Transformation

Placemats in plain weave by Avril Loretti.

Avril Loretti joined has her own thriving business creating her own printed tea towels, among other textiles for domestic use. She transformed remnants of her own printed fabrics and cut them into strips to create these placemants. To see her collection go to www.avrilloretti.com.

 Lis wove this Rosepath  baby blanket designed by Katie Bloomfield and the pattern was taken from Handwoven's Collection #14.

Many women like to weave baby blankets for their own children who are now having children. They get to witness the many transformations that their offspring go through, an ongoing and infinite process.

Simona Comenscu matches with her double weave wool blanket she is weaving and the site of her at the loom was a delightful site!

When Simona first came to our weaving classes last spring, she was jobless and eagerly looking to be gainfully employed. This year she found a job in an area that interests her and I've been witness to how the weaving and the job has transformed her in a positive way!

Susan Keslick

Last week I featured Lindsay Keslick's stair runners (green herringbone type pattern) and this week Lindsay brought in a butterfly woven on a floor loom in a bound weave or weft faced weave, similar to tapestry, made 35 years ago. It still has a contemporary feel to it and has stood the test of time. This butterfly is my theme this week, symbolizing transformation. As a weaving instructor at the Toronto Weaving School, I get to witness the personal transformations that many people go through because of or during their weaving learning. Life changes, job changes, new opportunities, new friendships,  births, illness and deaths. I see each person grow in their confidence to tackle their own weaving challenges and artisanal/artistic aspirations. I observe them getting bolder and undertaking more initiatives to promote themselves and their work, or to expand their learning and weaving practice.

Joan MacKenzie, a member of the Etobicoke Guild of Weavers and Spinners and a past student, visited the Toronto Weaving School to work on the international tapestry project, Fate, Destiny and Self Determination. She's working on her Master Spinner's certificate with the OHS and using her own handspun yarn, wove this scarf. The pattern is from Carol Stickler's A Weavers Book of 8 Shaft Patterns on page 87.

 

For our year end field trip, we visited the home and studio(s) of Pat Burns Wendland in Mulmur, Ontario. What a scenic drive and a great day. Pat showed us her work spaces, the garments she has woven, fabrics she has created and other smaller items she has woven. We had a great pot luck lunch!

 

I'll be off to Florence Italy to take a jacquard weaving course at the Fondazione Lisio. Here is a link to their site: http://www.fondazionelisio.org/ and will share with you my adventures there. Who knows how this will transform my own practice as a weaver and artist.

 

You might want to check out this exhibit at the Textile Museum of Canada:  Ancestry and Artistry: Maya textiles from Guatemala, http://www.textilemuseum.ca/apps/index.cfm?page=exhibition.detail&exhId=348 You might also be interested in this site: http://www.mayanhands.org/

Theo Moorman and other techniques

Scarf by Line Dufour in the Theo Moorman technique

These two scarves were recently included in the May/June 2013 issue of Handwoven magazine. Here are excerpts from the original unedited version of the article I wrote:

Born in 1907, Theo Moorman was a prolific British weaver who had close ties with the United States.  Frustrated with the slowness of tapestry weaving, she developed the technique that bears her name. Theo Moorman’s book Weaving as an Art Form: A Personal Statement,  clearly explains many of the techniques she used to create mostly wallhangings and liturgical commissions. The technique is essentially plain weave. By modifying its use, through differentiating the weight of the warp threads – a heavier groud warp and finer tie-down warp, she achieved incredible artistry and artistic expression. The design on the surface of the fabric is achieved by inlaying yarns under the fine tie-down warp.

Like most weavers and knitters, I have a huge stash of yarn. Whenever I finish a project, whatever yarn is left I sort into colour groupings in clear plastic drawers, readily available for whatever idea might strike me. And,  like most weavers and knitters, I fell in love with the ribbon yarns that were so readily available a few years ago and there are a lot of incomplete balls left in my stash waiting to be used and incorporated into a project.  The ribbon yarn seemed a perfect fit for my foray into Theo Moorman scarves.

