Tooting my own horn a bit this morning by sharing the lovely comments Anita Osterhaug made preceding a post I wrote for Weaving Today, the online resource for Handwoven magazine. Anita is the editor of Handwoven. Her continued enthusiasm and support are hugely appreciated!
Recipes for Success
| May 24, 2013 |
Sarah
Jackson is one of the most talented weavers and designers I know. I am
perpetually in awe of her ability to marry structure, yarn, and
color and produce just the right fabric for her purpose. Sarah blazes
new territory in her weaving, but she also appreciates the value of
having a path to follow. ––Anita
When I decided to resume
weaving several years ago after a long hiatus, I wasn't sure I could
remember how to dress my loom, much less figure out the specifics of a
new project.
So for my first foray back into the world of weaving, I opted for a project from a book I found in the library, Handwoven's Design Collection 20, Weekend Weaving Projects.
Wanting to focus strictly on the mechanics of weaving, I chose to use
the exact yarn and colors specified and followed the instructions to the
letter. The venture took decidedly more time than one weekend, but the
result was two lovely tea towels . . . and renewed confidence in my
weaving ability.
A year or so later, after joining my local weaving guild, I heard a member scoff, "Real weavers only need more technical information, not recipes for
weaving," Well, I have to say, I'm all for recipes (and I'm a real
weaver). Following "a recipe" for a weaving project allows one to learn a
new technique or experience an unfamiliar fiber, color combination, or
weave structure without the concerns of designing from scratch.
Case
in point: a new weaver in my guild approached me recently to excitedly
tell me she had just finished weaving cloth for a project of mine in the
November/December 2012 Handwoven. "Squares within Squares Top" is an 8-shaft turned Atwater-Bronson lace project with a complex treadling sequence.
Quite
an ambitious project for a beginning weaver, or so I thought! She had
tackled it with confidence knowing all the details and information were
at hand. Along the way she became familiar with a new weave structure,
learned to treadle with both feet simultaneously, wove with Tencel for
the first time, and discovered a new wet-finishing technique.
As
a designer, I'm thrilled when others are inspired by my work. If their
confidence and competence as weavers increases as a result of recreating
one of my projects, then the joy of doing what I do is magnified as
well. I'm going to write more recipes!
—Sarah H. Jackson
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