Over the summer people wove many kinds of projects, embarked on weaving adventures, and added to their repertoire of weaving knowledge and practice. Toronto Weaving School organized a Kasuri workshop with Keiko Shintani. Keiko's work and techniques are very compelling and she had a great influence upon the people who took the workshop. Most evident is that weaving, for Keiko (as well as myself) is a way of life, a practice, a philosophy of life.
One of the main practices of Keiko's work is the repurposing of materials. Not only is nothing wasted, but so many of her choices as a consumer, artisan and artist considers the impact on the environment. This is what inspired Darlene Haywood to first gather goldenrod, and dye cotton with it, using alum as a mordant. Her daughter is a yoga teacher and Darlene decided to make pouches for the prayer beads that they use. She ripped saris into strips and wove them into a fabric. This was inspired by a summer shirt Keiko had woven ripping strips of silk and weaving them. There are many books one can acquire on natural dyes and there is a lot of info on it on YouTube. You can also purchase pre-prepared natural dyes and order them at www.maiwa.com.
More on weaving inspired by practices in other countries, Judite Vagners showed us the tapestries she and her daughter created with Maximo Laura.
Susan Abrams writes:
A few people were asking this week about the baby blanket I wove at home over the summer. Since it is now draping baby Jack in Pennsylvania I can't bring it in to class! I got the pattern from the book, "Mastering Weave Structures" on page 84 and it was woven on four shafts. The warp is 2/8 cotton and the weft is mercerized cotton, same weight.
OTHER NEWS, LINKS, RESOURCES, EXHIBITIONS
Want to really expand your repertoire of weaving? Try this course being taught at OCADU by a registrant in our weaving class, Erin Lewis. https://continuingstudies.ocad.ca/class_details.jsp?offeringId=185&show_past=false
Recently an article came out in this magazine about the Community Threads tapestries project that I have been involved with. Go to page 11 to see the artice at www.footprintsmagazine.com
Michelle Dubois wants you to check out this website, where, as it happen, some of my tapestries will be exhibited. www.worldofthreadsfestival.com/
Edge of Your Seat
Donna Kim emailed to let me know that she is offering this special kind of chair caning technique. Click on the link to know about this intriguing weaving technqiue:
http://us2.forward-to-friend1.com/forward/show?u=6cabba50e96aa5ed24a3c303f&id=9aff6b151e
Janet Fayle's daughter, Eliza, recently won 'Graceful Aging Award' from W3:Women, Wisdom and Wellness. I've attached a link to her website
http://silverandgrace.com/about-2/who-is-eliza-fayle
A final note: We have so many new and returning weaving students that I am running short of looms. If anyone has a 4 - 8 harness tableloom they can lend me for a few months I would be very greatful.
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