Scarf by Line Dufour in the Theo Moorman Technique

A second  theme in these scarves is achieving iridescence in fabric, once popular in the 80’s when sumptuous Thai silks were the rage. Iridescence attracts me. It occurs in nature -  in water, butterflies, insects and some shells. By weaving  two colours in plain weave that are similar to each other in value and intensity and close to each other on the colour wheel, iridescence is achieved. The ribbon yarn looks like beads woven into this plane of iridescence.  It makes these scarves especially appealing and unusual and people will surely remark on them.

Finally, about rayon, considered  ‘regenerated’ fibres,  and in which category we can include Bamboo. Rayons are also made of tree pulp, cornstarch, soy, seaweed, crab shells , plant cellulose and plant proteins like soy.  Handwoven magazine featured a very informative article about it and I suggest that you read it to learn more about it,  how its processed, as well as the various natural materials that rayons  are made of.

The finished scarves have a lustrous and luxurious feel to them. Although the design does not appear on the back of the scarves, it is a smooth and uninterrupted fabric of the rayon, thread, and bamboo. Buy the issue of Handwoven for the instructions to weave them.

Scarf by Judite Vagners inspired by my scarves.

A week after showing Judite the pattern and samples I had done, she whipped this scarf off. Christine Shipley, a weaving instructor at  Cedar Ridge in Scarborough, brought in a Theo Moorman book entitled More On Moorman: Theoo Moorman Inlay Adapted to Clothing by Heather Lyn Winslow. I believe it's out of print but maybe you can find it used. You can also do a Theo Moorman sampler which I have available in the class. The original book by Theo Moorman called Weaving as an Art Form: A Personal Statement is still available on Amazon used at a still reasonable price as Louise Granahan informed me recently. Nadine Sanders also has a website in which much of it is focused on Theo Moorman http://www.singingweaver.com/moorman.shtml.

Jutta Polomoski created the  Theo Moorman wallhangings above and below.

Lindsay Keslick with twill variation stair runner.

While Lindsay was weaving this rug she has become pregnant with her second child. She is due soon! Many of us has watched struggle and persevere with this rug which is about 16' long if not more. It was exciting to be a witness to here completing this stair runner. As someone mentioned to me, the caption should read here: Fruits of the Womb and Loom!

 detail of twill and basket weave rug runner by Lindsay Keslick

Rag rug by Maureen Krinicic

Maureen wove this rug in plain weave using a 4/8 cotton and created her own rag strips from old sheets.

Swedish lace scarves by Maureen Krinicic

Two tencel (rayon scarves) were woven in a swedish lace pattern taken from the book, A Handweaver's Pattern Book by Marguerite Davison on page 98. Both scarves used the same warp and by changing the weft it created a much different looking colour combination.

The Zen of Weaving and TMC sale

Wave silk shibori scarf by Carla Duncan.

Every year the Textile Museum of Canada holds a 'garage' sale selling anything and everything that relates to textiles. I've attached the details at the bottom of this page. At the sale you may find lots of items that will relate to weaving such as yarns and equipment. You can also think about donating to the the Textile Museum in future or better yet, become a member and/or volunteer. Many volunteers help make this event a success including Susan Abrams, one of the participants in our weaving class. The Volunteer Association has its own newsletter and I am attaching a link to it here:  http://www.strandnews.ca/

Silk shibori scarves by Lis Baston.

 Recently Wendy Hayden was in New York City and while she was there she tried out Saori Weaving classes. To learn more about them go to: www.LoopoftheLoom.com. In my search I also located a similar studio in Berkeley California: http://www.saoriberkeley.com/. What is Saori weaving?

"SA" of SAORI has the same meaning as the first syllable of the word "SAI" which is found in Zen vocabulary. It means everything has its own individual dignity. And the "ORI" means weaving. All flowers are beautiful, even though each individual flower is different in form and color. Because of this difference, "all are good". Because everything has the same life, life cannot be measured by a yardstick. It is this individuality that makes everything meaningful and the uniqueness of each thread that creates the tapestry of life." Misao Jo, Founder of SAORI

Here is another interesting site you can explore: http://saoriglobal.com/tabid/64/Default.aspx . 

