Magic Warp

Summer is here - at last!

2010-06-22T08:35:00.003+01:00

Lovely sunny weather outside - it's been bright and warm, birds tweeting, weeds growing like mad. The long, light days - although not always very warm and sometimes with a brisk wind - are very welcome. I've been pulling my garden back into a manageable state, slowly working through the tasks, and feeling nourished by spending time outdoors.

Still drawing

2010-04-22T10:52:00.005+01:00

Pleased to report that I'm doing well so far, drawing pretty much every day, here and there. Carrying around a small sketchbook works well - I took it to London with me at the weekend and used it a lot. I've enjoyed the sense of space and time out that occurs during the process of drawing. Having my eyes and hands busy means my thoughts can become quite meditative, float and make connections. After my accident last week, I still feel freed up to draw without judgement. It feels different.

I received my membership card for 'Friends of the Hatton', and it turns out there is a group show coming up in June to which I can submit work. I am going to try to weave something for the May deadline. It would be a good boost to see some of my work on the wall again - its been a while. That's if they accept it. I read the terms and conditions again this morning - textiles are acceptable - so I'll do my best.

A sobering but motivating experience

2010-04-16T07:07:00.006+01:00

I was driving along a busy dual carriageway on Wednesday night at 60mph when my bonnet suddenly flew open, blocking the windscreen. I couldn't see a thing, so all I could do was hit the brakes, keep driving in a straight line and hope for the best.

Luckily I was on the inside lane and not in the middle of a maneouvre in another part of the road. Luckily the lorry behind me reacted quickly and didn't drive into me. Luckily there was no collision and nobody was injured. I pulled over and assessed the damage, temporarily secured the bonnet catch and drove home slowly.

Now the shock of it has passed, it's been a sobering reminder to me that we just don't know how long we've got. One could go at any time in any number of unforeseen ways. Therefore, it feels even more important to act now, live in a way that means something to oneself, and do things that matter.

Reminder to self: watch that film 'The Bucket List'.

I may never earn a penny from making art, but it feeds my soul, soothes my mind and makes me feel better in myself, which has a knock on effect in the way I give back to the world in my own small ways. For these reasons I need to keep doing it.

Even the few times I have drawn this week, I've felt that familiar, sweet, expansive feeling coming back, the one that comes with I start engaging in creative activity. The feeling that I get when my thoughts start to soar, build, flow and mesh into ideas.

I realised, to paraphrase the artists block stuff I was reading, that it doesn't really matter what I draw, as long as I keep drawing. This is the main thing.

I felt freed up yesterday, when drawing in my lunch hour, from the expectations of passers-by. For once, I really didn't care less about whether they liked my drawing or not - it didn't interrupt or bother me at all - and that felt good. I just kept going.

I read 'Notes from an Exhibition' recently, a novel by Patrick Gale. The central character is Rachel, a painter with bipolar disorder. In it, Gale describes her as 'throwing off' a couple of drawings as her warm up exercise before she starts painting. I really like that expression..

..so yesterday, I also didn't care less whether *I* liked my drawing or not.

I just kept on drawing without judgement or self-criticism - that was a new feeling and a good one. It felt relaxing and freeing.

Getting going again

2010-04-14T11:55:00.005+01:00

Getting going again is like pulling teeth - aargh! I feel sluggish and out of shape creatively.

I read up on Artists Block online. Essentially the reason is fear of failure and imperfection, and the remedy..? Just get on and do it anyway at regular intervals, and do things that feed your soul inbetween times.

I set a timer for 30 minutes before work this morning, upstairs in my studio (still in boxes and bits) and spent the time mainly drawing, followed by a little bit of organising and unpacking, so it's a start.

The other thing I've just done is to rejoin Friends of the Hatton Gallery, which means I can submit work for a group show in November. It would be good to have something on the wall.

Springtime

2010-04-05T07:52:00.004+01:00

Hello all - I'm still here! Finally Spring has tentatively begun to arrive after a long winter here in the UK and I feel a sense of renewal.The birds are tweeting and it is a joy to see nature's greenery and perky daffodils again. Hopefully you are starting to feel similarly recharged.

In my last entry I said that my desire to create seems to be influenced by the physical space around me. I am pleased to report that, as of this month, I have a dedicated studio space nearby which means I can finally start to work freely without having to tidy everything back into storage on a regular basis. I know lack of space is not an excuse for lack of creativity, but it doesn't help.

So now..some discipline, some spontaneity and let's see what happens next.

Nudges

2009-06-05T11:33:00.004+01:00

Hello again.

Thanks to everyone who has left comments on the last posting. Every so often over the past few months, a new comment from you, waiting for me in my inbox, has reminded me about my creative life and nudged me in the right direction - just what was required!

What can I say about my absence? It's that old work-life balance chestnut again. My natural rhythm seems to be to work creatively in fits and starts. I'm relaxing into that notion

My desire to create also seems to be influenced by the physical space around me. I am a great spreader of things around the room while I am working, and I've felt a bit cooped up. This observation has influenced the decision to repaint my living room (aka my work space) pure white. A new sandy-coloured carpet is about to be laid tonight to complete the transformation. The idea is to create surroundings more conducive to getting 'in the zone'. More on this later.

I have returned my attention to another love - making translucent paper constructions. I am fascinated by the idea of strength, fragility and contained space. It also enables me to work out ideas for 3-D weavings. I'll say more soon, and add photos.

Discipline

2008-12-16T09:56:00.005Z

Once again, I remember that discipline is the only thing that will allow me to produce weaving. When I was unemployed a couple of years ago, I sat down every morning to weave -my mental resistance to doing so soon surrendered - and as a result I got things done. The weaving started evolving. It takes time to weave - it is not a quick process. So to see results, as Tammye said in an earlier comment, you have to put time into the warps.

I regularly feel there is just no time to weave, but I realise again as I sit here typing that this is just a feeling - not the reality. I can create an hour every day to weave. I can prioritise it. So I'm going to do it - starting right now.

More later.

