Saori Weaving - My New Passion
My creative passions usually involve stitching, tying and pots of deep, blue Indigo dye. But, now I've added yarn, ribbon and the gentle rhythm of weaving on a very special loom!
A few weeks ago, I traveled to Wimberley TX to the Wimberley Valley SAORI of Kathy Utts and spent two blissful days learning to create unique handwoven fabric. There were six of us on the first day, and just me on the second day.
Kathy was a great teacher. She was very patient and very kind. She had the two-harness SAORI floor looms warped, so we just started weaving right away!
She would stop us occasionally and teach a new technique. I used a strip of hand-dyed silk ribbon and made little rosettes.
I also used some really chunky hand-spun yarn that was fabulous. It was such a fun two days!!
My husband is a weaver, so I am familiar with this art, but SAORI is something very different than I am accustomed to seeing on my husband's looms. It was such a joy to learn! Kathy provided a wonderful variety of texture and color for us to work with and everyone’s final fabric was so different. Truly one-of-a-kind, very unique pieces!
The very personal, freestyle technique of SAORI was developed in Japan by Misao Jo in the late 1960's. Although, she is now gone, Misao's legacy continues on in licensed SAORI studios all over the world. It is an art perfect for fiber artists who love working with yarns of all kinds, ribbons and even unspun roving. I love what I created and can hardly wait to do more.
The techniques of SAORI are simple, but can be used to make anything - clothing, home decor, textiles and other functional pieces. Our teacher, Kathy, showed us beautiful jackets she had woven and I would love to make garments with my wonderful new passion!
SAORI philosophy emphasizes the uniqueness of each individual and their art. In this tradition, there are no mistakes and we were encouraged to weave what we felt as we went along. It was a very freeing experience learning to embrace unevenness, irregularities, knots, short ends and mixed materials while finding the beauty in all things.
I am very grateful for the care and attention Kathy Utts devotes to her SAORI classes. I learned so much in the relaxed atmosphere that emphasized our individual uniqueness as artists and the importance of community in the arts. The guiding principles of SAORI can be wisely applied to all our artistic pursuits as well as the way we live our lives.
- Consider the differences between a machine and a human being.
- Be bold and adventurous.
- Look out through eyes that shine.
- Inspire one another and everyone in the community.
If you would like to learn SAORI weaving, you can find out more by clicking here to visit the official SAORI website. You will find thorough information about this art, the supplies used and the network of licensed SAORI schools where you can take a class similar to mine. If you would like to learn from my teacher, Kathy Utts, visit her website by clicking here.
DEBBIE
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