New England Weavers' Seminar
July 28 - August 1, 2027
Westfield State University
Westfield MA
C-2: Special Effects in Rep Weave
Instructor: Lucienne Coifman
1/2 day, Friday, July 30, 2027, 8:30 am - 11:30 am, $80
Now that you have learned or have done some rep weave, find out the special effects and advanced possibilities that we can obtain. Using an undulating twill design, we can convert it to rep weave. Discover how to create floats in Rep weave by manipulating the fine weft. Experiment with cool variations borrowed from Shadow weave, or Honeycomb pattern. Explore warp rep Krokbragd where the pattern is in the warp. Understanding warp/weft Rep or two-ways Rep will give you insight into the versatility of this ancient technique. Do you need more shafts? How about learning pick up design!
J-1: Kami-Ito Today: The Japanese Art of Paper Spinning and Contemporary Applications
Instructor: Sarah Haskell
1 day, Friday, July 30, 2027, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, $160
The technique of spinning rice paper into thread known as Kami-ito was developed in Japan during the 11th century. In this workshop we will learn how to take a sheet of paper and spin it into thread using a drop spindle and/or a wheel. With our newly spun paper thread, we will create a small weaving, celebrating new skills and honoring ancient techniques. We will explore the wide variety of papers (including coffee filters!) that can be used for creating Kami-ito, as well as some contemporary applications of dyed, knitted, woven or crocheted Kami-ito thread. Sarah will share the history and lore behind this fascinating art of paper thread as well as some of the ways she uses this thread in her art and community art projects. Samples of handspun threads as well as pieces of fabric and art created with his amazingly durable thread will be available for inspiration.