weaving – Page 3 – sue orton

Spirit of Damselfly

… so to the completion of Sprit of Damselfly. In late autumn last year I put aside time and settled into my weaving. Conversations with my client and a deeper sense of understanding of the essence of the weave had helped me know the structure and sett of the piece. The warp was to be random using fibonacci sequence as I painted the colours on. It was a joy to make. I also decided to weave the weft with blue bamboo over the ‘painted’ warp to give a consistent yet random feel. World it work? Knowing that a settled and clear stretch of days was needed for rhythm and form to be consistent I began. Winding the warps, threading from the back of the loom and then into steady days of weaving. Into December and I was finished in time to send it for a surprise Christmas present. I know it was received well and I am delighted.

Spirit of Damselfly 2017 (a beginning)

A request for a commission came to me last Autumn from the partner of a gifted poet who had admired my South Downs Tweed. My creative ideas had unconsciously started when she sent me a poem ‘Damselfly’ which I had been pondering. ….The process of designing started with a conversation and a wondering … and my notes record ideas and snippets …”damselfly, water, sea, rivers” ….”Spring summer, appreciate the lift of energy,”…”strong rich colours teal, lighter blue, olive greens..” … colours that expand into the bright edge of themselves… ” So my exploring, experimentation and mood board began … and as I looked and pondered my yarn palette grew too. A mix of merino wool and bamboo perhaps…? After a few weeks I decided a point threading would be fun to explore and so using fibonacci numbers to help randomise the warp I painted a warp and went ahead with an experimental cloth to send to my client for her perusal…..

The beach

I live 100m from the beach. It’s the English Channel. It’s tidal with large expanses of beach covered then revealed twice each 24 hrs. The tide and its strand line change with the moon bringing high Spring and lower Neap tides. I walk, swim, paddle, sit; I sketch, breath, take pictures. I gather flotsam and jetsam, pick up plastic and bits; I smell, see, am buffeted, warmed, nourished by weather. I meet dogs and their walkers, fisher people and bait diggers. I collect driftwood for journey-sticks. Here are this mornings gatherings.

Peru #1 finished

I took Peru #1 off the loom yesterday: I have named this scarf Lucia after the Peruvian woman who led the rescue horse on our trek. Her colourful clothes and hat standing out in contrast to the tree-less rocky environment. She walked and skipped easily up the 5,000m passes as I climbed steadily and slowly. Thankfully her services were not needed!

Technically I have sorted out many things through this weave, not least the complexity of tie-ing up 10 shafts to 10 pedals. My biggest learning has been around the actual weaving, throwing the shuttle; the last bit really. Ideally I need quiet steady hours at the loom interspersed with exercise and calm! If I miss a day or two or get tangled in other ‘stuff’ then my weaving is not so even.

colour explorations

Colour and weaving explorations for Peru1. These pictures are from a sample made on my Louet Kombo 40 loom using just 5 of the 8 shafts. The whole process of winding a warp, threading and sleying onto the loom has been a refresher too. It feels like I’m gathering up the learnings from my Diploma again and bedding them in. I’ve been working on designing in the tie-up too which is difficult. I have rethreaded all 8 shafts now and will be looking at new designs.

weaving again

The winter was a fallow time for weaving for me. Now inspired by a long planned trip to Peru, I am back designing again. Creative confidence is for me a transient thing.. getting it back has been mixture of dogged persistence, encouragement from an experienced weaving buddy and just getting in my studio. I’ve spent last week wandering through Peru shapes pictures, journal entries and poetry; making potato cuts of hats, Inca shapes; browsing patterns and designs to translate into cloth. I have extended my colour palette too from Knoll Yarns.