Patience

 

Rep Weave is warp faced weave. This means that we do not see the weft, as opposed to weft faced weaves, such as tapestry and boundweave, where we do not see the warp. Most weaving is evenly balanced between both warp and weft. Judite Vagners is a very experienced weaver and we are privileged to have her attending the Toronto Weaving School classes. She created this warp faced rug based on a pattern in Laila Lundell's Rep Weave book https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP4TP1FFkRk. She created a sample first, discovered that the squares were not square after weaving/washing and then corrected the pattern so that the squares would be square. Hmph. Most would not put themselves through that! Regardless of how much experience one has in weaving, it's rare that we get it perfectly the first time around, if perfection is what you are seeking to attain. Judite has an extraordinary amount of patience when it comes to her weaving practice. She is never defeated, nor discouraged by the challenges that weaving can present and she is  an excellent role model for others. Others in the class are also demonstrating that for the less experienced weavers in the challenges they have had in their current weaving projects:  Linda Thompson working on her overshot blanket from Handwoven magazine, and Jill Bidgood, with her warp faced rugs taken from an Ashford magazine pattern.

We continue to explore shibori. Here a scarf by Lis Baston, using wrapped chickpeas. She was surprised that the resisted areas were not round and were square instead. Alongside Lis' scarf, Maxime Gendron's prepares hers with marbles and very tiny elastics. More silk scarves have been ordered and if you want to participate you can still do so. I've also ordered a video on shibori that you can watch in class.

I met Aneesha Parrone, from Colorado USA through the international tapestry project, Fate, Destiny and Self Determination. Part of how most women interact is by sharing their stories, and Aneesha shared her story of how she became a weaver:
 

"When I was in college, I was studying to become an elementary (5th grade) teacher. My student teaching was so horrible, as the teacher I was under frightened not only the children but me as well. By time I finished, I felt I could dig ditches for a living. One of the professors from the school went to the same church as I did and asked about 3 weeks after graduation if I had found a job. I said no and he said the arts council was looking for someone to do their children's summer art mobile program. I said, "I didn't major in art. I majored in elementary ed." He said, " Ok. Never mind." Three days later the director of the art mobile called me up and said he had recommended me. So I took the job. It had not been much of a program---only a few classes at the YMCA the year before. So I created a program that took a wildly painted truck to 12 different sites for 3 months. We packed the organ|(not a portable one...a full console organ!) and artist in residence musician onto the truck with enough supplies to do 4 projects and I called one additional artist each week to be a guest artist and the children would gather with their lunches and enthusiasm. Whoever showed up... did..usually we had about 10 -12 kids. At the end of the summer, the director said that the state arts council had created an artist in residence program called the Third Century Artist|(being the 3rd century of the USA) and would I like to be hired as one. I said, "You have to have a portfolio for that. I didn't major in art. I majored in elementary ed." She said," Ok. If you want to send them a portfolio and they accept you, we want you." One of my guest artists was a weaver. I quickly asked her to teach me to weave. I had 2 marionettes and 2 small sculptures I had created for art and music in the public school my last yr of college. I wove 8 small weavings, added the 4 sculptures for the required number of slides, called myself a visual artist, got the arts council photographer to photograph them and sent them off. I was accepted and was hired. 

 

We all had a potter friend who was the artist in residence at the community college. His wife was ill and had been a weaver and didn't weave anymore. He offered her small 15 inch LeClerc loom. I wove on that until I could buy a Colonial LeClerc and started from there. I have always had a lot of energy and I found that threading the loom really tried my patience!! I have a lot of patience with children, but not so much for myself! I would have preferred to be a potter playing in the mud all day with the immediacy of a pot or mug! But there you have it ~ Weaving wanted me and my inner self wanted something soft and gentle to teach me to be kinder and more patient with myself. I have loved weaving ever since and find that it is really great for tapping into the creative process, which is what I love about teaching---the creative inner solution for something on the outside. So, of course, I really LOVE your project and also your website that demonstrates and gives clues to your deeply joyous and creative process! 
www.arpanaanneeshastudio.com

The lessons I have drawn from this weeks interactions is that patience with my weaving leads to patience with myself, and patience with myself, leads to patience with others and if we can be more patient with each other, the quality of our life and relationships improves considerably. Patience is worth cultivating.
 

Send me your stories about how you became a weaver, or a valuable weaving lesson from a project you did and how it may have transformed you or your thinking or any other experience in weaving that had a powerful effect upon you.


DONORS LIST
Lise Buisson
Mirja Maggisano
Barb Aikman

Much appreciation and gratitude to those who have made donations of weaving equipment, yarn and tools.