[3][4] They settled in Telluride, Colorado and until Maxwell's death in 1919 the couple lived a peripatetic life,[4] residing in several western states, Bolivia and Mexico.

When living in Basin, Montana, she began weaving as an artistic outlet and to provide business opportunities for the women in her community.

[6] and the , and In 1918 Atwater was teaching weaving as occupational therapy to returning World War I veterans in San Francisco, California.

These interested individuals saw a need to collect the woven pieces and knowledge still around before the coverlets were permanently destroyed and the information lost.

Founding weaving schools and donating collections to museums, these individuals including Mary Meigs Atwater, left a legacy to today's weavers, historians and collectors.

[11] In an essay for the book Crafting Modernism, curator Elissa Auther discusses Atwater's contribution to the American handweavers movement.

[12] Atwater is credited with bringing Summer & Winter tied unit weave to a 20th century audience, including modern weavers.