The process of weaving begins with 6 – 8 hours of labor making the warp, coloring it, and dressing the loom. I use a warping board to wind a 17-yard long warp chain. Next I apply color to the warp chain. Then I thread the loom. Each thread of the warp passes through the reed, which beats the threads in place, and the heddles, which control the kinds of patterns that can be woven. For a typical warp that’s 800 separate threads, and they all have to be threaded in the correct sequence.
I use specialized yarns produced in small quantities, sourced mostly in Japan. They are made of linen, paper, and silk. They are uniquely light, strong, and crisp. Because of their inherent stiffness I can fold my textiles into interesting shapes.
Over the years I have moved away from chemical dyes into the realm of natural dyes and paint pigments. I use oil paint, watercolor, gesso, graphite and ink to color my yarns. These are the tools of painters, not weavers.
The fun part, the easy part, is the weaving itself. The shuttle flies and the weaving grows thread by thread. I can only see a small section of the work at a time. When I finally unwind the finished cloth off the loom it is always a big surprise.
