Weaving Fast?

This weaving session two 'beginner' students finished their sample in record time. On average it takes most people 8 classes to complete their sampler. Two people deserve special mention for being on a mission to complete the sampler and move on to learn much more. First, Cassandra, who is also studying at University, and comes during the day class. She completed hers in 6 classes. In this photo, Neil Brochu who completed his sample in 5 classes. He is drawn to linen and wants to learn as much as he can about it. He works for the city of Toronto, with historic textiles as they relate to the various historical houses in Toronto. He says we can go to his workplace as a field trip and he will show a part of the city's collection. We are looking to do that at the end of the spring weaving session, which would be somewhere around the beginning to mid June. That will be so awesome!
The Fall weaving classes end dates are the following. For Monday classes the last class will be December 5 and for Wednesday classes the last class will be November 30. For the winter session a study group will be formed and a course of preparation for weaving Ikat, Shibori, painted warp, and woven shibori. During the winter session, we will get 4 warps prepared using either tencel or bamboo. The dyeing itself will be a separate workshop the location and time announced at a later time but will occur during the summer months, tentatively in August or early September. The fourth warp will be woven as is during the winter and/or spring session in plain weave. This is available for people signed up for the winter and/or spring weaving classes. If you have any questions please ask. Specifics will be provided when you sign up. While you are making preparations for this initiative, you should still consider having a separate project as the preparations may not take up all of your class time. I can take your egistration for winter classes while you are in class, or you can sign up with the TDSB and they will start taking registrations November 21st 2011.
I most often feature fabric weaving as usually the projects are quicker to complete than tapestry weaving. I thought I would shine the spotlight on some of the tapestry weavers in the class who have been steadfastly plodding along on their tapestries. In this photo, the tapestry by Walter Rothenburger, the image from one of his own photographs.




Debbie Harris is making headway with her Navajo inspired rug woven with the tapestry technique. It looks like she has just about 2' done. Just a little more inspiration in the tapestry weaving area. Here's a short 2 minute video on a tapestry be cut off from the loom and it is quite an event. All in French but if you don't understand you can still understand what is happening http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II_0YiwtWTE&mid=5248



From the Knitters Loom
Here Judy's first project ever woven on her 20" knitters loom. She used a 12.5 dpi rigid heddle. The towel is woven with 4/8 cotton. The only disappointment is that the red bled when she washed it. Try soaking it in a cup of vinegar and a gallon of water and that should stop the bleeding.
Francois kindly emailed me to let me know how you can enlarge a picture to see more detail. His suggestion was to increase the pixel ration, which I tried, but the pictures wouldn't load.
The One of a Kind Show is coming up soon. It will be from November 24 to December 4. My booth number is R-06. Not only do I feature my own work, but also have a tapestry line collection, where I offer for sale, locally woven, knit and felted scarves and shawls. For more info about the show go to http://www.oneofakindshow.com/.

Taking on New Challenges

It's been exciting to watch my weaving 'students' take on new challenges in weaving. Some take them on fearlessly, others with more trepidation, but still most remarkable is that they take them on at all. As they have discovered, preparing one's weaving projects is fraught with all kinds of possible unforseen setbacks, threading errors, the needs of the fibres they are working with, and the goals they set for themselves. Most people learning to weave are looking mostly to perfect their technical skill, a good place to start one's journey in weaving. After that many want to learn other technical knowledge in weaving, for instance understanding the different weaving structures like overshot, M's and O's, Monks Belt, Huck and on and on the list goes. Learning about weaving is also about exploring and experimenting with different fibres, structures and then also, sometimes breaking the rules just to see what will happen, and hopefully be pleasantly surprised.
Judite Vagners has spent many years perfecting her technical weaving skills and knowledge. Some of her journey has been about using what she has learned to create traditional Latvian costumes. Of note is the belt or strap that is Card woven, and which is sometimes called Tablet weaving. Many different cultures around the world use the technique of Card weaving. In Card weaving you can only weave strips, so its ideal for bracelets, belts, and straps. Incredibly detailed and complex designs can be created using the Card Weaving techniques. It's very portable which is its great advantage.

