SHELBURNE FALLS — Get a glimpse of life before industrialization at the annual Working Weavers Studio Trail.

On Saturday, Oct. 19, and Sunday, Oct. 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., weavers in Franklin and Hampshire counties will open their studios for all those who are interested in seeing how cloth can still be made at home.

The Working Weavers Studio Trail has be running annually since 2017, inspired by various pottery tours offered throughout the region, according to organizer Emily Gwynn. It gives people an opportunity to think about the cloth they wear and use on a daily basis, where it came from and how it was made.

“Textiles are so commonplace that many have never stopped to ask how they were made. They cover our bodies and yet we are distanced from their production,” Gwynn said in a statement. “During the tour we hope that visitors will stop and really look at the textiles already in their lives and gain an appreciation for the labor, knowledge and artistry that goes into continuing to make cloth by hand.”

Participating weavers include production weavers, who create products en mass to sell, as well as teaching artists, authors and pattern makers, such as Lisa Hill and Veronique Perrot.

Hill, who has been participating in the studio tour for a few years now, said weaving is often a solitary craft. Weaving is a very repetitive and time-consuming task and weavers frequently “get into a flow” while alone in their studios for hours. The Working Weavers Studio Trail is a good way to get weavers out of their “solitary loom lair” and connected with other weavers and non-weavers alike.

Though Hill has been participating for a few years now, this is the first time her friend and creative partner Perrot has joined. The pair met at a weaving class before the pandemic and have been working together virtually since then, as Perrot lives in Georgia.

While both are authors and pattern makers, they have different approaches to weaving.

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Hill is frequently inspired by texture and is working on patterns that highlight the structure of weaves themselves. She plans every project, every thread and stitch ahead of time. With a background in science, Perrot treats weaving more like an experiment. She loves working with color and figuring out how colors can work together, and while she has loose ideas for what she wants her final products to look like, she tends to make decisions while weaving and chooses what color goes where on the spot.

Hill and Perrot agree that weaving helps them connect with history. Hill said traces of looms, woven cloths and patterns have been found around the world, dating back to various time periods.

“It doesn’t matter what county or era it’s from, we can read it,” Hill said of weaving patterns. “Across time and geography, it’s a language we can speak.”

The weavers participating in the tour practice a trade that has been industrialized and largely forgotten about in the modern world, and they are happy to welcome visitors to share how they keep the tradition alive with a few modern advancements, such as pre-spun thread and yarn.

Perrot said making clothing was once a chore that was part of the household. People would grow plants such as cotton and flax, harvest and spin the fibers into thread, weave a cloth and then sew a garment.

“I’m so glad I don’t have to spin my own thread,” Perrot said.

While modern weavers do not have to produce their own thread, weaving is still a time-consuming process. Hill said setting up the loom can take two to three hours alone, and then weaving a small kitchen towel could take a full day or longer, depending on the complexity of the design.

During the tour, Hill, Perrot, Gwynn and other weavers will showcase their looms, how they set them up and various weaving techniques, as well as answer any questions attendees have about the world of weaving.

Participating weavers are:

■Emily Gwynn and guest weaver Katie Strano, 124 North St., Shelburne Falls.

■Sue McFarland and guest weaver Lisa Bertoldi, 49 Conway St., Shelburne Falls.

■Lisa Hill and guest weaver Veronique Perrot, 156 Elmer Road, Conway.

■Scott Norris, 20 Wilder Place, Florence.

■Chris Hammel, 221 Pine St., Studio 315, Florence.

■Kate Jenkins and guest Trish Colson-Montgomery, 221 Pine St., Studio 115, Florence.

The event is free but donations are encouraged. Additionally, the Working Weavers Studio Trail will be offering a trail pass, which can be picked up at any studio. Each pass is stamped by each weaver along the route and turned in at the last studio, at which time participants will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win an item from a selection of handwoven goods or a $100 gift certificate that can be redeemed with any of this year’s weavers.

For more information, visit workingweavers.com.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.