CHERRY VALLEY-Rabbit Goody and Jenny Stewart, from Thistle Hill Weavers, were busy creating two military sashes out of Japanese gold and blue silk on Thursday. The sashes will be used by Academy Award winning actor Russell Crowe's character in the upcoming movie, "The Alamo."

That's nothing new for the workshop, which is locally run and owned by Goody. Thistle Hill Weavers has been the creative nest for the development and reproduction of historic textile fabrics. Goody has also made fabric used in the film industry for movies such as "Amisted," "The Scarlet Letter," "Life," "O' Brother Where Art Thou," "The Titanic" and "Road to Perdition."

Thistle Hill Weavers will open its doors on Saturday, Dec. 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., for area residents to observe the production of fabric in their studio.

"We got to a point where people were asking us what we do," said Goody. She has never opened her workshop to the public before, but would like to give people an explanation of how the fabric is made, she added.

Customers of this Cherry Valley workshop have been numerous museums and private homes, in and out of the area.

"A good friend was supplying vintage textiles to museums, and saw our mill and our capabilities, they got us in touch with the film industry. It became obvious that it was a place we needed to be," said Goody.

Thistle Hill Weavers is part of a small group of mills that still do custom work, she said.

"Nobody else in the world does what we do," said Goody. "The majority of the work we do is historic reproductions of interior furnishings such as bed hangings, drapes and carpets. Our goal is to produce a product that is affordable and looks like its historic precedent," said Goody.

Her favorite time period to work with is the American Colonial period, the years 1640-1750.

"The weavers then really knew what they were doing," she said. "To the world, textiles were then, what cars are to us today."

Thistle Hill Weavers use looms that date back to the 1930-1940's instead of high speed weaving machines used today, said Goody.

Since a lot of their work is to create historic replicas, Goody said using the old looms will allow them to get their fabric to look more like it did during the fabric's time period.

Visitors will be able to see the winding of a warp, which is one of the first steps to weaving fabric, said Goody. They will also get to see actual weaving take place on several looms.

"Things we produce are very interesting, " said Goody. Certain holiday items will be available for sale such as holiday table runners and a custom-made venetian carpet sectioned into rug-sized pieces, each backed with a felt pad to eliminate movement.

Also available for sale will be several wool blankets that had been made for and used in an HBO mystery series called "Deadwood."

Thistle Hill Weavers order threads from places such as Kreinik in Pennsylvania, and Jagger Brothers in Maine. The thread is received in spools which are arranged on a creel to achieve most of the design. The thread is then wound onto a beam with a warping mill and attached to a loom.

"The set up is all the work," said Jenny Stewart, who has been working at Thistle Hills Weavers for eight years. She said that once beams are placed on a loom, each thread passes through to a harness which lifts the thread up or down. A shuttle goes in between these threads, creating a woven design.

When the weaving is complete, Thistle Hill Weavers finishes the material by either steaming or washing, said Goody.

We run the shop like an old craft-trade shop, where Goody is the master craftswoman, Jenny Stewart is the journeyman and Lisa Montgomery is the apprentice, said Goody.

She has been weaving ever since she was 16-years-old, but Goody feels she is still learning.

"Some people pick up an instrument and can play, that is what weaving is to me," said Goody. She has no family background in weaving, but her degree in Anthropology from Bennington in Vermont played a role in her understanding of fabrics, she said.

"I ask the questions that an anthropologist asks, " said Goody.

Goody worked at the New York State Historical Association in Cooperstown and with Mystic Seaport in Seaport, Conn. While working in the museum field, Goody said she saw the need for supplying the museums with fabrics.

Thistle Hill Weavers is located on Baxter Road in Cherry Valley. For information, call (518) 284-2729 or visit www.thistlehillweavers.com.