Published: October 02, 2008 04:14 pm         

Firm makes Emmy Award winning fabrics

By MICHELLE MILLER Staff Writer

CHERRY VALLEY — Employees at Thistle Hill Weavers in Cherry Valley may say they are Emmy Award winners, haven woven many of the fabrics for HBO’s epic miniseries `John Adams.’

The miniseries recently won 13 Emmys, a record for a single series. One of the honors was for best costume design for a miniseries, movie or special.

Thistle Hill has been making fabrics for the movies for over 15 years, but this year was first time a project has garnered such recognition.

Thistle Hill fabrics were used to create suits for characters John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Quincy Adams, and Samuel Adams. Fabrics were used for the clothing for the character of Thomas Jefferson, dresses and shawls for the character of Abigail Adams and her daughter and accessories for many extras.

The small, custom textile mill also wove blankets and upholstery for the sets.

```John Adams’ was a perfect project for us,’’ said owner Rabbit Goody. ``It was set just before, during, and after the Revolutionary War, and that’s a time we know really well. We did a lot of research to create historically accurate fabrics, and it paid off.’’

Assistant costume designer Michael Sharpe wrote a letter to congratulate Thistle Hill staff after the ceremony. It read, ``Your fabrics were incredible! When I finally saw the piece as a whole, I so appreciated the unique quality of these fabrics’ weaves, textures and colorations— and how they defined the clothes.’’

Goody said working with the movie industry is a pleasure and joy, but at the same time ``one of the biggest pains in the neck in the world,’’ because fabrics have to be made to perfection within a very tight deadline. She said the work could not be done without a very dedicated staff that is willing to pull together and work as a team.

``It doesn’t happen unless you have a team effort,’’ Goody said.

Goody said her involvement with the movie industry has really turned her onto movies— saying she watches one almost every night now.

``It’s also neat to see my work on the big screen,’’ added Goody.

According to office manager Jill Maney, the mill’s staff worked intensely for eight months on fabrics for the `John Adams’ miniseries. She said the costume designers were able to visit the mill, and like most who venture to the farm country, were imppressed to find themselves out in the middle of nowhere.

Maney said Thistle Hill employs eight people, but is very successful because everyone works closely together. She said nobody has just one task; everyone pitches in with just about everything done at the mill.

Goody said she started weaving when she was about 16 years old. She said she was part of the `do-ityourself’ generation so she wanted to be able to build her own house, grow her own food and make her own clothes. By knowing what kind of lifestyle Goody wanted to live, she said she combined that interest and her skill of weaving to start her business.

Thistle Hill also does historic reproduction for museums and private homes. Goody said after working 10 years for the Farmers’ Museum, she began to see a need in historic reproduction.

Goody said the textile industry has almost vanished and she believes her mill is a success because there are not too many left like it.

Maney said be believes the business has `snowballed’ basically because of repeat business and a good reputation. She said the mill has also become a source of fabrics for many actors such as Tom Hanks and Russell Crowe.

On Dec. 12 from 4 to 7 p.m. Thistle Hill will host a special Emmy celebration party. The event is free and open to the public. The firm will have an open house Dec. 6 and 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Dec. 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call the mill at 518-284-2729.

Thistle Hill Weavers created wardrobe and set fabric for the upcoming films in production or preparing to be released `A Christmas Carol’ and `The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.’

Recent films Thistle Hill Weavers has made wardrobe and set fabric for include: `Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,’ `No Country for Old Men,’ `There will be Blood,’ `Beowulf,’ `Leatherheads,’ `The Prestige,’ `Transformers,’ `Polar Express,’ `Christmas with the Kranks,’ `Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe,’ Cinderella Man,’ Master and Commander,’ and `Road to Perdition.’