Tag Archive for: saori weaving

Misao Jo has inspired an approach to weaving that opens the heart and the mind.
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Remembering Misao Jo

On January 10, 2018, Misao Jo sensei passed away peacefully. She was 104, with her 105th birthday just a few months away.

Misao has inspired so many through the SAORI philosophy and her passion for it. At 57 she embarked on a journey that will carry on through her family and so many others.

I had the great honour to meet her in Japan many times on my trips. I will think of her as I weave and share SAORI and do my best to help others know the joy of this beautiful philosophy.

Love, prayers and blessings to her family. She will be greatly missed.

SAORI weaving is based on a philosophy started in Japan by Misao Jo in 1969.

“All flowers are beautiful, even though each individual flower is different in form and color.  Because of this difference, “all are good”.  Because everything has the same life, life cannot be measured by a yardstick.  It is this individuality that makes everything meaningful and the uniqueness of each thread that creates the tapestry of life.”

Misao Jo, Founder of SAORI

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Kenzo Jo, Misao Jo, Terri in 2014 at SAORI no Mori

 

*First two photos, photo credit Sakaiseikisangyo Co. Ltd

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Artist-in-Residence – Spring 2016

Earlier this month I was so happy to host Stacey Piwinski as the Artist-in-Residence at SAORI Salt Spring. When we were setting up the residency, Stacey requested that we go to Pacifica Paddle at the beginning rather than at the end of the residency. She wanted to meet others in this SAORI community and see how that may influence her work during the week at the studio. “We learn from each other”

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So, we set up weekend workshops and a SAORI Kai. I had a lot of feedback from people after about how much they were inspired by her presentation of her work and her process. One piece that she shared with us was something she had worked on over the period of two years. She wove a piece each month that reflected her life over that month. The following year in the same month she did more work on that same piece.

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We shared with her some of our weavings and clothing design, wall hangings and pieces of cloth. It was all a wonderful start to the residency.

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As Stacey was here, she wrote a blog post for every day – documenting the weaving, meetings with people, conversations, places we visited on the island. If you haven’t already seen them, these posts are well worth a read. Lots of photos too!

Day 1 – Pacifica Paddle – “Weaving, Water & Butterflies”
Day 2 – SAORI Kai – “SAORI Sunday” – Part 1 & Part 2
Day 3 – SAORI Salt Spring – “Tall Trees and Green Moss”
Day 4 – SAORI Salt Spring – “Delightful”
Day 5 – SAORI Salt Spring – “Wednesday Already”
Day 6 – SAORI Salt Spring – “Kan Ryoku is Sprouting Up”
Day 7 – SAORI Salt Spring – “West Coast Dream Squid”
Day 8 – Victoria – “Headed Home”

Stacey worked on different pieces while she was here including one she called “Little Terri” – this piece incorporated a collection of items that I had given her at the beginning of the week. It was jewelry of mine, collected over years, that I didn’t wear anymore.

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…a mobius (note that there is no fringe!)

mobius

… and a squid vest

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squid vest

She brought me one of her works – that incorporates painting and weaving and it now hangs next to my SAORI Calendar in the studio.

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We enjoyed the days, the visitors to the studio and the island…the days went by way too quickly!

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Until next time…

Mt. Maxwell

Happy Weaving,
Terri

My website: www.saorisaltspring.com, see some updates on my Gallery page here.

Or you can find me more often on Facebook or Instagram.

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A weekend at Pacifica and an upcoming SAORI Kai

For a year now, I’ve been teaching workshops at the beautiful Pacifica Paddle location in Brentwood Bay on Vancouver Island. It is so wonderful to have my looms and supplies there at a ‘satellite studio’ and just come over on the ferry to share SAORI weaving.

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Here is a sampling from this weekend.

We arrived on Saturday morning and the weather was a bit misty…

misty morning

One of the first weavings was in all whites. Stunning!

White weaving

Then more colour, a lot more colour, crept into the next one.

