This summer I’m taking part in a class with Jude Hill – Spirit Cloth – considering weave and its relationship to stitch. I’ve never done a class with Jude before but I’ve long loved her ‘what if’ approach and it’s stimulating to be part of a curious, experimental community for a few months. We’re currently exploring weaving into cloth, a kind of intentional darning. I did a little darning last summer while I was travelling backwards and forward to Wales (where Alan was walking), inspired by the work of Hilary Hollingworth, and by the Big Mend group on Flickr.
Where I wove across a hole (as opposed to laying the warp as long stitches across the surface) I found it hard to stabilise the edges – now, watching and listening to Jude with her respectful mastery of cloth, I have learned how to do that, and gained new inspiration to try again.
Out of those experiments came this piece, ‘Island Patterns’, worked on handmade felt, without cutting. There is more of a distinction between the background and the weaving than if you fill a hole with weave. Less integration. More floating. I love weaving at this tiny scale.
Last night. thinking ‘what if’, I wove some little windows into the work I currently have on the loom.
And this morning I filled them with cloth.
I like the change of texture and scale. Looking forward to exploring this further and seeing where it goes.
love the logic here, wonderful!
I immediately like this -all the colors and structures! Wonderful.
interesting to do it on felt
my mind was floating there too
love your site
I like the small woven sample with windows and the way you filled it, very nice.
This is such a wonderfully creative idea. I just love what you are doing with these little “windows in weave”.
Oh my this is so beautiful. I have come via Jude’s site and love your little island hopping “what ifs”. Love how you linked two places with thread “while I was travelling backwards and forward to Wales”. Also love your miniature “island patterns” and later what turned up in your loom. Very nice. I am completely new to all this so thank you. 🙂
Your weavings are unique and inspirational. I had the pleasure of visiting Harris and Lewis two years ago and was thrilled to visit a local weaver in his croft. Keep up the good work!