Friday Fibers Roundup: Weaving (Past & Present)

March 8, 2018

This week’s roundup includes a wide variety of articles looking at the historical and contemporary applications and contexts of weaving.

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1) Curated by Jennifer Garey, Weaving a Path: Navajo Women and the Feminine Ethos features a distinctive range rugs and blankets of the Southwest US created by Diné women, with geometric designs and patterns, all from the Mingei International Museum’s permanent collection. On display until May 20th, 2018.

2) Starting in January 2016, artist Windy Chien committed to learning a new knot every day for an entire year, tying a total of 366 by the end of December. Although 366 knots might seem like a staggering number, it is nothing compared to the 3,900 included in Chien’s go-to knot manual—The Ashley Book of Knots, which took its author nearly 11 years to compile (via Colossal).

3) The Bayeux Tapestry is set to be displayed in the UK after France agreed it could leave its shores for the first time in 950 years (via BBC).

4) There’s a lot of buzz around the 2017 Sobey Art Award winner Ursula Johnson—a brilliant, dynamic, articulate and delightful multimedia Mi’kmaq artist from Eskasoni First Nation in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Her art is stunning and thought-provoking (via CBC).

5) This couple defied gravity by getting married 400 feet off the ground in a woven appartatus to keep them up there.

6) This video by Oluwaseyi Sosanya shows the the 3D Weaver–a loom specifically designed to weave three-dimensional structures using the x y and z coordinates (via YouFab).

7) “Intricately Wound: A Glimpse into the Last Remaining Lace Factory in England” by Charlotte Powel looks at the shifting history of English lacemaking and the very company that inspired it all (via Seamwork).

8) “The Handwoven History of Harris Tweed” explores the luxury, hand woven wool fabric that is protected by an Act of Parliament and which is in high demand the world over (via Google Arts & Culture).

9) The PET Lamp Project (started by Spanish designer Alvaro Catalán de Ocón in 2011) is a collaboration with communities worldwide to transform plastic waste into unique and functional pieces (via Colossal).

10) “How it’s Made–AVL Compu-Dobby Loom” looks at histories of weaving (from the Egyptians in 3400 B.C.) to present day and how a contemporary digital loom is created (via Explore Fiber).