Monday, May 19, 2008

Woolly Time

On our way to visit my aunt's ranch in Idaho, my mom and I stayed overnight in Pendleton Oregon, home of the Pendleton Round Up, a rodeo my uncle participated in when he was a young buck.

Cowboy Clothing

The next morning was spent touring the Pendleton Woolen Mill.

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Mil

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Jiggly pictures all, but it was a whirling jiggly place...loud too!

They have a fabulous Seconds Shop where you can get the famous wool blankets at an amazing discount. I couldn't believe my luck in finding a Three Corn Maidens saddle blanket.

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Here's what they say about it:

The Three Corn Maidens design tells the story of the Pueblo people's belief that just as the sun gives life to the corn, the Corn Maidens bring the power of life to the people. The blanket was designed by Isleta Pueblo artist Mary Beth Jiron as a celebration of her acceptance into the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Jiron attributes the concept to visions she had and the desire to tell a story from her own culture in which corn is the staff of life and often the center of ceremony. Three Corn Maidens is the second design in the American Indian College Fund's series of student-designed blankets. The Three Corn Maidens design won first place in the student blanket contest.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a fantastic journey! That would be a great tour to take along kids. It's interesting to see how each city has it's own industries and culture. Thanks for sharing this!

mary jane said...

It is a great quick tour. They process all the wool at the mill from fleeces stored in the attic!

Berlinswhimsy said...

Oh, I'm jealous---here I am, an Oregon native and I have yet to claim a wool Pendleton blanket. I still look for one in all the thriftstores and yard sales...