Weaver to Weaver

Back in early December, Meg  http://www.megweaves.co.nz/ proposed a way of connecting with other weavers around the globe and sharing some "weaverly love". I signed up for this and sent off two little packets of inspiration to weavers in New Zealand and USA, neither of whom I have ever met. The next step was waiting for a couple of packets to arrive from others, all of us assigned names randomly.

I had been wondering who would be sending me some weaverly love and excited about the possibility of some new weaving friendships. With the new year off to a start, I was delighted to receive the two envelopes over the past couple of weeks.

 The first one, from Helen, filled with inspiring images and pieces of her own weaving. She is a long way ahead of me in weaving experience and her letter was filled with the wonderful details of her 2012 weaving year. Truly inspiring and as she just so happens to live nearby, we may actually meet up in person to share even more. One can never have enough weaving friends!

Close up of Helen's yarn & handwoven fabric samples

 My second package arrived today from Jane in the UK. Inside was a copy of an exquisite painting done by a friend of hers (http://www.amandapellatt.co.uk), based on Jane's Chinese moon moths. Apparently Jane raises these moths from silk worms. She also included some lovely hand dyed silk yarn in soft greens and rose. Jane is an experienced textile artist and tutor, and you can read more about her at http://www.janedeane.co.uk/  Thank you Jane!

With comparitavely so little hand weaving in Australia, it is exciting for me to meet up with other weavers, even if by long distance. There is ALWAYS something new to admire, learn and be inspired by. Thank you Meg for initiating Weaver to Weaver!

 

New Beginnings

ArtWeaver is an art and weaving blog. I will share what energises me in my art practice, my personal journey as an artist and what excites me about the weaving arts of others.

Since the beginning of 2010 I have written TheDecoDame blog www.thedecodame.blogspot.com.au, documenting my learning and discoveries as I have undertaken a Diploma of Textile Arts. If you look at my Bio & CV page you will find out more about me, but THIS is the page if you want to see and read about weaving arts and my ongoing explorations as an ArtWeaver!

My 1st piece of hand weaving - leno weave on a cardboard loom

With my completion of this course in the next couple of months, I am now looking ahead to a future as an Art Weaver. My own term (so far!) but the one that seemed the best fit for the direction my work and my passion is developing. 

Art and weaving intersect for me, at both creative and technical levels, fully engaging my mind. Looking back at the long history of the weaving arts across world cultures, there is a treasure trove of inspiration and information. Looking forward into the future of weaving arts, there is the excitement and constant challenge of new materials, reinterpreted weave structures and imaginative outcomes.

Most recent art weave near completion (woven on 8 shaft table loom)