Complex Weavers - All Weavers Welcome!

We stretch ourselves - and you!

News

Over 100 Color Pictures from the October CW Journal (#88) are available at
Peter Collingwood and Articles, Seminars 2008 Fashion Show, and CW Exhibit "Weaving in the Computer Age"
The complete Table of Contents is at Complex Weavers Journal

Collingwood DVD's The 2-disk set is available from Marjie Thompson, email marjie@maine.rr.com. The price, including postage, is $18 within the US, $18.75 to Canada, $21 to Australia, and $20 to Europe. Prices for other countries will be according to shipping costs.
Weavers in the UK can obtain a copy directly from Wendy Morris for £10, including shipping. Email her at wendy@wendymorris.co.uk

Temporary Address? When you relocate, even if only for part of the year, please e-mail the Membership Chair, Frances Alcorn, at alcorn@nwlink.com and she will update your information. Your prompt attention to this detail will help keep our CW Journal mailing costs down. For more information, see Bulletin Board/Announcements
A new member directory is about to be published - be sure you have updated both your dues and your address.

Journal Index updated The index for CW Newsletter/Journal for issues 1-86 (through February 2008) is available in pdf format. Download your copy here.

This month's showcase

Meeting Place

This month we showcase Kay Faulkner' "Meeting Place". As an Australian, Kay is aware of the problems of her society. She writes: "This piece, an original draft in 2/20 mercerised cotton doubled in white and black, 20epcm, uses double weave pick-up with offset layers and warp shibori in undulating twill. The centre third has the two layers overlapping with the imagery being picked up in this area. The supplementary warp threads for the shibori are threaded on four shafts in a random progression with the maximum "flat area", ie the same shaft being used before the progression being continued or reversed is 4 cm. There is no repeat for the resist pattern. Once woven the fabric was scrunched and rusted in a dyebath, dried, the shibori threads pulled up, discharged and then dyed using fibre reactive dyes. "The weaving was inspired by our multicultural society and how each cultural identity becomes integrated within that society. At the same time, while there may be differences within those societies, there is always one common denominator: the land. For the success of that society it is important to recognise individual cultural identity, yet at the same time achieving a common ground or meeting place. Hence the use of double weave pick up, representing the integration of 2 societies. This is offset so that each layer of society can be seen. The shibori is used to represent the land, common to all. "It is important to note that the black and white fabric is not a literal representation of the aboriginal or white race. Rather it represents two opposing cultural groups. The two colours could also be representational of the effect each culture has had on the land. The motifs I chose to use are a dot to represent a town or community on a map and the 2 circles are recognised symbols for an aboriginal meeting place. The use of rust and synthetic (fibre reactive) dyes was deliberate, to symbolize ancient and more recent cultures. While I could have used only the two dye systems, it was essential to achieve the flow of landscape throughout, hence the need to use discharge to enable this continuity." Used by permission. This is the eightieth item in our showcase of what members are doing. Watch this space - something else will be here around the first week of February, 2009. To see the items previously showcased, click Showcase

Complex Weavers Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Is it for .... You?

• If you want to learn more about weaving that is exciting, challenging, and complex, this is the group for you. Complex Weavers is open to anyone with a curiosity to know and a willingness to share.

• Journal, published three times a year, allows members to share their ideas and studies.
• A Membership Directory, published every other year, lists members' addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, equipment and areas of interest. This allows for easy contact and exchange of ideas.
• The Library has an extensive collection of books, manuscripts, and samples which members may borrow by mail. A Library List is sent to members every two years.
• Study groups and Sample Exchanges are an ongoing and vital part of Complex Weavers. They are self organized and financed and produce samples, newsletters or other materials for exchange among members. More groups are formed as demand arises. A Study Group Guide is published every two years, with updates between. See our Study Group List for a listing of all study groups and a description of each.

It is for .... Us:

• Promoting complex weaving through education, information, and technology related to complex weave structures.
• Inspiring through research, documentation, and innovative ideas.
• Encouraging members to discover and develop their own unique and creative ideas.
• Supporting the continuous exchange and sharing of ideas.
• Asking why it works and finding other ways to make it work.
• Being committed to enthusiasm, excellence and expertise
• Challenging and stimulating through an extensive library, numerous study groups, swatch exchanges and informative seminars.

• "Complex. The word can be scary. Many weavers shy away from weaving when associated with this word. Why? In weaving, complex does not have to be defined as difficult. I consider complexity better defined as a degree of depth as opposed to a degree of difficulty."
  ---Su Butler, Understanding Rayon Chenille. Butlerdidit! Press, Woodstock, IL (2002); p 73.
• For more quotes on what "complex" means to various members, go to Complex Weavers Thoughts about Complexity

Other Activities

• Regional Meetings are held throughout the world through the efforts of the Regional Representatives. These Representatives are just a few of the people who volunteer to make the organization work for you.
• Awards Program is designed to recognize excellence in complex weaving at juried shows.
• Complex Weavers Seminar is a three-day conference held in even-numbered years that further encourages exchange of information and formation of many friendships. The next Seminar will be held in the summer, 2010, somewhere in the western USA.

Join us!

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Update: January 02, 2009