Tipping the balance

2008-12-11T06:50:00.008Z

Repetition is paying off.

I sat down spontaneously last night and wove for half an hour. It didn't take any planning or coercing myself into doing it. I just felt like it. The mental resistance to weaving is fading once again. Ego (my fear of failure) is giving way to curiosity in seeing the weaving evolve. The balance is tipping in the opposite direction.

This design is quite textural. I've been wrapping up the warps. It looks a bit like brickwork gone wrong which I like. I took a look at the weaving sideways and I am going use this quality later.

Weaving a design sideways: When weaving vertical lines up a tapestry, the vertical warps dictate that you can only create very straight lines. However, if you turn your design sideways before you mark it onto the warps, you are able to horizontally weave across the warps what will later become vertical lines - ie once you cut the tapestry off the loom and turn it the right way up. This gives you as the weaver much greater scope to play with vertical lines and make them less severe.

A surprising find

2008-12-08T07:35:00.007Z

I've started weaving the second circle now. But lapsed. My motivation seems to come and go in fits and starts. I remember from previous weaving experience that sitting down to do it every day - no matter how resistant I felt - paid off dividends. My resistance weakened with each new sitting. It was the regularity and repetition that were the key factors. This year, it has been fits and starts - not the ideal. But better than nothing.

I have just done a little experiment and viewed several of my weavings under UV light. The whole point was to make patterns that glowed.

Strangely, the woven pattern that I thought would be the least effective was the most effective under UV. Fancy that! There is definitely a balance to be struck between black and white to make the design work effectively.

So that has given me fresh energy. Back to the mental drawing board - I'll mull it over while I complete circle 2.

More on the way

2008-11-26T22:02:00.008Z

I've now woven the base of the next circle.

This was followed by two brief attempts to start filling it with a design. However, I wasn't feeling very inspired at the time - which showed in the weaving - it wasn't really going anywhere - so I unwove it again.

I am going to revisit my sketchbooks and image bank and consider a few bold patterns, particularly the patterning on frog skins. I can then mark out a design on the warps and weave it.

I also plan to make one of the circles consist solely of text - that intrigues me.

Now I feel engaged again..and enjoying the potential.

More soon. . .

And I did !

2008-11-25T07:50:00.012Z

I somehow managed to stand on both pairs of my faithful old glasses in the last week and bend them out of shape, rendering them unwearable. Thus, before I could start weaving, I spent an hour fixing, tending and cleaning my glasses - now they have a new lease of life and work better than before. I note the metaphor of getting ready to look.

So I completed the circle finally - after an 8 month lapse.

At this rate, I will be cutting it off the loom in 2020.

It is not perfect (note to self - the world did not end), but it is done.

I was interested in trying to make the circle more like an orb, coming out of the tapestry, floating in space. So I manipulated the weft quite a lot as I was weaving. It is slightly eccentric (ie not completely at right angles to the warp). I might try to use this feature more. One thing I was keen to do when weaving was to convey the shape without giving it a solid outline.

My creativity is a playful and social thing and I very much like to include viewers.

If - dare I say 'when'? -I have an exhibition one day, I would like viewers to leave feeling that it had been an enjoyable and interesting use of their time.

Now I can move on to the next part of the weaving. How exciting - starting something new!

The plan was to make a strip of circles, with different black and white designs. The warp is circular, allowing me to pull it round the frame as I go. I enjoy the idea of free will within a contained space, which is why I am working with clearly defined circles. What goes in them, I don't know yet.

I would like to weave text soon - something brand new to me.

Thanks again for all your encouragement - it really has made a big difference x

I am going to do it - right now

2008-11-24T09:10:00.004Z

I welcome:

mistakes

botch jobs

forgetting what to do

happy accidents

sublime moments

losing myself in the exquisiteness of the fibres

remembering that i can do it

unexpected bursts of creativity

The loom is looking at me from the corner of the room

2008-11-19T07:37:00.005Z

still awaiting some attention.

The mad thing is, I know what I want to do, or start doing anyway - it feels like a mixture of stage fright and fear of failure. What if I mess up what I have started?

So what? is the answer. Better to be weaving and making mistakes than not weaving. Time is short as I have three jobs - but I could still find time to do a half hour in the day. I do want to see movement there.

I have re-posted the above picture - this is where I got up to - and is my starting point.

The loom is still out...

2008-11-14T22:50:00.006Z

...and patiently awaiting attention.

I found this skydiving photo online just now. Together they look like a net, it made me think of weaving, connection, communication.

I intend to revisit some previous 3-D work that I made. I have the photos knocking around.

The loom is out

2008-11-11T14:54:00.006Z

..of its resting place and in the living room. I am going to do an hour later - and I'll time it to make myself do it - once I get back from my walk. I am expecting a bit of resistance at the beginning as it has been a while. Note to self: learn how to use the digital camera - it can't be that hard. Surface design, such as these frog skins, really intrigues me.

An online sketchbook

2008-11-04T15:59:00.022Z

Time to start bringing a bit of fun and randomness to this blog.

Originally, my self-imposed rule was that I would only blog when I had some weaving to show. However, as it turns out, all that does is put the pressure on and I end up doing nothing, no weaving, no blogging and feeling guilty.

That rule has just been dumped.

Instead, I am now going to treat this blog as an online sketchbook - as a creative work in its own right.

I have kept sketchbooks for years in different ways. Drawing, photos, words, all kinds of things. The main thing is to let it go where it needs to go. My sketchbooks are records of ideas and thoughts, but they are certainly not about perfectionism.

Historically, I have been very protective of my sketchbooks - they are a sanctuary for fresh, creative, vulnerable ideas - I keep them safe from critical eyes and tongues and lack of imagination, so the ideas stay magical to me while they are manifesting.

The end results - the work produced - is generally what people get to see later when the pieces are done and robust enough to stand alone.

So who knows what I might decide to share here in this blog sketchbook.

It is impossible to turn every single idea into a finished piece of work, there are far too many ideas. The discipline is in picking the best ones and seeing them through to completion.

