Comments on: Comfort Weaving

By: Susan

Susan — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:18:45 +0000

I had far too many warp ends on an over ambitious repp weave, on a small studio loom, last winter, and struggled with it too long. Finally, I cut them off! I wish I had done it right away. The warp is gone, long live the warp. Your new warp looks very exciting. Don’t look back.

By: Alison Daykin

Alison Daykin — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:53:53 +0000

When I did my training we were given a lecture by an ex-textile designer who looked after the weave archive at Bradford College. He said “we may be being trained as textile designers, but there are no new weaves structures any more! They’ve all been done.”

We were all rather disappointed by this, but he’s quite right, on reflection. Yes, there are no new weave structures, but it’s how you use them, modify them and interpret them with your yarns that make all new projects so different to those of any other textile designer.

I’ve just had a work placement student for the last 3 weeks and she said they’ve been given a set of weaves that they can use as references to draw on!

By: curiousweaver

curiousweaver — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:48:43 +0000

I just love to hear all readers’ thoughts on patterns. It is fantastic!

I’ve just read an article in the Journal by Peter Collingwood which sums up my opinion about the way humans have previously built on, taught and passed down patterns and skills through to us living today.

Peter writes about the tablet woven Sazigyo from Burma ‘the feeling of awe I often find overwhelming in an ethnographic collection.’ Each masterpiece’ …must represent the accumulated skill of generations of makers’

By: Peg in South Carolina

Peg in South Carolina — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:53:15 +0000

Don’t let something so foolish hold you back! First of all, there is absolutely nothing wrong with plain 4-shaft twill or plain 2-shaft plain weave. Plain twill is easy and fast to weave and produces a beautiful fabric with great drape. You can use anything from one color/one yarn on the one hand to multi-colors and multi-yarns on the other. I think twill is really hard to beat as a beautiful and functional fabric.
As for “borrowing” the designs of others. That is a wonderful way to learn! The best of artists, fine, music or otherwise, frequently more or less repeat themselves. It might seem like getting in a rut, but it’s also a time of rest.
Finally, new weave designs don’t just appear like magic. They come from standing on the shoulder’s of others and from lots of “borrowing.”
Go weave what YOU want to weave! (I think the mother in me just escaped a bit—sorry—VBG!)

By: Laura

Laura — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:48:44 +0000

There are times when a simple 2:2 twill is truly comfort. I have a 16 shaft straight draw on my loom right now, and am weaving it in various simple twills. So you aren’t alone.
Cheers,
Laura

By: Amy Norris

Amy Norris — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:10:12 +0000

hmmmm….what you say about the current demand for originality in weaving helped me identify a source of my own weaving unease at the moment. Thank you.

But now that I take it out and look at it….originality is only critical, IMO, in the pieces that I am going to sell. If I am weaving for my own pleasure, for learning, or for gifts, I can choose to weave whatever I want, even if that is a duplicate of a published pattern. Does that make me any less a weaver? No, because even if I exactly duplicate a published pattern (which, in truth, happens very rarely), I learn *something* in the doing. Or even if not, there is a pleasure and satisfaction (one hopes!) in the doing.

And who is to say that isn’t sufficient…or valuable…or worthwhile.

Of course, the question of originality — and how much is enough — is more of a concern when selling handwovens.

Thanks for the food for thought.

By: Alison

Alison — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:45:13 +0000

You work with such lovely colors that a brilliant, original weave pattern isn’t always necessary. Sometimes it’s nice to just let a pretty warp speak for itself. On the other hand, I understand the draw of interesting weave structures. It’s so liberating to be able to choose between a complex structure and a simple one. I think each has its place and can yield wonderful results.

By: Kim Gibson

Kim Gibson — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:02:32 +0000

Good to cut your frustration off. Now you have thrums to use for something else. I made a warp 60epi and in the middle of threading my bordercollie jumped in and ripped out about half. No, I didn’t kill her, but the warp became half sized after about an hour of attempting to repair. sigh.