Weaving has long been seen as an artform that falls somewhere between fine and decorative arts, due to material hierarchies and assumptions of utility that delegitimize its unique qualities.
Anni Albers counteracted this tenuous positioning through her groundbreaking text On Weaving. Her approach exemplifies weaving’s expansive specificity through an oxymoronic vision.
Sculptural Weaving
Woven cloth can be created through weaving by interweaving two sets of yarns — known as warp and weft — which run length-ways and horizontally respectively, creating fabric. Woven fabric may feature either simple color patterns or artistic or decorative embellishments.
This workshop will introduce various weaving techniques and help you use them to create sculptural forms from woven sculptures. Students of all experience levels – from those who have never made a basket to longtime weavers – are welcome.
Utilizing the same weaving technique used in basketry workshop, this class will teach you to weave with reed and other natural materials to create sculpture. While all skill levels are welcome to attend this course, this particular one focuses on expanding one’s vocabulary of weaving techniques.
Instructors provide various samples and one-on-one assistance, ensuring all students can successfully complete the workshop. They will leave with completed work and the knowledge to continue working independently.
Artists such as El Anatsui, Sarah Zapata and Benjamin Shine utilize textiles in order to create sculpture. By folding or pleating fabric they create organic shapes which may require heat (such as an iron) in order to set the pleats or folds of their pieces sculpturally. Furthermore they often add texture by gathering or twining materials within their works.
Myriam Roux excels at weaving found materials together into her weavings. She encourages students to combine various materials in their work, exploring new weaving methods with everything from wire and paper. Her approach is experimental; her goal is to push the limits of what can be woven.
The Kafiye Project is an exhibition of textile sculptural vessels created to explore the relationship between Arab culture and Islam. Drawing inspiration from various sources like gnawa music and traditional Fulani vessels for water storage such as calabashes, this artist aims to demonstrate their cultural significance while elevating them to art status.
Textured Weaving
Weaving is an expansive art form, using threads to transform them into intricate fabrics. From classic weaves such as plain, herringbone and basketweave to more experimental techniques like leno weave, double weave and jacquard weaving – weaving has endless potential for creating visually striking fabrics with texture.
Plain weave weaving is the simplest form of textile production available today. This simple technique involves interlacing weft (horizontal threads) with warp (vertical threads) in an over-and-under pattern to produce strong, sturdy fabrics with balanced fiber tension that remain sturdy over time.
Satin weave is a variation of plain weaving used to produce smooth and lustrous fabrics. Weft threads pass over multiple warp threads before being passed under them, creating long floats on the fabric surface. Satin, charmeuse, and sateen fabrics can all be created using satin weave; basket weave is another textured option similar to basket weaving with groups of warp and weft threads arranged in checkerboard patterns that create robust fabrics used frequently for home decor or furniture upholstery projects.
Twill and heddle weave are variations of plain weave that produce textural effects in fabric. With twill weave, the weft threads are twisted diagonally while with heddle weave the weft yarns are wrapped around a dowel to form long fringe or tassels at each end of fabric.
Other textured weaves include herringbone, which resembles honeycomb structures, and basketweave with its striped patterns. Leno weave can also be created by twisting adjacent weft threads before weaving; it is popularly used to produce mosquito netting, sheer curtains, and similar net-like fabrics.
Add even more texture to your fabric by weaving with contrasting yarns. Just the addition of one different fiber can dramatically alter the feel of your finished fabric; their textures become especially eye-catching when used alongside other heddle or warp yarns. Furthermore, you can play around with different yarn thicknesses by mixing weft threads of different diameters – this will produce a richly layered fabric unlike anything possible using only one type.
Embroidery Weaving
Though both embroidery and weaving are textile arts, their processes differ significantly. Weaving involves interlacing two sets of threads – warp and weft – at right angles to form fabric; its designs are built into its fibers themselves, lending themselves well for utilitarian applications like clothing and rugs. Conversely, embroidery decorates fabric by stitching designs onto base materials; this allows greater creative potential that can be utilized across cotton, wool and silk materials as well as various yarn types like stranded fibers and ribbon yarn types.
Weaving and embroidery can be used together to produce stunning woven-embroidered pieces. This mixed media masterpiece combines the structure and durability of woven fabric with the intricate detail and artistry of embroidery, producing something truly exceptional. Additionally, this technique lends itself to many applications across fashion, home decor and beyond.
To incorporate embroidered designs into your weaving, stitch your desired pattern on fabric using an appropriate machine embroidery stitch. Your choice of thread and stitch will depend on what look you’re going for; for a subtler approach consider light stitches such as standard zigzag stitch, universal or elastic casing stitch blind hem overlock stitch or overlock stitch; while for something more decorative rickrack triple zigzag blanket or satin block stitches (Figure 1) work best (Figure 1).
Embroidery stitches can also be combined with weaving techniques like couching and laid work to produce textural effects, as well as with threads and fibers woven together for raised surface embellishment. This adds dimension and interest to woven designs by adding 3-D elements like wings or flower petals that lend themselves well to embroidery’s use in designs.
Embroidery and weaving are two textile art techniques that offer endless opportunities for expression. While some might favor one over the other, both offer distinct strengths and benefits that make them both essential in textile arts. Beginners or experienced weavers alike should not hesitate to take risks when exploring this world of textile arts – there are plenty of resources out there like books, tutorials, classes and workshops that can assist them.
Patterned Weaving
Adding interest to woven cloth can be as straightforward as choosing different yarn thicknesses for weaving a scarf or pillow, creating textures and patterns by layering up various yarn types. Thick cotton, wool or acrylic yarns allow you to form raised dots along your weft threads while thinner yarns help fill in spaces between these raised spots for an eye-catching plush and cozy effect.
Weavers can alter both the thickness and color and texture of their weaving by altering yarn thickness, color or texture. Although cotton and wool are the primary natural fibers used for weaving, modern weavers now have access to an impressive variety of synthetic yarns like polyester, nylon and rayon that offer durability as well as special properties like wrinkle-resistance and elasticity not found with natural fibers.
Weaving structure, or how warp and weft threads interlace with each other, is also key in creating patterns in fabric. Plain weave is one of the basic structures; here the weft travels over and under adjacent warp ends every time it passes through the loom. Twill weave and sateen weave provide more decorative designs by alternating between plain and twill weave patterns with regards to where its thread goes over/under warp threads.
Another approach for creating patterned cloth is weaving inlay patterns. In this technique, the weft thread goes over and under warp threads in an alternating pattern using plain-weave picks; once in position it’s then beaten in by a stick shuttle to form areas of inlay weave where desired by the weaver – usually four shafts or more to achieve the desired result.
Basketweave weaving structure is another popular weaving structure used for creating patterned cloth. This weaving pattern creates a diagonal ribbed or twill pattern in fabric by passing weft threads over and under warp threads each time they pass through a loom, producing a diagonal rib, or twill pattern in its weave structure. Basketweave is ideal for clothing and textiles that need high density yet strong fabric; additionally, its flexible twill construction makes this material more pliable than others making this cloth better able to drape over 3D features than its competitors.