As mentioned in the last entry, it has been a healing experience to compare notes lately with another ex-art-school artist.

Four years at art school taught me some important lessons and honed certain skills. Over this period, for whatever reason and there were probably a few, I also lost a lot of confidence and didn't feel inclined to draw or paint for quite a long time afterwards. Since then, my relationship with my creative side has been quite sporadic and has never quite healed. Also, the whole issue of earning a living has been centre stage for a long time.

So it's time to start having fun with this and become fearless in the face of negative criticism - especially my own. At the end of the day, all I need to do is make things in whatever way feels right to me, document it in whatever way feels natural and take it from there.

So from now on, the timing of these blog entries is going to be completely and utterly random. I'm only going to write them as and when I get the urge.

Your visits to this blog are always welcome, as are your comments if you feel like writing. I very much like that you can share your thoughts here too. I haven't got into the habit of responding individually - I may or may not do this, I'm not sure yet - but this doesn't take away from the value of what you say. I do read them all, as do others. The energy you bring through viewing this blog and what you write is a significant part of this process. Sometimes when I get stuck, it is your comments that gradually tip the balance and get me going again. Thank you for that.

Image: a pile of sketchbooks (not mine)

Glimmers

2008-10-30T13:27:00.010Z

Recent conversations with another artist have been helpful and motivating. It breaks the isolation. Just being able to talk about what gets in the way has been very healing. It is easy to end up feeling alone with it. But so good to share.

The lapsed loom

2008-08-27T16:06:00.008+01:00

Oh dear, another long lapse...

Life events have taken over of late, mainly the two jobs I now do to make ends meet, and general life stuff which takes most of what I've got to give. Still working on attaining that elusive work-life balance so there is room for the creative juices to flow. I am quite accepting that I might have to be patient until things are looking a bit more healthy financially before I can work away more regularly at the loom.

For the time being, I have more or less sacrificed the weaving to make other things happen. Also, I struggle with the thought of sitting alone in a room. I would rather be interacting with other people in a creative space, rather than in isolation.

My friend Robin goes to a regular art group which meets for an art week once a year. I visited him yesterday and felt for the first time in a while like creating. It didn't feel like it would take much to sit there with my loom and play.

So somewhere in the back of my head, these thoughts are simmering away and working themselves out. More later. Thanks for your messages on this site.

PS I have started building the archway in the garden

Image: interacting binaries

An Evening Lecture

2008-06-30T09:04:00.009+01:00

In early June, I attended a lecture at my local Guild called "Textiles and Clothing in Greek and Roman Society" and here is my account of it, written for the Guild newsletter:

Dr Clemence Schultze, Lecturer in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at Durham University, visited the Durham Guild in June and gave us a fascinating insight into the history of ancient clothing. [Some additional research for this article is from the web].

Textiles in the ancient world were primarily spun and woven by women. Socially, weaving was seen as a symbol of feminine virtue and industry as depicted in the myth of Lucretia and was held in high esteem as a wifely occupation. Women worked alongside maids which led to skill-sharing between women of all ranks during their many hours at the loom. High value was placed on certain types of items such as soldiers’ clothing. One interesting difference: In Greek society, women wove privately and virtuously in the women’s quarters whereas in Rome, it was seen as a social activity and carried out publicly in the atrium.

Weaving mythology also revolved around deception and competition. Penelope, the loyal wife of Odysseus - aka Ulysses- used her weaving to keep unwanted suitors at bay in her husband’s long absence. She began weaving a shroud, saying that she would choose a suitor when it was finished. It was a trick though (and a good one, kept up for three years!) as she would secretly unpick part of the shroud at night then weave it again the next day. Another story tells of Arachne, a shepherd’s daughter, who boasted that none could match her weaving talent and challenged Athena to a competition. During the ensuing contest, she offended Athena and was ultimately turned into a spider, condemned to hang and spin for eternity as punishment. Competing with peers to determine one’s social esteem seemed to be a particularly Greek custom.

Dr Schultze discussed how information about ancient textiles and clothing was gathered, and noted the challenge of making accurate translations from Latin and Greek to gain meaningful results.

Surviving literature from the ancient era consists mainly of technical documents which give scarce mention to arts and crafts since male scholars didn’t regard them as significant. One exception was the scholar Pliny whose life’s work, the Encyclopaedia of Natural History, survived over the centuries. Pliny wrote, for example, about dyeing processes and the best sheep wools for weaving. Other records also survive from this period including those describing textile offerings made to the goddess Artemis, detailing their garment type, pattern, colour, fabric type, and form. Fibres used for weaving in the ancient world included wool, linen, silk, hair (horse, goat, human etc), cotton, hemp and other plant fibres. Knitting, however, was not known to the ancients.

Art from the period such as sculpture, mosaic, vase and wall painting gave more clues. Dr Shultze showed us a range of slides depicting clothing and women weaving at the loom. She commented that women in those days were so skilled that they were able to accurately estimate the weight of raw fibre needed to create a final garment. Original traces of paint on a ‘Peplos Kore’ statue (a statue of a girl or maiden) give clues as to the rich colours used in the fabrics. Archaeologists have uncovered valuable artefacts such as needles, whorls, bone tablets, as well as fragments of woven cloth which have escaped deterioration. Indirect evidence from archaeology - pottery with textile impressions, metalware with the trace of the textile in which it was once wrapped - also indicate spinning and weaving techniques. Additionally, warp-weighted looms were used in Scandinavia until the early twentieth century. Studies of this living tradition helped researchers understand how the looms of the ancient world operated.

Dr Schulze described some of the types of clothing worn at the time. The peplos, an overfold pinned to your shoulders, gave a blouson effect. The chiton, a tube shaped garment, had sleeves created by multiple loops, ties or toggles. Sewing was generally avoided as needles were crude. The toga was developed around 90BC. It involved a lot of cloth, the length of which was generally three times the distance from shoulder to ground of the wearer. It was a roughly semi circular shape with a woven curved border - cutting was avoided - and rank was indicated by adding a coloured border.