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Some rugs were woven with local wool and alpaca roving. This one for a lucky kitty!

handwoven cat mat

The following day we had a full workshop including members of the Victoria Weaver’s Guild – they were interested in seeing what SAORI was all about and trying the looms out, learning about the philosophy and letting go…

We tried some ripple weave,

ripple weave

feather plying,

feather plying

And lots of colour and texture.

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Marilee was learning to make warps with Kenzo’s new warping tools. It’s kind of like making your own pre-wound warp. Quick and easy to do – and it can all be beamed and threaded right at the table. Or you can use the loom.

blue warp

A wonderful weekend again.

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Thanks to Peter & Sandra for making these workshops possible at their workshop location. And to all who come out. You can always go out for a paddle while you are there – or bring a partner or friend who would like to get out on the water.

You can also enjoy a paddle

Next month there is a workshop on Saturday, March 12 from 10-3 and then a mini-workshop on Sunday, March 13 from 10-12. We will be joined by a special guest – Stacey Piwinski from Boston – who will be the Artist-in-Residence at SAORI Salt Spring that week! Come and meet Stacey and see some of her works from her recent exhibit.

Stacey Piwinski, Artist in Residence

PLUS a SAORI Kai on Sunday, March 13 from 1-3. Please come out, bring your weaving, your questions and share in the joy of SAORI. All are welcome.

Happy Weaving,
Terri

My website: www.saorisaltspring.com, see some updates on my Gallery page here.

Or you can find me more often on Facebook or Instagram.

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Artist-in-Residence – Spring 2016

 

I am pleased to announce the next Artist-in-Residence at SAORI Salt Spring. And I want to thank all the others that applied…the decision was not an easy one!

March 2016 Artist-in-Residence – Stacey Piwinski, MFA of Massachusetts

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I have met some of her connections to SAORI – Mihoko Wakabayashi of SAORI Worcester and Bobbie Herron – and I look forward to meeting her soon.

She will be here in March and coming to the workshop days and SAORI Kai at Pacifica Paddle on March 12 & 13.

She says:

I would like to continue my abstract woven portraiture work, but this time instead of working with friends, I would be making new friends in new places. I have no idea where this new work will take me, but I am excited, a little scared, and willing to find out my getting my hands in an allowing the loom to make those soothing clicking sounds and guide the conversations and the fabric row by row.

Artist-in-Residence

Two Years

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Two Years (detail)

Her Artist’s Statement for an upcoming show:

Although her work speaks to painterly concerns, Stacey Piwinski (CFA’99,’00) uses textiles and found materials to create intricate weavings that consider the passage of time, the tactility of material, and interpersonal relationships. In her fabric scrolls and mixed media works, Piwinski carefully re-contextualizes objects that have personal significance or simply have been left behind. In these material and personal explorations of memory, Piwinski allows the objects to weave together new meanings and to tell new stories.

The show:
Sherman Gallery, Boston University Art Galleries
Stacey Piwinski: It’s not you, it’s me
January 22 – March 4, 2016

September 20, 1911

September 20, 1911

About Stacey
Stacey received her BFA in painting in 1999, her MFA in studio teaching in 2000 from Boston University, and most recently her MFA in visual arts from Lesley University in January 2014. Stacey participated in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Teaching Program in 2005 and was inspired by Japanese textiles, specifically Saori Weaving. As an arts educator in the Wellesley Public Schools, she has facilitated community-weaving projects as a way of connecting individuals. Weaving as a metaphor for bringing people together is a thread that runs through all of her work.

You can see more of her work here.

I’m looking forward to her SAORI explorations here at SAORI Salt Spring. I hope that many of you can join us for a SAORI Kai on March 13!

Happy Weaving,
Terri
My website: www.saorisaltspring.com

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Artist-in-Residence: On my return to the South…

Susan Norton, from Louisiana was the first Artist-in-Residence at SAORI Salt Spring. I asked her for a few words about her experience here and this is what she wrote:

On my return to the South, I understand that we really do move at a much slower pace than others. Whether it was in my speech on Salt Spring Island when I ordered my lunch with ‘haamm’ or my hesitancy when choosing new colors at Terri’s studio I find that with deliberation also comes a reluctance to move forward. With exposure to new techniques and attempting to expand on my weaving knowledge I came to adopt the mantra of “just do it”. My gorgeous cabin in the woods and the sweetest people on the island helped me to feel welcomed. Now, at home I am becoming more decisive with my Saori weaving style and still trying to see with shining eyes and approach weaving with even more gentleness.

