Woven Constructions

These Woven Constructions are a series of mock-ups for a larger project in the making. They are based on house framing techniques, made of stained spruce and cotton carpet warp. Their ultimate purpose will be to define previously unmarked space. For me, weaving is pure structure: miniature architectures playing with scale. I am working on getting these out of the 2D, into a more successful 3D existence. It will take a lot more thinking, sketching, reading, researching. (I have a long list of books requested at the library!)



This last image is a shot of all the elements together- still too 2-dimensional for me, but getting there. I love the overlapping threads and wooden shapes, and how it breaks out of the house framing standards. It's certainly food for thought.

Pics to Picks: A lesson in work ethic

Deadlines. I have always had a shaky relationship with them. Throughout my schooling, I would procrastinate until the night before, then try to pull everything off in a matter of hours, with no regard for sleep. As I've gotten older, I've pushed myself to start earlier and earlier, but somehow I am continually guilty of procrastination. I am also guilty of overachieving. "As I've brainstormed and sketched for quite some time now, using up a bit of time that I should have been working, should I tone down my idea, make it smaller? How about postcard size? No, that would be too easy. Let's go for a hearty 17x24" (43x61cm) needle woven piece. Only have two weeks? No problem! I can do that!" Sadly, usually time will win. Part of the project was to do as much as we can, or to go as far as we wanted to. If I weren't so guilty of procrastination in my day to day life, I think I could have gotten away with it. But I have to come clean. I would have loved to finish. But the deadline has passed! Must move forward, post what I have to show for myself!

After sketching ideas for each image sent, I decided to use this one as a starting point. I didn't want to just copy it in weaving form, but I loved the diagonal lines. I thought of tapestry, huge chunky twills, then of kente cloth. If I wove strips of cloth, only to sew it into a sort of twill? Then I dreamed of ikat details, to mimic the light in this photo. An ikat kente cloth of greys. As I worked to get my tea towels off my loom, I realized I would not have enough time to get another warp on the loom. A change of plan. I could make a frame out of wire and weave onto it. A sort of needle weaving. This would also be a great way to test out this idea, as I have a neckpiece in the wings needing finishing, and I have been thinking of weaving onto it. I did my work to a marathon of Murder She Wrote and at lunch during work, carrying it on the subway. Another lesson in space- the smaller the better on the subway. So here it is, in all its unfinished glory.

Using wire as a shaft