Unlike the Greeks, Romans used clothing symbolically: for them clothing was costume. Whereas simple clothes were worn at home, the toga was a status symbol to be worn in public. Looking dignified in such a cumbersome garment took practice. It marked one out as male (enhancing one’s physique), moneyed (you could afford someone to help you put it on), and as a free Roman citizen. Women also wore a version of the toga, a long tunic called a stola. It was generally worn over a tunica, the basic full length item of clothing worn by all women. Either garment could have an instita, or border, along its lower hem, and the palla, a type of shawl, was draped around the shoulders.

During a Q&A session, some Guild members speculated on whether men would also have woven cloth, particularly larger, heavier items such as sails, perhaps using hemp or coarse linen, and whether family businesses may have specialised in such areas.

Dr Schultze is currently teaching a new module called “Clothing the Body, Garbing the Past”. The evening finished with an invitation to Guild members to view the display of current student projects: their ‘process portfolios’ which recorded the planning, research and reflection involved in recreating items from the ancient world, as well as the dyed samples, garments, footwear and other items themselves.

Absence from the loom

2008-05-31T16:24:00.004+01:00

It has been eight weeks since my last entry.

Thank you for taking time since then to leave comments on my blog. Each one has felt like a little ‘energy’ present from you to me, gently encouraging and reminding me to weave. Finally, the balance has tipped and here I am again.

My life-work balance shifted over the last couple of months: a temporary increase of hours in my paid job meant the energy or desire to weave dwindled and it all quietly took a backseat. Things are now back to normal though and I am perking up again.

It highlights to me the classic question experienced by anyone pursuing a vocational activity: How do you earn enough money and feed your soul at the same time? My compromise has been to work less, weave more, and accept a lower income. It’s about choice and sacrifice: not everything is possible, but some of the good and important things are possible.

The warmer weather has led me outdoors. The sun, at last, has been making its presence known after a long damp winter and so my recent creative energy has been spent outside in the garden. I’ve been thinking about bringing the weaving outdoors by creating functional structures which form an integral part of the garden. I have been considering what materials I might use and how to make them weather resistant.

My first project is to recreate an old archway which finally collapsed during a vigorous storm several months ago. I harvested branches from a budlia at the back of the garden, which are currently strewn around, sorted into straight, bendy, forked and irregular limbs. With these, I hope to recreate the archway which the vegetation can then grow into and embrace. The idea of having a subtle, creative presence in the garden is appealing

Are these reasons not to be weaving though, I ask myself.

I have just fetched my loom out from storage to take a fresh look. The black and white design makes me think of the energy of woodcuts. I like its immediacy. I hope to create work with energy about it, intrigue and interest. The panel of circles is still on the agenda. I look forward to playing more on the warps. There is something about the realness of the materials which I find healing and reassuring: the physicality of the wood, the firm warp, the fibrous wool. What I love about weaving is the simplicity, the focus, and the quietness. I haven’t been in a very quiet and balanced place of late, and so my mind has been resistant to sitting at the loom - but I am here again, touching base.

Interplay

2008-04-04T23:24:00.005+01:00

I begin by choosing the colours for the new sample. The wound balls of colours look fantastic together. Just looking at them makes me want to weave. This time however, I decide to restrict the number of colours I work with in order to focus my attention on technique and design, and choose just black and white.

I’m just going to start and see where it takes me. I have some ideas which may come to fruition but perhaps the weaving will take me in a different direction. I resolve to stick to my original plan of weaving a panel of circles, and see what happens within this structure. I might also try my hand at weaving letters and words.

I start by drawing a circle onto the warps with a permanent pen, then weaving up to its base then up one side. The result seems to be a fairly good curve which is encouraging, this being my first ever attempt at weaving a circle. It is a technical challenge to weave shapes well in a process such as tapestry weaving which is physically inclined towards horizontal and vertical elements, but this is also part of the attraction.

I like creating lines visually without them being there physically. Here, the black and white pattern gives the impression of a circle, but without using a solid outline. I very much like the idea of giving enough pictorial information in the weaving, but not spelling everything out. It then involves the viewer by allowing him or her the space to make visual connections and independent discoveries which feels so much more dynamic and interesting.

Circulation

2008-04-01T23:30:00.005+01:00

I’ve set up a circular warp on the loom. This type of warp is tied to itself rather than the frame, which means that every so often I can loosen it, pull the weaving around the loom, then tighten again.

There are two reasons for this: firstly, it enables me to create a longer panel of weaving because I have a longer unbroken length of warp to work on; secondly, it enables me to keep working at the same height which is my personal preference.

Working on a circular warp means that the weaver only has access to half of the warp ends (those on the front of the loom). Normally, the warps at the front and back of the loom would be brought together and secured with a starter weft. This would then double up the warps to be woven on. Therefore, to achieve the usual sett (the number of warp ends per inch) that I am accustomed to, I wind double the number of warp ends onto the frame when creating a circular warp.

Additionally, I like to fix a spacing rod to the top of the loom before I start winding on the warp. I do this as a matter of course as it gives me the option of some slack if required later by adjusting its position. Likewise, I often create a double warp at the selvedges (the edges of the tapestry) for strength, stability and structural punctuation.

Before weaving, I finish the setting up process by doing the following:

tying on a temporary starter weft to stabilise the base of the warps which will be cut off when the tapestry is pulled around for the first time.

clamping a wooden baton inside the base of the front warp, a foundation for the heading and base knots to follow.

weaving two inches of heading (which spaces the warps evenly, and is removed after the tapestry is cut off the frame)

adding a row of base knots – this secures the tapestry to the warps and stop the weft slipping down the warps.

creating a shed (the space between the front and back warps) by inserting a dowel rod into the warps, secured in place with metal g-clamps (plastic clamps distort under tension)

My weaving memories are making a gradual return. Knowledge gained from the experience of past tapestries is filtering back (hooray) and I pick up where I left off. It feels lovely, valuable and reassuring, all rolled into one.