With Holidays fast approaching I feel like my artist in residency was all too brief. Making the commitment to collaborate with Terri on this experience was only the beginning of what I hope is a greater sharing on my part.

I am truly fortunate to have been the first artist in residence at Saori Salt Spring Weaving Studio.

~ Susan

It was so much fun to share the studio with Susan for a week and then to go to Pacifica Paddle to continue the journey with other SAORI weavers from the area. We also had a SAORI Kai to learn and to share with others.

Some photos from the week:

In the studio…

Making a narrow warp for learning…

And more warping…

Lynn comes over to share ideas…

Some sewing too!

At Pacifica Paddle…

And even getting out on the water…

So, I’m also announcing the next Artist-in-Residence for SAORI Salt Spring. It will be in March 2016 – with dates somewhat flexible. One of the comments that Susan had was that it felt too short – so I have an option of one-week or 10 days. Applications will be accepted up until January 1, 2016 for this AiR. More information here.

Happy Weaving,
Terri

My website: www.saorisaltspring.com

 

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SAORI Clothing Design – A vest conversion

Two years ago I made a long, simple vest out of some fabric that I had woven. The vest was 3 strips of fabric sewn together with spaces left for the armholes and slits left in the bottom section. It could be worn two ways and I wrote about it here.

Here it is flat:

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And here was the finished piece:

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I liked it a lot … BUT I didn’t wear it.

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One day a couple of weeks ago, I had an idea. Inspired by Lynn’s Squid family, it occurred to me that the fabric could easily be made into a squid tunic / dress. All I had to do was sew up the seams completely, where I had left them open. Fold it, with one corner at the top – sew it up and cut a couple of new armholes.

And, ta da, it became a squid 🙂 that can be worn either way – the cowl at the front and it looks like a dress…

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The cowl at the back, which becomes a collar and then it looks more like a tunic…

Details…

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AND now I’ve been wearing it a LOT!

It’s good to listen to the cloth…

Happy Weaving,
Terri

My website: www.saorisaltspring.com

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PS…I’m posting much more often on my Facebook page and Instagram account, so you can keep up with happenings there. Or you can join my mailing list here.

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Loom Dancer Weaving Odysseys – August 2015

What an amazing two weeks!

It started with Karen coming early to spend some time on retreat and learning more about SAORI weaving and assisting with preparation for the workshops.

The first day is a tour of Salt Spring Island – my studio, Ewetopia Farm, the Gulf Islands Spinning Mill and then Seaside Kitchen for lunch.

Ewetopia Farm

Gulf Islands Spinning Mill

Then it’s off to the wineries, the brewery, Salt Spring Cheese, the Bread Lady, etc. for a real ‘Taste of Salt Spring’.

On Friday, the weaving began … it continued right through until Monday afternoon with a break on Saturday for a visit to the Salt Spring Saturday Market.

The people, the weaving, the enthusiasm and creativity of both groups was outstanding. Definitely one of the highlights of my year!

Both tours were sold out with 10 people in each, plus Cari & Karen, so we had full studios…

The studio at Harbour House

The studio at Mineral Springs Resort

On the final day, Lynn Jones came over to share some of her clothing designs. A fashion show gave new inspiration as we also demoed how to create the origami-style clothes.

 

We looked at patterns from the books. Kenzo-san always says the writing may be Japanese, but the pictures are in English 🙂 So we took some examples and did paper folding to help understand how the cloth is folded, cut and sewn.

 

The finales were spectacular!

