The stuff of dreams

One of the highlights of this year was (and is) that I fulfilled a dream dating back about 10 years:  Attending college. Albeit only for the one class, every second week, I still see it as a dream come true. I chose Weaving.

First paper weaving

We started off with 'Paper weaving'. We were given colour photocopies of images, told how to cut them into strips how to weave them together. It was quite amazing to see the different works that were created, even if identical pages were used, the end results were totally different. The teacher Pascale explored all our work and showed us the possibilities of design- colour- 'tell a message'- straight lines or strips cut of different width, etc

The Stuff of Dreams' paper weaving

The 'tell a story' option inspired me to create The Stuff of Dreams. I made a collage of my 'dreams' writing-books-art-women-nature. And wrote a piece about my dreams- like attending college and sharing my creativity with others, and woven the two together.

First 'Sampler'

Then it was time to start real weaving. With yarn. On a loom. Made from copper pipe! (see image below). The weaving bug started to sneak it's way into my being....

Second 'Sampler'

For the second sampler, we had to create 'blocks'. And I realized that I am not fond of just plain blocks of colour. I simply  had to explore with interweaving colours to see what weaving can do...!

Hooked!

Third 'Sampler'

Then..  angles were the topic.. and curves. This piece is actually shown here sideways. The straight purple line is the bottom of the work. As I had reached what is now the middle of the piece, I was lying on the couch and looked at my weaving sideways, and was surprised to find that there was a face in my weaving. 

I could see it, but thought that was because of an overactive creative mind... To my relief, the teacher and fellow students saw it too! I finished the piece with curves, creating a kind of headscarf.

As there would be holiday break coming up, so no class for about 1 month, I set up the loom again to have a project to work on over the Christmas... Yes, I am definately hooked.

After a bit of trial and error I started to work on creating a poppy flower. I had taken some bits of yarn home from the college, but not pink, and my poppy was to be pink. As a solution I wound three strands of sewing thread together to make pink about the same thinkness as the yarn, and as a result became even more hooked on weaving. The possibilities of making subtle differences in colour were very exciting.

Poppy to be

I found myself not just weaving for an hour or so every few nights, but also in the middle of the night (during a sleepless night), and weaving on a Sunday morning at 11.30 am, still in my pajamas...

Weaving addiction had started in earnest!

To my horror I realized that I would not have enough green yarn to 'feed my weaving addiction'

I contacted the teacher (now a creative friend) and asked if she could give some yarn to her colleague, another friend of mine, whom I more than likely would meet over the Christmas period.

The response that I got was "Boy, I didn't know I was going to end up being a dealer :-). Sure we'll get it sorted"

My 'drugs' were delivered with the great smile of a VERY satisfied teacher. She had won over one more soul into the world of weaving!

"Weaving drugs" Lots of it!

 * (For more about entering college see here )

ps... As always it is lovely to know that you stopped by to read my musing and follow my creative adventures. It would make my day, if you leave a comment... preferably here, on the blog...?
Many thanks & Lots of love
Corina