Glossary

2008-03-31T13:31:00.004+01:00

The glossary below will be continually updated. Access it any time via the link to the right of the page.

Base knots: two half hitch knots tied onto each warp end before weaving commences (and also at the end when the weaving is finished). Along with the starter weft, this creates a firm base to weave onto. The knots remain as part of the tapestry when it is cut off the frame, and prevent the weft unravelling.

Heading: temporary, thicker weft woven between the warps in order to space the warps evenly before the base knots are applied. It does not form part of the tapestry and is later removed.

Sample: a piece of experimental weaving, not deliberately intended as a finished tapestry

Sett: the number of warp ends per inch (epi)

Shed: the space formed between the front and back warps. There are two sheds - the open shed (created naturally), and the closed shed (created by pulling the back warps forwards between the front warps)

Starter weft: Strong weft, usually warp thread, tied to the frame and woven between the warp threads two or three times, pulled taut and tied off. This secures the warp threads in place before weaving commences and gives a firm foundation, along with a row of base knots. The starter weft is removed after the tapestry cut off the frame.

Warp: the taught vertical threads, usually cotton or linen, made by winding the fibre around the frame. Warp thread is different to string - it is specifically designed to be firm and strong but with some springy-ness to allow the weaver to manipulate the warps during the weaving process. The weaver may wish to experiment by using other sturdy fibres (such as fishing line or wire) as warps.

Weft: the horizonal threads, woven between the warps, and usually packed down to cover the warps completely, although this depends on the intention - the weaver may want to leave the some warp threads exposed. Any fibre element which can be woven between the warps can be used as weft.

Winding

2008-03-24T14:23:00.014Z

Winding fibres into uniform balls
removing the distractions of cardboard tubes, cones and labels
I can view the colours in their purest form
they belong to me now, welcomed into my family

The fibres are more accessible:
of similar size and format
they are easier to move around
I see them in a different light

The colours can be compared,
the fibres contrasted -
constructed into balls, their look is transformed
they are their own mini works of art

Winding them teaches me about their nature,
giving insights into the qualities of their weave
I learn which fibres hold structure easily, and which don’t
all good information about their textural potential

The rhythm and routine of the winding process is good medicine
the slow methodical pace
determined by my hands
helps to unpack my head, my weavers block

overwhelmed with ideas -
can't process them fast enough.
crammed into my head,
they are bottlenecked, logjammed

Winding is good medicine
it allows my head to gradually settle
I stop struggling and respect the pace
things trickle out in their own time

Winding time is quiet time
private, untangling time. healing time
later, the creative part of me will be free to fly
and later still, woven tapestries will be the tangible and public part of my process

Weaving is my form of spiritual practice
when I engage with it
all else falls away
somehow, I find the way to be here in this moment

Gradual development

2008-03-03T22:00:00.010Z

Each day I notice the studio space evolving in parallel to the weaving. Things gravitate gradually into the right positions. The system gets better, smoother, more organised.

This morning, I was reading Small Woven Tapestries by Mary Rhodes. Looking at the work of others propels my knowledge forward. It has given me ideas about inserting additional warps, geometric patterns and textures.

There are two distinct conversations happening in my samples. One is textural, the other pictorial. I feel that they will naturally merge with time. With the current sample, I am looking for balance now in bringing the design to a close. Looking at what has gone before, and seeing what I can do with the remaining weft from the workshop.

I love the combination of wrapping and plain weave. It allows me to showcase the warps. I found a better way of wrapping a single warp to maintain integrity of weaving: weaving independently behind the single wrapped warp avoids creating slits. This is straightforward if the background on either side is the same colour. If not, the two background colours could be interlocked behind the single warp, which would create a floating wrapped warp on the front of the tapestry with no vertical slit.

A cartoon behind the warp, with some of the major shapes marked onto the warps, plus a small colour image next to me as I weave would be a good combination for weaving a design. It would give the right combination of structure and freedom. I may experiment by scanning a design into the computer to reduce it down to its main components.

Future project

Squiggles (‘taking a line for a walk’) possibly combined with horizontals and verticals.

Designing for the warp

2008-02-29T09:50:00.025Z

Fiona showed us her sketchbook design process which included experimenting with blocks of solid colour and spontaneous scribbles. I was inspired by the immediacy, simplicity and contrast in her designs.

She suggested using a cartoon (a paper design taped onto the frame behind the warps) as a weaving guideline (rather than a rule), which I have been doing here. I’ve gone off at a tangent which is okay in this particular sample. The cartoon has become a springboard for ideas.

Weaving an established design closely is something I need to work on. It is another reminder at this stage to keep things simple. I could make future cartoon designs simpler and more dynamic by using bolder lines and shapes but then weaving them more subtly. Additionally, a cartoon on coloured paper would stand out against the white warps.

I’m wrapping around a single warp with a single fibre- it feels like colouring in. I can make spots much more apparent by floating weft behind them for several passes before covering their warps again - they jut out more. I plan to develop this idea by having exposed warp wrapped in UV white, with plain weave behind it in a second attempt at a labyrinth design.

Next projects

Refining horizontals, verticals and spotting, using white plus one other colour
Weaving a circle (which I haven’t done before)

Allowing the conversation to unfold

2008-02-27T21:15:00.010Z

Finished – this sample has turned out well - I can see developments throughout.

I'm glad I persevered with it in its early unpromising stages. It became something quite different to how it started - I need to remember this. I need to remember to allow samples the time they need to find their own way, to gradually -or suddenly- evolve.

I had a gap of several days away in the middle of weaving this sample which was definitely noticeable to me. I am learning about the effect of an absence from an idea at the loom for any length of time..

..It then takes a while to tune back in to the subtleties of the weaving again - literally, picking up the threads of the conversation, and continuing the story of the particular sample to its conclusion.

A workshop with Fiona Rutherford

2008-02-23T23:35:00.014Z

Today I attended a workshop led by Fiona Rutherford organised through the Durham Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. I find it greatly valuable to attend workshops led by a range of experienced weavers since each individual has their own perspective, interests and ways of working. All of it adds flavours and layers to the melting pot out of which my own style is emerging.

