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Mabel Verigin - Doukhobor Master Weaver

Mabel’s grandmother was a master weaver in the Doukhobor community, had many drafts in her memory and threaded many looms. Mabel had her formative years in a communal village and learned how to knit and sew by the age of six. Recognizing how talented her ancestors were, she was compelled not to let this part of her heritage be forgotten.  Her weaving monograph is a one-of-a-kind “treasure.”  An accomplished needle woman, quilter, master weaver, Mabel, a Cultural Interpretive Society member was always ready to share her rich Doukhobor cultural heritage skills with others.

 

Mabel stated, “The task of collecting the samples, compiling the history of them and assembling the work into a presentable monograph has not been easy.  Being able to speak the language and earn the trust of the contributors has helped in the work.  It has taken me a full five years of research and thought.  Many of the weavers I interviewed have died in the interim.”

 


Mabel made a significant contribution to the CIS, and thus to others who may be searching for their Doukhobor roots, when she entrusted the CIS with her Monograph, "The Forgotten Weaves" – a history of Doukhobor weaving in B.C. compiled for the Guild of Canadian Weavers in 1993. Through her vision, the legacy of many talented Doukhobor women, including hers, will continue into the future.

 

Using fabric from Mabel's stash, her neice Dianne made a quilt in Mabel's memory which she presented to the Cultural Interpretive Society in the summer of 2011. Mabel's legacy lives on.

 

 

 

 

 

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