Textiles in Newfoundland and a Tool from Peter Collingwood

Woven by Susan Abrams, a baby blanket, pattern taken from Ann Dixon's book, The Handweavers Directory, Huck Variation, p166, 4 harness pattern.

Recently  Ciobhan, a fellow teacher, started talking to me about the Colony of Avalon, in Ferryland, Newfoundland and the archaelogical work that was going on there. "In 1621 George Calvert who later became the First Lord Baltimore, sent Captain Edward Wynne and a group of West Country and Welsh settlers to Ferryland, Newfoundland, Canada to establish a permanent settlement based on the lucrative in-shore cod fishery (Figure 1). Lord Baltimore first visited his colony in the summer of 1627 and returned with his family and entourage of some 40 in 1628. Calvert left within a year of his arrival. Calvert did, however, leave the management of the growing colony in the hands of an overseer. Sir David Kirke was granted the Island of Newfoundland in 1637 and took control of the colony in 1638, ousting Calvert’s deputy (Pope 1998: 63-99). Documents and archaeological remains indicate that Kirke and his family profited from the rich fishery. The Dutch attacked the colony in 1673. The colony recovered from this attack but after the French captured and burned the site in 1696, activity ceased until the early 1700s (Gaulton and Tuck, 2003: 187-224). The archaeological site at Ferryland has yielded through the artifact and architectural remains evidence to support historical accounts. Textile remains provide evidence that some of the colonists owned high-fashion costume which was later re-used for the purpose of hygiene in a privy."

 

 Conrad Dueck's first project, a table runner, taken from a pattern in the revered Handweavers Pattern Book by Marguerite Davison.

"Dr. Cathy Mathias works as a conservator and a historic cultural consultant. She obtained her PhD in Art History from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario where her research focused on the textile collection from a 17th- century archaeology site, in Ferryland, Newfoundland. She is currently working on a collection of early “ready-mades” from a Basque whaling site in Red Bay, Labrador. Abstract Textile remains, dating to the 17th century, uncovered in a privy from Ferryland, Newfoundland are described. These fragments were used for hygiene purposes supporting the notion that this feature was one of the earliest flush toilets in North America. The moist anaerobic environment allowed for good silk and wool preservation. Tablet-woven bands, silk satin and silk damask are among the objects from the privy which represent high status. A significant portion of the textile finds are “New Draperies” or finely woven cloth. Twill and tabby woven wool fragments were also used and found in the privy. Dye analysis revealed a range of dyestuffs being used from reds to yellows to purple." If you would like to know about this site and the research they are doing you can go to the Victoria County Historical Society site: http://www.victoriacountyhistoricalsociety.ca/pdf/newsletters/Vol%2013%20-%20Winter%202012.pdf.

Shibori silk scarf by Mimma Draga

We've been continuing our experiments with Shibori, constantly fascinated and enchanted by the myraid patterning one can create so simply and effortlessly at times. Other patterns can be more time consuming to create, such as the the last shibori photo by Mimma Draga, in which she painstakingly stitched seemingly endless rows to create a bark pattern. Recently I discovered this Shibori website that you may want to check out: http://shibori.org/

Shibori dyed silk scarves by Laura de Vrij.

The photograph does this technique no justice as Mimma's results were very three dimensional and the blue is not quite coming through here.

A while ago I featured  a story about this tool that remained a mystery as to its use. Christine Shipley brought it to our attention when we were participating in the kasuri workshop.  We knew that a Mrs. A. H Crichton from Pickering received this tool in the mail from Peter Collingwood. Christine has since learned the this tool was featured in the book The Art of Weaving by Else Regensteiner. The caption for a drawing of the tool reads: Wire loop for pulling up corduroy pile, designed by Peter Collingwood. In this book, Else describes in detail how Peter Collingwood used this tool to create the pile effect in weaving.

Locally Made Garments

First  project after the sampler by Laura deVrij. Materials alpaca silk. The shawl felt luxurious to the touch.