Fiona encouraged us to play around with mark making, and to consciously restrict our colour range to just two colours in order to focus on the relationship between them. I was reminded of one of the beauties of weaving: two constrasting colours can be blended successfully together yet still retain their own individuality. In addition, we worked only in simple plain weave, rather than bringing in additional textural techniques. I found the simplicity of the exercise to be very freeing - it has opened me up to a new range of ideas and ways of experimenting.

About the artist
In her Designed and Made profile, adapted, Fiona states: 'In my tapestries, I like to create a sense of immediate energy by using vivid colours and simple imagery that contradict the slow process of their weaving. My images are a careful balance of patterns, symbols and mark-making that suggest the selvedge of a larger unseen design.'

A magical process

2008-02-18T20:59:00.009Z

There is a parallel that runs between blogging and weaving. They are both chronological sequences of events.

Sitting down, ready to start weaving, with a sense of anticipation about what might happen at the loom today. This sample is evolving organically. Patterns are emerging and developing as the tapestry grows. Tuning in ever more subtly to the ways of weaving is a magical process.

I like this simple palette of black, white, and earthy colours. The white knobbly markings make me think of teeth, vertebrae, or stones laid out in a pattern on the earth. Remembering to step back from the loom every so often is important. It often looks different up close to the overall effect when viewed from a distance.

Knotting, wrapping and whipping techniques are helping to firm up the softer wefts. I’m whipping on top of strong foundation wefts such as hemp, so that the different fibres stay separate rather than bleeding together. The more subtle background colour base is working well with the foreground contrasts. I’ve been weaving with single colour wefts on this sample rather than blending wefts together on the same bobbin.

For the next tapestry I might use a circular warp to help with posture as it enable me to keep pulling the tapestry around the frame and therefore work continuously at the same height. I find it better to sit above the weaving level, so that I don’t have to lift my arms up to weave. It should always be as relaxed a posture as possible.

Discipline and balance

2008-02-17T20:58:00.006Z

I am still working out how to weave bold colour areas without it looking clunky. Blending background colours is easier because I can get away with a lot more when the colours are a close blend. Contrasting wefts on the other hand show up the mistakes like a spotlight.

Because weaving is systematic and you have to work from the bottom up, you are not afforded the luxury of going back and correcting a mistake (apart from really minor ones) unless you unpick your way all the way back down again and re-do it. Unless you are just playing around and experimenting, you need to have an idea of what you are setting out to do early on. That discipline is something that I really love about tapestry.

The tapestry is constantly evolving its look. I can't always tell in its early stages whether it is working or not. It is always useful to stand back and look at the balance of the whole thing. Continuing the recurring themes adds visual structure and strengthens the dynamics. I have just added some more black areas and it instantly transforms this sample. Definitely a good move.

One challenge of weaving a designed tapestry is that there are several conversations going on at the same time with different structures and different patterns. Learning to stay on top of it all and keep it going at the same time is the tricky part. The more time that I spend weaving, the more the materials are teaching me how they work, rather than me trying to impose my design ideas on them.

Time to develop

2008-02-16T19:03:00.006Z

My relationship with weaving began almost twenty years ago when I came face-to-face with a large contemporary tapestry created by a young student. Realising that this individual had made the conscious decision to use their time, day after day, week after week, month after month creating this piece of work, and wanting to do it more than anything else, affected me profoundly. Our time here is such a precious commodity. I thought 'I need to be doing this too'.

Weaving doesn’t give away its secrets easily. Patience leads to discovery. To get results after sustained effort feels like an achievement. The formula is simple. In order to discover, go to the loom and cover the warps. Time spent at the loom = results. Evaluate, edit techniques and styles, evolve, move on to the next piece. Repeat.

In this sample, I’ve used a lot of whipping around single warps to create surface texture. I find it a lot more interesting to give the impression of a line without actually creating a solid line. If you give enough information, a line is visually assumed – I find that exciting. I’ve been creating these lines with a white cotton that glows under UV light. I am fascinated with the idea of combining ancient and modern.

The integrity of the weaving is really important to me. Hence, in this textural sample, I've been using plain weave amongst the whipping, and firmer wefts next to soft wefts to give structure and stability. In the next textural piece, I’d like to experiment more with wrapping vertically and whipping horizontally, and creating more contrasts in colours and textures.

Blending

2008-02-05T20:21:00.007Z

Finding the right balance of colours, weft materials, and surface textures in each piece is an ongoing challenge. Today I was reminded - again - that it takes patience to find out what each material can do.

The only real way to gather this information is to put in the weaving hours. In doing so, I am gradually beginning to take note of the different characteristics of these materials, whether they combine well or not, and making adjustments as appropriate.

Perseverance is beginning to pay off. After an unsatisfying start, this piece has began to take shape and find its way. I am particularly interested in three areas: the nodule-like texture that is coming into the white lines; the dynamic between the horizontals and verticals; the mixture of bold foreground colour and quieter background colours.

(jute, sizel, rug wool, hemp, mercerized cotton)

Creating texture

2008-02-02T20:45:00.002Z

The samples I’ve woven over the last month have focused on developing textural surfaces using techniques such as soumak knotting and weaving with textured fibres which add their own distinct characters and flavours to the woven surface.

In this piece, soumak knotting is carried out using sizel to create a regular pattern of distinctive, raised surface markings. I am inspired by scarification markings.

(sizel, jute, twine, rug wool)

Doing what you love

2008-02-01T04:00:00.001Z

I believe that when we do what we love - whatever it is that makes us feel switched on, connected, peaceful, excited, happy (even if nobody ever knows about or sees what this thing is) - then we will in turn be at our most harmonious when we interact with the world around us.

For me, this means re-engaging with my creative process, and in particular, expressing my ideas through weaving.

