The National Museum of the American Coverlet

You never know where your genealogy research will take you. Most of us Scotties of humble origin can safely say "we have weavers in our ancestry". Mine are not too far back either :) There are very few places in the USA that specialize in the history and art of weaving but this is one of them http://www.coverletmuseum.org/museum.htm
It has a very narrow, but fascinating, focus ... the coverlet... and if the photographs are any indication it should be an amazing place to visit. Thanks go to Laszlo and Melinda Zongor for creating this museum located in Bedford, Pennsylvania.

The coverlets date from the 1700's, 1800' onwards. Wouldn't it be fun to visit and find out if there are any Scotties in there?

So if you are researching your weaving heritage in Scotland where could you go either on-line or in person?
There's the Verdant Works in Dundee http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verdant_Works and www.verdantworks.com/
The World Heritage Village at New Lanark http://www.newlanark.org/
Weavers Cottage at Kilbarchan http://www.flickr.com/photos/re_teacher/18719212/
to name but a few.

Being a weaver was a hard life and one that should be given more respect (IMHO).
Linen weaving was a major industry in rural Scotland from the 1750's.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calton_weavers
http://www.dunning.uk.net/weave.html
If you have children doing genealogy/family history research (or not) here's a fun puzzle http://www.scottishradiance.com/puzzle/puzzle1203.htm

The International Wool Textile Organisation has an interesting potted history of wool and weaving at its web site http://www.iwto.org/WhyWool/WoolHistory.htm

I guess I would get a finger wag from some others for not mentioning tartan. I learned something new today ..... or it got lost in the fog that is known as my memory ........ Bannockburn, just a robust walk from where I grew up, was known as the Capital of Tartan Weaving !!!!!! (I definitely live under a rock)
http://www.bannockburn.co.uk/history/tartan-joesmith.html

Clackmannanshire was the heart of the textile industry during the 19th century. Water from the Ochils was used to power the looms. If you visit the Mill Trail Visitor Centre in Alva you'll find out about the story of the woolen, tartan and tweed industries. Nice to see the powerloom shed being used instead of abandoned.

A nice site to visit for a potted history of weaving in Scotland is http://www.Scottishtextileheritage.org.uk/onlineResources/articles/articlesTem2.asp?articleNo=39