 

In the news recently is the disintegration of a building in Bangladesh injuring and killing hundreds of textile workers, notably for Joe Fresh/Loblaws. Certainly it was a shameful view of western entrepreneurship. Recently I read a blog post by a young woman whose work and intelligence I admire. Her name Meghan Price, a partner in the fashion accessory production company called String Theory http://www.stringtheory.ws/collections/vendors?q=Meghan+Price. String Theory produces trendy stylish jacquard woven textiles for its fashion line. This is what Meghan had to say about the event:

A-peril
I am inspired to express some thoughts in light of the recent tragedy in Bangladesh. This will not be eloquent or conclusive and I am very hesitant to write confessionals on FB. That said, I thought it better that my voice be heard than to be complicit in my silence.
      The quick & cheap combo always raises a red flag for me – it is a sure sign that someone, somewhere is not being treated w...ell. At the same time, I succumb to it’s temptation - I don’t have a lot of money (by local standards) but I do love fashion and hanker for new. Quick & cheap feeds my “need” - my drawers are full of $20 jeans and $30 blouses.  
       I can’t claim ignorance. The recent factory collapse in Bangladesh follows decades of similar stories. I remember when Nike got busted back in the 90’s. I am also a producer of textile goods and, when it comes to my business, am committed to using suppliers whose staff work for equitable pay in healthy conditions (hello Oriole Mill). So - I do feel like a dirty hypocrite entering most “high street” shops but my guilt serves no one.
         It’s a big, complicated situation and it’s too easy for me to feel helpless and apathetic about it. I do feel very sad for the people in that collapsed factory however and know that our lives are connected through the jeans I am wearing. Its time I made some new resolutions.
Your suggestions are welcome.

Woven tablecoths for card tables in 2/8 cotton by Marion Kirkwood.

Perhaps the Bangladesh tragedy is a reminder to us to review and revist our practices as consumers. Make some hard choices about what we are buying and from who. It' seems more sensible than ever to be purchasing from local craftspeople, weavers, potters, jewelry makers, fashion designers. Yes you'll pay more.....so....buy fewer items if required. To those of you who continue to support your local artists, craftspeople, musicians etc....hats off to you.

Shibori dyed silk scarves by Maxime Gendron, Conrad Dueck, Dalia Farna.

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.

Exploring Shibori, Deflected Doubleweave and more

This session Toronto Weaving School is exploring Shibori techniques.

Here Mimma Draga is wrapping beads into the silk scarf. This will be placed in the dye at a later time. We'll show you the various results from student efforts.

The very same Mimma shown above wove these deflected doubleweave scarves with tencel and 18/2 merino wool scarves taken from Handwoven magazine, November/December 2007 and designed by Karen Donde. They were very challenging to weave without a double back beam. We now have one in the class, kindly lent to us by Linda Thompson. It's a 24" weaving width.

The most difficult colours to photograph are red and black. It's hard to fully appreciate the level of skill that was required to weave this 18/2 merino scarf in a twill variation pattern from Marguerite Davison's book, The Handweavers Pattern Book. This scarf was woven Ginette Robert.

 

DONATIONS FOR THE TORONTO WEAVING SCHOOL

Toronto Weaving School is undergoing an expansion. We will be accepting donations of used or new equipment. We are looking to acquire more table looms (preferably Leclerc Dorothy's) as well as other weaving looms and equipment. On our wish list is a computerized dobby or avl loom. We will also take other donations to fundraise for the requirements of the school.

 

TRADE IN for a Leclerc, Louet or Ashford Loom.

You can also trade in your used Dorothy loom and get up to $200 towards the purchase of a new loom. We will  consider trading a floor loom or wider table loom for a Dorothy depending on the results of this drive. (some conditions apply).

 

THE INTERNATIONAL TAPESTRY PROJECT: FATE DESTINY AND SELF DETERMINATION

 

Not too late to participate in this exciting tapestry project. No tapestry weaving experience required and you are not required to be registered in a weaving class. We need you come out and weave on the tapestry at 255 Royal York Road. Your name will appear in the credits when the tapestry installation is completed. The tapestry installation will be exhibited internationally. These are the remaining dates you can come between 10am and 9pm. These are also the same dates of the remaining classes for those who are registered. We will resume in the Fall 2013.

Monday              WednesdayApril 22                
April 29                April 24
May 6                  May 1
May 13                May 8
May 27                May 5
June 3                 May 22