(Jute, sizel)

A workshop with William Jefferies

2008-01-02T09:23:00.000Z

In November 2006, I attended a workshop led by William Jefferies at the Handweavers Studio in London. A renowned weaver, William incorporates a variety of textural techniques into his tapestry weaving and works with materials such as wool, linen, jute, cotton, silk, coir fibre, steel and hemp.

The weekend was inspiring. William taught each of us according to our needs. He imparted a great deal of information about weaving which we were able to quietly absorb whilst engaged in our individual weaving projects. I learned several textural techniques such as whipping, wrapping and tufting, and my understanding of weaving moved another step forward and came away with a batch of invaluable notes. Shown here is the sample I produced that weekend.

About the artist
In his 2006 artist statement on the Craft Council website, William says: 'I use tapestry weaving like a method of building to produce small pieces. I am interested in the traditions of tapestry which use illusion and picture making but I also like texture and the substance of fabric. I like to use fibres which have character as well as conventional dyed wool. Problems of hanging and shape intrigue me. Inspiration comes from numerous sources. I use drawing and collage to arrive at a committed design.'

Wirework 2b

2008-01-02T09:22:00.010Z

This is the reverse of the previous sample, showing its warp ends.

A friend, familiar with knots, did the knotting on the right hand side. The challenge was to find a way to hide the warp ends when the tapestry was viewed from the front.

I would like to explore this idea further and also find a way of weaving the ends into a reversible tapestry or finding other ways of 'losing' them inside the fabric

Wirework 2

2008-01-02T09:21:00.002Z

Another sample with integrated wire, this time around its selvedges (outside edges) only.

Wirework 1

2008-01-02T09:20:00.003Z

I'm intrigued by the idea of 3-D woven structures. This led me to make this sample with wire integrated into its design. The 11 visible horizontal lines are wires wrapped in weft then inserted into the warps. There are also 7 vertical wire warps which were woven alongside cotton warps at regular intervals. Together they create a grid of wire squares, meaning the tapestry can retain the desired shape when bent in any direction or molded around different objects.

The tapestry is reversible with no ends so it can be viewed from both sides. The number and size of wires inserted in future samples would depend on the strength and bendability required. It throws up a whole range of possibilities.

UV design

2008-01-02T09:19:00.002Z

In this sample, I was playing around with UV reflective cotton plus warp cotton. I wanted the contrast to be minimal under normal light, but then jump to life under UV. However, the design and execution felt too chunky and clunky and obvious - going straight up the warps didn't have the sensitivity I like to bring into my weaving. However, learning what doesn't work is equally useful information. This design is a small segment of a larger labyrinth design.

Hemp 4

2008-01-02T09:18:00.002Z

This one contains UV white and black cotton, warp cotton and hemp. At the base of the sample, I had another go at vertical slits and patterns. Again, this part is okay but I think the proportions need to change to make it more zingy and crisp.

I like the idea of the tapestry having one view under normal light, then changing under UV light. To this effect, I could make a distinct black and white design to be viewed under normal light, and also weave it extra white design, obscured under normal light, but which would only jump to life under UV.

Hemp 3

2008-01-02T09:17:00.001Z

I like weaving across a limited number of warps. The narrow proportions enable the sample to grow at speed which brings a sense of immediacy to the process. Ideas can be tested out and distilled quickly; the warps move differently on the frame during weaving. I like playing around with the sample when cut off the loom. Suddenly it is free to move - I can fold, coil, wrap, and layer it over itself and consider the possibilities.

Hemp 2

2008-01-02T09:16:00.002Z

This sample continues the idea of the previous one, but here I have made the slits more random and layered to see what happened.

This sample didn't quite work for me in the same way as the previous one. I think it was a matter of proportions, and perhaps it would be better next time to use thinner fibres, or work on a larger scale. I would like to come back to this idea of random slits and disjointed patterns later.

Hemp 1

2008-01-02T09:15:00.006Z

I love working with hemp. It has a lovely fibrous feel to it, and works well as a sturdy and neutral base. It tends to be quite springy so I find it easier to work with loose lengths. I sourced my hemp from House of Hemp.

Here I've contrasted it with colours and worked in strips up the warps to break up the surface design, creating vertical slits in the process. These slits could be sewn up, but I've left them open here. Edges, meeting points, and spaces intrigue me.

At the bottom of the sample, you can see the warp thread I used as a heading weft (to space out the warps evenly before I started laying in the weft). The intention was to remove it later once the sample had been cut off the loom, but as often happens I just quite liked it there, so it stayed.

One Thread Project: Sample 4

2008-01-02T09:14:00.005Z

I wove the final sample for this project using a circular warp (which meant that I could loosen the tapestry every so often, pull it round the loom, and tighten it up again). I deliberately restricted myself to only 5 warp ends so that I could weave up quickly and to challenge myself within this limited width. A third of the sample is shown here. Again, I have used warp stained with tea leaves.

Techniques include: plain weave, pick-and-pick, diagonal shapes, blended weft fibres, eccentric weave, knotting, and floating weft vertically up the front of the tapestry.

It is so useful to have physical samples on file. Examining this sample again right now, long after its creation, reminds me of a technique I started playing with while weaving it.

One Thread Project: Sample 3

2008-01-02T09:13:00.001Z

In this third sample, I stained some lengths of warp with tea leaves. Some of it was untwisted into its three fibre components before dying to create evenly dyed fibres. Some of it was untwisted after dying to create a mottled effect on the fibres. It is all woven in plain weave, with the dyed warp used to create design. The stripes in the central section are woven with pick-and-pick technique. I enjoyed playing around with natural dye, although untwisting the warp by hand did take rather a long time. At some stage, I'd like to try using a cord twister - in reverse.

One Thread Project: Sample 2

2008-01-02T09:12:00.001Z

In the second sample, I focused on creating a strong dynamic by using contrasting textures. The foreground is made from short lengths of warp which were knotted onto two single warps, one near each edge of the tapestry. These were added at regular intervals after every few rows of plain weave. The plain weave added strength and stability, anchoring the knots in place as the tapestry grew. The short lengths were then frayed to become soft and tousled in comparison to the hard background texture.