Agota Dolinay wove these handsome Alpaca scarves. The subtlety of the design is breathtaking when seen up close. I'm sure this digital photo isn't doing it any justice but I hope you can get a sense of its beauty.









Marion Kirkwood has a friend who recently returned from Liberia where groups of women harvest raw cotton, spin it themseleves, dye the cloth, and sew the strips of cloth together. We're hoping her friend will send us pics of the women in Liberia actually going through the process and I'll post them here if she does.

Lastly, more projects from the very popular and much loved Ashford knitters loom. Cheryl Yetman has woven this fine cloth on a knitters loom and it is surprising the quality of the weaving that can be accomplished with it.
Kate Kitchen has been weaving dozens of scarves on her knitters loom, shown below and she has been having a very fun time exploring textures in fibres. Nowadays there is such a wide array of fibres to inspire us. Kate takes an unusual approach to weaving and her fresh approach is perhaps because she is a tapestry weaver and sees weaving in a painterly manner. The knitters loom can also be used to weave tapestries which is very good news for tapestry weavers, because of its portablility. On that note I'll take my leave and look forward to sharing more with next week!

Return to weaving classes

The summer was busy for me because I received a grant from the Ontario Arts council to collaborate with the Nottawasaga Handweavers and Spinners to design and launch the weaving of 12 tapestries depicting the community of New Tecuseth. I invited this guild to join me at the opening reception of my own solo exhibtion of tapestries entitled Wholeness, and to officially launch the Community Threads tapestry project. The tapestries will be woven by guild members, visitors, guests, and members of other organizations and institutions over the coming years. When the tapestries are completed, a self guided tour brochure will assist visitors in seeing the tapestries at different venues in the municipality. The picture above shows a part of my more recent tapestries at this exhibit.

Our weaving class is definitely the 'happy place' for many of us. I couldn't resist taking this picture this week as there was a full line up of table loom weavers. From left to right, Mimma, Justine, Jane, Phyllis, Sandi, Agota and Emily at the back who just started with us this week.

To help everyone figure out what they'd like to learn in weaving, I've created a Weaving Menu, listing all the kinds of things you can learn about weaving. Ask me for a copy if you are interested in expanding your repertoire and understanding of weaving.

Many of the returning students completed projects over the summer. In this photo, a beautiful shawl woven by Agota Dolinay. She used 18/2 merino for warp and some very fine yarn from Habu in the weft. The pattern was one that most have overlooked and taken from The Handweavers Pattern Book (Davison). Its called Indian March and is on page 38. There is so much going on in it.

Anther finished project....this 2/8 cotton scarf in M's and O's by Mimma Draga. This is Mimma's first project and her edges are near impeccable. She is definitely a natural born weaver.

Wendy Szpindel came back eager to share her summer projects. She explored an undulating twill which we clearly see in the white piece. In the foreground, is a study of using variations with colour and treadling with the same threading. A very good study indeed. Wendy and her sister Leslie seem to be going in the direction of creating wall hangings.

This week Sandi Dunn came in wearing a Halloween outfit. I applaud her fearlessness! She is wearing a fascinator by David Dunkley who is a millner in Toronto and has a shop at 998 Bathurst Street. The business is called KC Hats.

A couple of our weaving class participants have exhibitions on or about to occur: Beth Stewart at ESP Gallery at Dovercourt and Queen, who is a winner of an RBC prize of $15,000, and who is teaching drawing at OCAD and Gwen Tooth at the beaux-arts brampton from November 1 to 26.

Placemats, ceinture flechee, tapestry, and rug

The final instalment of projects completed by those participating in the weaving classes this year and and a few projects from some that have in the past taken my weaving classes. As always, so much talent and diversity and its always encouraging to me to see how much tenacity and perserverance people have when they are determined to not let the challenges that present themselves in weaving and in being a weaver, stop them. To you and all I say Bravo! Above all, it becomes clear just how much there is to learn about weaving and that it may take a few lifetimes to know and try all that is available to learn about weaving.



Here some beautifully woven placemats by Carol Adams. Carol joined our class in the Fall and has had some experience in weaving. She loves a challenge and loves the complexities that weaving can offer. The placemats are a warp faced weave in 4/8 cotton and thick weft which is not that noticeable. A very successful project indeed!





