Something resonated with Vickie Pedersen when she encountered the craft of wheat weaving in the mid-1980s.
Part of it was the appeal of working with something that had been a part of her life since childhood. Part of it was having a craft where the material could be harvested from the fields of her family’s farm near Elm Creek, Man.
“I grew up on a farm, I married a farmer and wheat has been a big part of my life all along,” said Pedersen, during a presentation at Manitoba Ag Days last week in Brandon.
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“The best was that it was creating something out of something plain, simple and natural.”
Because of her interest in the craft and her dedication to teaching it to others, she eventually became recognized as the grandmother of wheat weaving.
During the past 20 years, she developed wheat weaving into a fulfilling enterprise by treating it not only as a craft but as an elaborate art.
“I was always very particular about my designs and the quality of my workmanship from start to finish. I gave my customers a unique item that represented the Prairies and agriculture at a very reasonable price.”
In a pamphlet describing her wheat weaving enterprise, Harvest Blessings, Pedersen noted that the craft originated in Egypt centuries ago. Primitive farmers attributed the growth of their crops to a harvest spirit known as the goddess of the corn that they believed lived in the grain.
The ancient farmers believed the spirit retreated as the harvest progressed until it resided in the last bit of grain standing, according to Pedersen’s pamphlet.
The farmers wove that last bundle of grain stems into corn dollies and hung them in their homes in hopes of a bountiful crop the following year. The corn dollies were symbolic of fertility and good luck.
Pedersen taught herself the art of wheat weaving by finding books on the subject and learning through trial and error. By 1987, public interest in buying her works prompted her to start attending craft shows.
“The response and demand was overwhelming,” she recalled last week in Brandon. “I couldn’t believe it.
“I was enjoying doing what I was doing and I was actually getting paid for it.”
But she distinguished herself through more than her skills as an artist. She also embraced innovative ideas for promoting her works.
In 1990, she and four other people formed a co-operative at Carman, Man., and opened an art gallery where they could showcase and sell their pieces. Pedersen also made a point of attending several craft shows each fall.
In the early to mid-1990s, she decided to have some of her fancier weavings professionally framed.
“It just changed the whole image of wheat weaving. Before they were just wall hangings. Now they were art.”
Unique art
By 2002, Pedersen realized she was creating one-of-a-kind pieces of art. When they were sold, they were gone from her life.
She enlisted the talents of her daughter to photograph each piece of wheat weaving and to then have the photos printed on greeting cards. Pedersen marketed the cards to agricultural businesses wanting something unique to mail to their customers.
Over the years, she also attended many exhibitions and competitions to establish her credibility as an artist. Her works were selected to travel in a number of significant juried art shows in Manitoba. She has won first place ribbons from both the Canadian Western Agribition in Regina and from the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon.
Several of her pieces have been presented to foreign dignitaries, including royalty, from a number of countries around the world. Several agricultural companies and organizations have commissioned her to create pieces for them.
Pedersen said wheat weaving has given her satisfaction in many ways, including the enjoyment of meeting people and a sense that she has accomplished something with her life. It also provided a degree of financial independence.
Her goal for coming years is to slow down a bit and enjoy other aspects of her life more. However, she plans to continue her business by doing commissioned pieces.
“The wheat weaving business has had many benefits for me and I encourage anyone who has the talent to pursue it. Who knows where it could take you?”
