events, travel, drawloom, damask, weaving, yarn, workshop, exhibition

Silk gauze weaving coming soon

On my way to Switzerland I had a stopover in Osaka. Decided to take a train and visit the textile centre in Kyoto. Not speaking any japanese made it a bit of an adventure to get around but I finally managed to get to this place called Orinasukam where I found the Orinus Museum of Handmade Fabrics Promotion Foundation. This was established in 1989 to instruct to the public the culture of dyeing, weaving and technical art. The museum is housed in a typical "Nishijin Oriya-style" building which was originally constructed in 1936. Even though it has been renovated, some of the traditional features of Nishijin houses still remain untouched like the lattice-work, beams and pillars, the typical narrow width and the long depth of the house.
There are 14 handlooms in the weaving factory adjacent to the Orinus Museum where Obis are made on very fine silk warps, woven with tiny little shuttles by about 10 weavers, mostly older men. These weavers have experiences of more than 20 years in this industry, one of them told me he has been working as a weaver for 50 years now.
The Orinus Museum also offers weaving classes for groups or individuals. Even tourists can weave a table mat or similar but the Museum will have to be contacted before hand.
Have a look at have their interesting webpage: www.nishijin.or.jp

Damask workshop in Switzerland - August 2000

During my visit to Europe I was lucky enough to take part in a 2 week workshop on damask weaving. The first time I saw a drawloom was a year before, I looked at it in awe, all those heddles, two different shaft systems and those super fine linen threads!

There are two systems of drawlooms: the Draw Harness Device and the Shaft Draw System.
Pictured on the left is the front and back view of the Shaft Draw system

Both these examples have been woven on a loom with a draw harness device which offers more freedom in pattern making. With this system each unit (1 unit = 3-6 threads) can be lifted individually. On the right the warp is 65/2 linen, weft 35/1, 68epi. Groundweave is 5 shaft satin.
On the left the warp and weft are Tussah Silk 20/2, 36epi. Groundweave is 4 shaft broken twill

These two samplers were woven on a loom with a shaft draw system. These looms have two shaft systems, first the shafts for the groundweave and at the back the pattern shafts which can be as many as 70 shafts. Depending on how the patterns shafts are threaded up one can have mirrored or repeat patterns. Each draw handle lifts one pattern shaft, and several patterns shafts can be lifted simultaneously. An infinite number of different pattern combinations can be drawn because only a fixed repetition is threaded across the width, not a particular pattern .

Above is woven on a 12/2 cotton warp set at 46epi. Groundweave is a 6 shaft satin Above is woven on a 12/2 cotton warp with a worsted wool yarn (Mora) in the weft. Groundweave is 4 shaft broken twill

It was a 2 week intensive learning experience from which I have come away with new friends, a bigger confidence than I had before about drawloom weaving and lots of projects that only wait to be tackled. As a matter of fact, I am now looking for a second loom as I want to change mine into a drawloom. Wish me luck!

Damask exhibition in Switzerland - September 2000

Just one day before flying back to New Zealand was the opening of an exhibition which had been organised by the Damask Network, a group of drawloom weavers from all around the world. Their homepage is: www.wxs.nl/~kick/damasknetwork

Enjoy the pictures

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There are two systems of drawlooms: the Draw Harness Device and the Shaft Draw System. Pictured on the left is the front and back view of the Shaft Draw system
	Both these examples have been woven on a loom with a draw harness device which offers more freedom in pattern making. With this system each unit (1 unit = 3-6 threads) can be lifted individually. On the right the warp is 65/2 linen, weft 35/1, 68epi. Groundweave is 5 shaft satin. On the left the warp and weft are Tussah Silk 20/2, 36epi. Groundweave is 4 shaft broken twill
	These two samplers were woven on a loom with a shaft draw system. These looms have two shaft systems, first the shafts for the groundweave and at the back the pattern shafts which can be as many as 70 shafts. Depending on how the patterns shafts are threaded up one can have mirrored or repeat patterns. Each draw handle lifts one pattern shaft, and several patterns shafts can be lifted simultaneously. An infinite number of different pattern combinations can be drawn because only a fixed repetition is threaded across the width, not a particular pattern .
Above is woven on a 12/2 cotton warp set at 46epi. Groundweave is a 6 shaft satin		Above is woven on a 12/2 cotton warp with a worsted wool yarn (Mora) in the weft. Groundweave is 4 shaft broken twill