A new toy!

I've been eyeing this cute little rigid heddle loom for over a year now.
http://sorazora.com/product/mini-loom/

 This spring, I decided to take the plunge.  Here's my first project, a sakiori sash.

Don't worry, I know there's a warping error.  I was watching a youtube video about warping a loom by yourself, and messed up.  I'm glad that the warps will be covered in this piece.

So what is sakiori? Here's a good description from Sri.  Sakiori weaving uses a rag weft against a warp of either bast fiber or cotton. The weft material is often made from shredded kimono or other recycled garments which can be of cotton, silk or other material. Sakiori clothing was first woven by Japanese peasants around 1750 for its warmth and durability as newly minted cotton cloth at that time was too rare and expensive for a farmer or fisherman. The home manufacture and use of sakiori clothing and hearth covers in rural areas of Japan disappeared anywhere from 50-100 years ago, although a few individuals and some historical preservation societies still weave this cloth today. 

For this sash,  the warp threads are cotton, and the strips are a mix of recycled cotton and silk. 

Here are a few examples:

This book is a very good resource.

I'll post more photos when the sash is completed.

Dec. 2015

I started out the new year by finishing a project that I've been dreaming and working on for months. It's a combination of bookbinding, weaving and koyori (Japanese paper cord).

Most of Dec., I've been visually impaired due to impending cataract surgery.  First I had to wear my coke bottle glasses (extremely nearsighted) for 3 1/2 weeks.  It was disconcerting, since I had no depth perception. Then one eye was fixed, and I was lopsided for 2 weeks. My poor brain!  Then the 2nd eye, and now, 5 days later, almost perfect.

So needless to say, it was a difficult month for completing artwork.  Doing ceramics helped, and I could weave items that didn't require a lot of detail work.

For my book, 8 Paper Moons, I've used paper cord that I spun by hand, or with an electric drill.  (If you want to know more about this process, I'm teaching a workshop in Portland, OR. very soon. http://www.artandsoulretreat.com/retreat-pdx16-3550-workshop.php)


I tried a variety of weaving techniques and lots of leftover paper cords.  The cover is birch bark.  Photos of some of the moons follow.  The closure cord is also paper cord, and the rabbit is a special addition.  In Japanese folklore, there is a rabbit on the moon, instead of our man on the moon.  This rabbit bead was in my mom's collection.  I don't remember if I gave it to her or not.  (She collected miniature rabbits.)

 

title page

Woven right onto the paper

  I wove this moon on a little circle loom first.

Moon woven onto the paper

Woven on a circle loom

Right side is tapestry weaving