to thecultivatedthread.com or find the business on Facebook and Instagram.
