One Thread Project: Sample 1

At our workshop with Sue, we agreed to use cotton warp as our single thread for our homework project. The brief was as follows:

'Eighteen Creative Spirits – One Thread – One Month'

'As I mentioned on the course, I have long had the idea to run a weaving workshop where participants were only allowed to work with one thread. The idea being, that by imposing tight restrictions, deeper experimentation with the ‘language’ of that thread would be encouraged. If we can do this ‘blind’ to each other’s creative endeavours, so much the better!'

The Rules

• One type of thread: cotton warp thread from (Handweavers Studio) any thickness
• As many samples as you like
• Colour may be added in the form of staining, painting etc
• After minimum of two samples (!), you may introduce one other thread (which could be anything – wire, paper, leather, etc but only one type – ie if its wire, then only one type of wire.)

Can’t wait! Good luck, Sue '

Shown here is the first of four samples I made in response to the brief. Faced with only a white weft, I focused on building texture. Techniques used here include: soumak woven eccentrically (ie woven at various angles to the vertical warp); reverse soumak (the same technique woven 'backwards' which creates vertical ridges); wrapping around single warps; plain weave; vertical slits; and distortion of the selvedges (edges) by slackening or tightening the weft during the weaving process.