August 5- 11 at Harbour House

August 12-18 at Mineral Springs Spa

Thanks to each person who came. Please keep in touch – I’d love to see where SAORI takes you. A special thanks to Cari for her vision and organization. Many of the people have been on other tours with Loom Dancer Weaving Odysseys and I can certainly see why. And thanks again to Karen and Lynn for all of their help at the workshop.

Cari Malver, Loom Dancer Weaving Odysseys

Note: Many photos of the weaving can be found on my Facebook page and Instagram account

Happy Weaving,
Terri

My website: www.saorisaltspring.com

And thanks to Rufus – the Loom Dancer mascot 🙂

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The Squid Family – by Lynn Jones

Lynn has been assisting me for many years with all kinds of SAORI events in and around Victoria. She has also been doing some wonderful SAORI clothing design – I’ll let her share her story and some great photos!

My weaving journey began in 2006. My weaving ‘passion’ began in 2009 when I met Terri at a class at Knotty By Nature and was introduced to SAORI. I immediately embraced the free form style of weaving (I’d already strayed from traditional weaving), but also found that the philosophy truly spoke to me. “We do not weave a piece of cloth, but rather our true selves.” Six years after that first class, I continue to discover more and more of my creative self.

Terrified at first of cutting and sewing my precious cloth, I gradually, one seam at a time, grew to love creating wearable pieces of art. One of the first pieces I made was the ‘squid’ vest. It’s simple to make, drapes well, and like all SAORI patterns, is as unique as each person who weaves and sews the vest.

 

 

The squid vest eventually became a tunic. A cloth I decided to weave using up the end of a black warp with ‘treasures’ from my overflowing basket was used.

 

Then, there were the versions of the tunic. One with recycled t-shirt material because I didn’t have enough yardage. Then another one as a long vest. Again with t-shirt bits for closures.

 

My sewing discoveries have led to jackets over the past year. Victoria, even in the warm months, requires layers. So, the challenge of sleeves! A few jackets later, I remembered my beloved ‘squid’ vest and it’s growing family. I used a pattern that was the ‘squid’ vest with sleeves.

 

 

I’m thrilled with the way it turned out. It flows, it’s cozy, it has recycled silk shirts. It’s finished off with 2 of Bob’s buttons. The very first piece of wet felt I made became it’s pocket! If it’s too warm here in the next 2 months to wear it, I’ll just hang it in my studio and look at it!

I hope your SAORI journey is as exciting and satisfying as mine has been.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my ‘squid’ family here Terri!

Thanks so much Lynn. I love your Squid Family of clothes!

Happy Weaving,
Terri

My website: www.saorisaltspring.com

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Gathering of bobbins

Last night I gathered up my tangle of bobbins and sorted them out in preparation for some workshops. I filled a basket and as I was doing that I was thinking about all the yarns on the bobbins…

 

I was wondering what the most popular colour was, or if there is one.

As I said that out loud, my friend said to me that he thought the most popular colours were the ones that had been on the empty bobbins!! Haha! A new perspective….love it!

Happy Weaving,
Terri

My website: www.saorisaltspring.com

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SAORI Salt Spring at The Workshop @ Pacifica

 

This past weekend I took 6 new looms over to The Workshop @ Pacifica in Brentwood Bay, Victoria.

 

We have set up a wonderful, waterfront workshop space to be a home for these looms.

The Workshop @ Pacifica in Brentwood Bay

 

I will be offering classes and workshops and we are also working on some drop-in times and loom rentals so that people in the Victoria area can continue on their SAORI weaving journey.

 

Paddling, of course, is also an option at special club member rates. Take some time to paddle at lunch or after your weaving or bring a friend who wants to get out on the water while you weave.

You can also enjoy a paddle

 

The Workshop @ Pacifica is focussing on creativity, health and balance. SAORI weaving will be part of this sharing. I’m so excited!

You can follow The Workshop @ Pacifica on Facebook to see photos, new course offerings and more.

Out on the deck enjoying the sun and water

 

Please see my Workshop page for times and classes.

Registration for all workshops at Pacifica are through me, so please call or email me.

Happy Weaving,
Terri

My website: www.saorisaltspring.com

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