Jessica Brousseau with twill alpaca scarf
How can I not be a happy teacher when I see the smiling faces of my students who seem oblivious to all the technical challenges of weaving, embrace the entire process and plod along, sometimes not so stoically. The challenges that do come up, though at first are discouraging and disheartening, are buoyed by the great moral support we get from others, enabling each of us to rise to the new weaving challenge they have taken on. This week so much has been going on in the weaving classes that my head is spinning - many projects finished, cut off the loom, and started as we wind down for this session of classes and restart in mid - January 2014.
Knitters Loom shawl made with assorted yarns by Jane Richmond
Experienced and less experienced weavers at the Toronto Weaving School classes have been sharing their insights and are the basis of our three little (weaving) lessons that may well apply to life as well.
tapestry woven rug from Bulgaria, brought to the class by Lana Grigorovitch.
The first maxim is from Marion Kirkwood - who has been weaving for 20 years- proclaimed that she still always make mistakes in weaving projects - which only tells us that making mistakes is part of the weaving process - no matter how experienced. We've been observing Judite Vagners, a weaver well respected and regarded by all the students in the class, spend a few classes correcting the threading on her current project. Expect that you will be making mistakes. In another discussion with another student, we concluded that one should never point out the mistakes we've made in our weaving to others. Most of the time, only you see the flaw(s). Although it's good to be aware of the mistakes you've made, it's best to accept that we are not meant to make anything perfectly, and this keeps us humble, and grateful when things do go well!
Twill diamond scarf by Jane Richmond....this scarf was intended to be a runner but Jane decided today, it made a better scarf!
The second is a statement made by Karen Bota who said: "Weaving is not something you learn overnight!" Good observation! All one can do is build on one's weaving knowledge and experience....and keep practicing!
Herringbone alpaca mohair scarf , felted after woven by Jane Richmond.
And the final lesson, as I observe the students reaction's to their projects, that often, things don't work out exactly the way you thought they would, planned for them to be or the way one envisioned it in the mind's eye. Sometimes it's better than one thought, sometimes not. At these times it's best to focus and remember the joy of making and of weaving, and not raise that self critical bar too high!
A Christmas Runner for the dining room table by Andrea Kristoff in a huck pattern.
Carla Duncan is wearing her own painted warp twill block scarf and she helped in taking off the group tapestry for the Fate, Destiny and Self Determination project. Below, Carla has just finished this beautiful black and gray 18/2 merino shawl, the pattern taken from Marguerite Davidson's book, The Handweavers Pattern Book.
Two inspiring weaving stories that were in the news:
[] How weaving is transforming people's lives: http://www.artsatl.com/2013/11/weaving-story-rebirth-re-use-reloom/
[] Old and new join to battle child killer: High-tech and ancient craft blend in Indian project aided by Canadian money by Jennifer Yang (Toronto Star, Thursday Nov 21 2013 - http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/11/21/indian_company_canadian_money_team_up_to_develop_unique_virus_detection_plan.html.
Wearable Technology Course II , OCADU
Erin Lewis, https://continuingstudies.ocad.ca/class_details.jsp?offeringId=355&show_past=false
This weekend check out Burr House in Richmond Hill. They are having their Pottery Sale that runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday. At the same time at the gallery next door, a collaboration between the potters and weavers where they collaborated and created work together.This exhibition will continue until December 22 2013. http://burrhousew.blogspot.ca/
Looking for something 'weaving' related to do over the holidays or maybe you'll be in the Ottawa area over the holidays? Bambi Rutledge sends this along - the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum. http://mvtm.ca/mvtm/. She also sent this wooly link along: http://www.wool.ca/
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