A beautifully woven weft faced rug. Debbie Harris is becoming quite the master at weaving rugs. Here is one of her latest creations. Presently she awes us all in class with the Navajo rug she is weaving on a gobelin style loom, so perfectly executed eventhough Debbie doesn't think so. We believe Debbie has reached Nirvana!








Francois Seguin is another one of our very humble weavers. He has always had a passionate interest in Ceinture Flechee (sorry no accents). He created this one for me which I am keeping at the weaving class to have it to show to others as an example. Ceinture Flechee is a finger weaving technique that does not require a loom. Please....don't anyone ask me to teach them. It would most certainly drive me mad!

Another knitters loom project. This one by Wendy Hayden. No, she didn't make the hat. She had bought it and wanted to make a scarf to match it. It does look like she bought them as a set. Wendy has decided that she has to make 20 scarves before she can justify buying what I call a 'real' loom, because the knitters loom seems almost too cute to be a serious loom. They both have their advantages and disadvantages (my favorite saying as many of you know. )




Kate Kitchen stands and smiles proudly here showing a miniature tapestry that she has had framed.

Bamboo Shawl, small tapestries and a family heirloom

Gwen Tooth has recently joined our weaving class. Gwen is a practicing artist as well as administrator and teacher, and has been painting for many years. She is currently part of an exhibition opening this weekend. WOMEN IN ABSTRACTION ART EXHIBIT Beaux-Arts Brampton Art Gallery, http://www.beaux-artsbrampton.com/ 70 Main Street North, Brampton. 905-454-5677 Dates: June 21 to July 2, 2011-05-23 Reception Date: Saturday, June 25, 12 noon to 3 pm Regular Gallery Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 12 noon to 6 pm; Saturdays, 9 am to 3 pm

Kate Kitchen completed these two small tapestries of landscapes while in the weaving class. It takes little detail to convey the illusion of a recognizable scene, surprisingly enough. These were both woven at 10 epi and she used Paternayan yarn. They still take a considerable amount of time to complete eventhough they are small.



















We have such an amazing group of talented people and I must say I am truly proud of what people can accomplish in this class. This is a bamboo shawl woven by Lis Bastion. To see it in reality is startling in a good way. The shawl is beautifully woven in a Diamond Twill pattern. Twills are difficult to weave well believe it or not. Your tension has to be very consistent throughout and when it isn't, it really shows. Being stressed can really wreak havoc with our weaving but Lis managed to be cool and consistent despite having a very busy and demanding work life! In addition, this is Lis' first project after her sampler. Bravo Lis! It is a remarkable accomplishment!

I apologize in advance that this is not the best photograph. Dark colours can be hard to capture, and in addition the warp and weft do not have high contrast. This was a very subtle overshot shawl using turquoise and mauve Briggs & Little yarn woven by Marion Kirkwood. It is an unusual pattern taken from the Handweavers Pattern Book.

We don't often post pictures of our weaving students and I'm not sure that people do want themselves posted on this website. This picture of Anne was taken by Ellen and she submitted it to me to post for our magazine blog for the class. This will be Anne's first project on a floor loom and when we last saw her she was looking rather disheartened and feeling a little overwhelmed by the project she choose to do: a doubleweave cape in fine yarns. A lot of threads to thread for sure! It's quickly forgotten though once you get weaving!

Barbara Brown very kindly brought in this pink suit woven by her grandmother, and the jacket is modeled here by Jutta. It was beautifully tailored and it was hard to tell that it was handmade.

There are still a few more pictures to come of final projects for the year and I think the last installment will be next week before we resume in the Fall.

Doubleweave workshop, explorations with the knitters loom

The last 6 months have been a whirlwind of projects and explorations. January started with our Doubleweave workshop sampler . In this photo Laura Dymock is working her way through the sampler. We used a 4/8 combed cotton. Results were best if you chose strong contrasting colours so that one could see what occurred with the different treadling and colour sequencing. Most participants were really satisfied with the results and what they learned. We especially enjoyed the doubleweave pick up, a finger manipulated technique allowing you to create your own design. You too can do the sampler if you wish, during upcoming sessions. I've created the handouts so that you can work on your own and get instructor input as any uncertainties and questions come up.