One Thread Project: Sample 1

2008-01-02T09:11:00.010Z

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.

A workshop with Sue Lawty

2008-01-02T09:10:00.009Z

I went to a workshop with Sue Lawty, Artist in Residence at the V&A in London, during her Concealed, Discovered, Revealed exhibition. What I love about Sue is her enthusiasm for exploring and discovering. She was very interested in bringing structure and texture, partly through the use of non-traditional fibrous wefts into her tapestries. She encouraged us to experiment and see what happened.

This is the piece I made during her two day workshop, playing around with colour, and for the first time introducing (albeit a bit nervously) contrasting materials and beginning to play around with the dialogue between the fibres. I felt greatly encouraged by her adventurous and inquisitive spirit and came away from the weekend inspired and ready to tackle the homework she set us.

About the artist
In an artist statement, Sue says 'Throughout my creative life I have been drawn to textiles from times past, re-examining structure and exploring textile language. I have poured over tapestry fragments from Peru and Coptic Egypt or raphia cloths from Zaire. The more I research, the more I feel part of a rich woven tradition and the more I endeavour to add something of interest to it. I wish for my work to give me the same frisson that I experience from these humble textiles. In our present technological age, it feels important that the past should inform the present and that the human mark of the individual should be evident.'

A workshop with Joan Baxter

2008-01-02T09:09:00.006Z

Joan Baxter led a workshop day at the Durham Guild in June 2006. She encouraged us to work in shapes, rather than lines, and have fun, letting the tapestry tell a story as it grew. We got to use her gorgeous hand-dyed yarns. She encouraged us to select a main colour and then add secondary colours as highlights. This gave the tapestry a congruence yet allowed character and other colours to come in.

The lower green section of the tapestry was woven with Joan's yarns at the workshop, the upper blue section was woven later with my own shop-bought yarns.

About the artist
On her website, Joan says: "My work deals with landscape, its echoes of history, its legends, its atmospheres and moods. I am particularly inspired by the rich cultural heritage and wild beauty of the landscapes of the far North of Scotland where I live.I choose to work in the traditional woven tapestry medium because I like the way my initial ideas can develop and expand during the slow and deliberate making process.The process, although a very ancient one, allows me to push boundaries in design, technique, materials and concepts."

Black and white UV design

2008-01-02T09:08:00.000Z

This sampler consists of the blackest black I could find, and a UV reflective white cotton. I conducted a simple test, by collecting a variety of whites and shining a UV bulb onto them to see which would glow.

This sampler is part of a large design that was intended to be viewed under UV. I abandoned this sample though as I quickly realised that the design was too intricate for the small number of warps. I will rethink the dimensions and work out the correct scale once I have more experience and come back to this design later.

cotton, 2005

Two hearts for the Botanics

2008-01-02T09:07:00.002Z

This second attempt at a tapestry design was more successful than the previous one. I kept the design is simpler, and improved the choice of colours.

I particularly like the blending in the yellow heart - I blended three colours together (the main colour plus a highlight and a lowlight). The weft is eccentric, meaning it does not run perpendicular to the warp, but is more playful and lively.

I was also quite pleased with the wiggly 'pulse' line woven across the two hearts - it was fiddly to weave but I like the result which looks to me like drawing. The bold black and red at the top and bottom of the design added punctuation.

This piece was exhibited at the Botanical Gardens as part of a group show of the Durham Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. It raised the question of how to present and exhibit tapestry. On this occasion, I put it behind glass in a frame.

First attempt

2008-01-02T09:06:00.001Z

This is my first attempt at weaving a proper, small tapestry.

I made a basic design by splodging some paint around, selecting and enlarging a section of the painting, then making this the basis of the design.

Basic 5

2008-01-02T09:05:00.003Z

This sample shows my first attempt at double weft interlock, a technique woven from the reverse of the tapestry. It enables you to run a colour up a single warp to create a line, but without leaving vertical slits.

Basic 4

2008-01-02T09:04:00.003Z

In this sampler - another run through at basic technique - I used thicker weft and more limited colours than in 'Basic 1'.

Basic 3

2008-01-02T09:03:00.002Z

This sample makes me think of mountains or a seismograph reading when viewed from the side.

I have woven a couple of times on coloured warp, but quickly found that it is harder on the eyes to weave with anything that isn't white or off-white.

However, I can see the possibilities of coloured warp, for example if the warp was deliberately visible as part of the design.

Basic 2

2008-01-02T09:02:00.006Z

I used two guides to remind myself about technique:

Tapestry Weaving by Kirsten Glasbrook which is an excellent and user-friendly guide for beginner weavers.

The Tapestry Handbook by Carol K Russell (out-of-print). A precise and highly detailed resource when you are ready to go deeper.

Book Butler is a good price comparison site when searching for out-of-print (and in-print) books. It's well worth checking Ebay too.

Basic 1

2008-01-02T09:01:00.008Z

Hello and welcome to my blog

I decided to start weaving again in 2003.

All of the entries shown in the January 2008 archive are the weaving samples which I wove sporadically between late 2003-2007.

I started at the beginning, with a series of samplers to remind myself of the basic techniques as I hadn't woven for over a decade. This was one of the first ones.

What is Tapestry Weaving?

2008-01-01T08:00:00.003Z

Traditional tapestry is a fabric constructed by hand using a weft-faced weave.

This means the weft (the horizontal threads) completely covers the warp (the vertical threads held taut on a sturdy frame) to create a smooth flat surface.

The basic technique is plain weave which simply means that the weft passes over one warp and under the next.

[There are many additional techniques which can be used to create pictorial, textural and structural effects.]

Tapestry has a long history throughout many countries of the world. Remnants found in Egypt indicate that tapestries were woven as early as 3000 BC.

Regardless of where or when tapestries were woven, or what type of loom was used, the techniques were very similar and have remained basically unchanged throughout history.

Source: Nancy Harvey, Tapestry Weaving, adapted