Sponsored by TWIST - Tablet Weavers International Studies & Techniques
Hi everyone, I have just watched "Threads of Time: Handmade Textiles for Weddings in Fez, Morocco". This 29-minute video includes a very interesting 30-second segment on tablet weaving. It was produced by Louise Mackie, Curator of the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada. Fieldwork was done between 1987-1990. I watched the segment in slow motion several times and made some notes. This is the first time I have ever watched a professional tablet weaver doing production work -- the speed is incredible! The segment shows three different tablet weavers at work. They are using small unmarked plastic tablets, and wear marks are visible in the holes. The warps are tensioned on long boards, and a wooden comb can be seen hanging on the warp. See Plates 20, 21, and 31 in TTW for photos taken in Fez showing the same set-up and tools. Weavers are shown unwinding and repositioning warp, rearranging tablets to put them in a different order in the pack, and weaving fringed bands for upholstery trim. The weaver sits on the floor facing the loom with the fell to his left. His right leg is stretched out straight across the board, and his left leg is bent so his knee is pressing against the bottom of the band to control tension. He is using a large, heavy-looking beater with a handle, and a small stick shuttle with gold (lurex?) yarn wrapped in a figure 8 around both sides. The color of the fringe changes every few inches. He throws and catches the shuttle with his left hand, and turns the tablets and beats with his right. He is turning the tablets as a pack, continuously in one direction (toward the fell). His right thumb is covered with a large, dirty bandage. I wondered, had he cut himself on the plastic tablets while turning them so quickly... or was he wearing the bandage just as protection from such an injury? Ellen, it might be worth trying to get a copy for the TWIST library. The quality is excellent, and even though the tablet weaving segment is very short, it is well worth seeing. The video also features drawlooms, braids made by finger loop manipulation, embroidery, and handmade buttons created by stitching thread around a paper core. Does anyone on this list know Louise Mackie at the ROM? May we all take time to weave in 2002. Linda ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Linda Hendrickson, Portland, Oregon USA Tablet Weaving & Ply Split Braiding Workshops, Books, & Supplies E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web site: www.lindahendrickson.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Send private reply to Linda Hendrickson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ----------------------------------------------------------- To stop receiving tabletweaving (not tabletweaving-digest), send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: unsubscribe tabletweaving. To stop receiving tabletweaving-digest, see the end of a digest.