Another part of the doubleweave sampler, the white horizontal columns were stuffed forming ribs. It might be useful for a rug technique for instance. The sample above it was called Quilting. This would be good for placemats for its density and sturdiness and decorative designs which you can create yourself.

Exploring Ashford's Knitting Loom














We have also fallen in love with Ashford's Knitters Loom, which I have mentioned in other blog posts. It's quite amazing how versatile it is and we explored the infinite range of possiblilites that we one can weave on this loom. Because of the excitement we all felt for this very cutest of new looms, I created a handout listing, explaining and illustrating the many weaving techniques you can use on this loom. Above, Kate work's on her first knitters loom project and is setting up on the left. On the right, a bunch of scarves she has sinced woven on her knitters loom, and has since done many more! Below, are 2 scarves woven on the knitters loom by Cheryl Yetman. Cheryl likes to make cowl type scarves and this black and white one is an example of this, here modeled by Marion Kirkwood. The scarf beside it is also one of Cheryl's scarves done on the knitters loom with a sock yarn (Footloose). So you can see that one can weave thick and novelty yarns as well as with fine yarns. Cheryl recently purchased an inexpensive part you can attach to the knitters loom to turn from a 2 shaft loom into a 4 shaft loom so that means one can weave many more patterns than those that only 2 shafts can give you. It requires a 2nd rigid heddle to make this work.














Lastly, a triangluar shawl made on a triangular loom by Kate Kitchen, modeled for us by Maureen Krinicic. The colours of spring and the garden!

There are many more pictures to share with you from these last 6 months of weaving together, so stay posted and next week I'll continue reporting live from my studio on your many wonderful projects.

Precious

When seeing the work of the weaver Judith Fielder, precious is the first word that comes to mind. As I look in the dictionary to see how it is defined, I stumble upon the word that precedes it: preciosity and the dictionary I'm using defines this as "fastidious refinement". This is certainly an apt description of Judith Fielder's body of work. Taken by Debbie Harris, this photograph
gives you a feel of how the morning began - very casually but it was clear that Judith had done a lot of preparation to receive us and share her treasure trove of exquisite work. She had 3 main bodies of work. They were each layed out on a different floor in the house. On the first floor in the living room, she had her earliest work, with notebooks, sketches, inspirations as well as finished garments. Here the influence of African textiles was predominant. On the second floor, her forays into overshot where we saw a jacket, scarf and dress that she created. Below is the fabric of the jacket that has been featured in Fibre Focus and Handwoven magazine in the 90s.

I first met Judith at the Ontario College of Art in the 80s (and Design University) and have known her for many years. Her endeavours have never failed to have a certain fascination for me. At art college, it was hammered into us to create studies, samples, experiment and explore the endless possibilities and potential of an idea. Judith's notebooks illustrated this methodology well.



Several of us took many pictures of the talk and studio visit and there are just too many worthy pictures to post on the blog so I will put only a few here to arouse your curiousity and awe about her work and the remainder I will put on a cd and have it available in the weaving class so that you can look at her work at your leisure. This picture is of Susan Abrams modelling a shawl handwoven and hand embroidered on the loom.






Judith has also had a thing for blankets over the years. Again they reflect whatever weave structure or textile embellishment she happens to be investigating as well as the art or cultural influence. In this particularly spectacular blanket the squares alternate between overshot blocks and hand embroidered motifs that keep recurring in her work.








On the third floor, which she uses entirely for her studio, one feels the magic of her creative sanctuary. Just being there is almost a religious experience. On this floor are her explorations into shibori as well as kumihimo that you see laid out here. It's clear by the end of the visit that one of the main characteristics of Judith's work is its multicultural influences that have always been there from the beginning of her weaving forays. She is also curious about experimenting with different kinds of fibres - notably, all of a certain quality and refinement. In addition, she aims for a certain level of excellence in her weaving that we all found breath taking. All of us that attended the studio visit on May 25 were awe struck the entire 3 hours of the visit, and felt the impact of this for days afters. We only wish the rest of you could have been so blessed and honoured to visit this wonderful weaver.

In the coming weeks I'll be featuring all the great projects that came off the loom this spring! Stay posted!

Feast and Fashion

We had our last Wednesday weaving class for this session of weaving classes. It is our custom to bring food and feast while weaving and chatting very animatedly. Most of the contributions were very healthy choices, and those that were not were an indulgence. I once heard Paul Anka say in an interview: Everything in moderation; even moderation. A good motto for a life well lived.

I have had many people contribute great pictures to post on our weaving class blog and I want to thank everyone for their contribution. We've had so many that I will not be able to post everything today and will keep some for later posts as the summer progresses. There's lots to inspire and keep us all motivated and productive.



Somehow we haven't shown work from Jane very often. The quiet ones sometimes get overlooked so I wanted to make a point of making sure we featured Jane's latest creation. It's a bamboo baby blanket, fringed on all sides, with a turned Spot Bronson, a variation of a huck type design. Jane found the pattern in a handwoven magazine.












Detail of bamboo baby blanket in turned spot bronson by Jane Tucker










We haven't seen much of Susan Abrams work either. That's because she's been working diligently on two bound weave rugs, in a summer and winter type effect. That is to say, the rug is done in two colours (this one being blue and olive), so where the rug is blue on one side, it is olive on the other and vice versa. The rugs are approximately 28" x 42".

Susan is a volunteer at the Textile Museum of Canada. She wanted me to let you know that the Museum is hosting its annual yard sale where plenty of weaving related bargains are to be had. You should get there as early as possible. It's a frantic mob trying to grab everything in in site. I've attached the link to this blog so that you can find out more about it. http://strandnews.wordpress.com/more-than-just-a-yardage-sale/

Ellen Alias has natural and well honed desinger abilities being trained as an interior designer. She is posed her with me (Line) in front of her loom before cutting off her project. She carefully designed and adapted this summer and winter pattern from Marguerite Davison's Handweaving Pattern Book to create a number of bags. The warp was a 4/8 cotton and in the weft, she wound about 5 thin yarns from cones in her stash that she wanted to use up. If you want to learn more about Summer and Winter patterning let me know and I can help you learn more about it.




Ellen with the bag fabric cut from the loom. So, see you next week. We'll be visiting Judith Fielder's studio and going to the Textile Museum of Canada to view the Ikat exhibit.

Warp woes and herculean projects

Warp Woes (wars?)
Jill certainly deserves a medal for having the patience to endure the trial and tribulations this warp has created in trying to weave her shawl project. She used a lace weight yarn and we have discovered firstly, that it breaks too easily under the tension of a warp. In addition, I also failed to advise Jill at the start (likely because there was a lot of other things going on in the class) that it would have been technically better to wind this warp with the back to front method, however that would not have caused the problem that we see here, which is that the warp threads have an uneven tension as as one progresses through the weaving, the uneven warp threads become looser and looser. The only way around this is stuffing cloth where you need to increase the tension of the threads, but only at the back. Jill is almost finished this shawl and it will be a very sophisticated and elegant shawl despite all the trouble it has given her.

Another herculean project

Donna rose to the challenge to weave on the 60" loom. How long did this take you Donna? Did you start last spring or in the Fall of 2010? She is, rightly so, very proud of her achievement and looking at the blanket was hypnotic as it was a variegated twill. You can see how lively it is in the detail below. Donna used Lemieux 2 ply yarn which comes in about 50 colours and is relatively inexpensive at $5.25 a skein. She made the blanket longer than intended because our calculations provided her with some extra length.

detail of Donna's blanket

More projects from the Knitters Loom

Cheryl Yetman and a number of us are addicted to the spontaneity and simplicity of using this loom which is so portable and just plain ol' cute. These were the first projects that Cheryl attempted on her knitters loom with a lemieux 2ply warp and then using assorted knitting yarns she had in her stash at home. The colours are very spring like.

Bamboo

Incredibly this is Cheryl Yetman's first project on a floor loom. She has only recently started weaving seriously last Fall and she has hit the ground running. This is an undulating twill that imitates an overshot pattern found in the Handweavers Pattern Directory. Woven with 2/8 bamboo yarn, this fabric that will be made into a shrug feels luscious and satiny.