Sponsored by TWIST - Tablet Weavers International Studies & Techniques
Does tablet weaving have a future? Wheat, it was encouraging to read your
comments about the kids in your neighborhood. I have had several
disappointments this year -- I was scheduled to teach tablet weaving
workshops at the Southern California Conference and the Mid-Atlantic
Conference, as well as a workshop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and all were
cancelled for lack of interest. Also, I submitted several tablet weaving
proposals to Convergence 2006, but none were accepted (I will be teaching
two ply-splitting seminars).
Linda,
Hoping you will keep this in the context of how much admiration and respect
I have for your teaching and your knowledge..... but..... well, we could ,
and maybe we should, have a long heart to heart about this. But, I have
been burned before for bringing the evil sales and marketing perspective
into a fiberart related group, especially one which has never really become
"main stream". Next time you head this way, let me know and if I am in
town, we can have dinner or something.
A question that has been on my mind - why is kumihimo so much more popular
than tablet weaving? It's not any more practical, is it? I have an idea
that it has to do with equipment. With kumihimo, there is all that
beautiful wooden equipment that can be sold, hence there is a profit
motive for vendors to promote the craft.
I would very much disagree with this statement. As one who worked long and
hard to get more equipment & supplies available for Kumihimo & other forms
of Japanese Braiding, that is not what has driven it.
And, I have no doubt Janis and Dave would be among the very first to tell
you that most of the equipment makers are hard pressed to keep up with
demand because the production is not an insignificant process.
Sometimes I suspect Malcolm Gladwell custom designed the Kumi story to fit
his book, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big
Difference. But never discount the absolute dedication of a relatively
small group of people and not incidentally "the power of the internet" The
Compuserve Crafts forum was and is a very very unique melting pot.
At one point, more or less '96, I really thought TW might break away but
much of what was needed did not happy.
And there are now quite a few beautiful full-color books on the subject
(I don't know anything about what it took to get them published).
If you are talking about the "English" books, then the answer is the
absolute dedication of Jacquie & Rod. Obviously the Tada family legacy is
one of the single greatest influences on the craft for the Japanese
books. Terry deserves significant credit, she created a wonderful little
enclave her that helped spread the word as well.
People like Shirley Berlin deserve great credit, she made sure that her
booklet stressed fun and innovative use of wonderful yarns and threads.
And in all modesty, I can take some too, because by creating a list with
rules, many of the wonderful teachers who might not have otherwise
participated in the incubation of the craft taking hold in the US might not
have been willing to share so freely. Certainly the way it took off into
Jewelry has had great effect on raising this from something you tie your
kids to tree with, to more of an art in the "eyes of the critics".
I do not discount the beautiful brocades, but some how a way to fire mass
imagination just has not happened.
It is rather hard for TW to compete with that when all teachers ever seem
to encourage you to use is some form of Perle Cotton, beautiful though it
is, I have to tell you my "kids" pretty much ignored it.
then on the other end of the scale, you can make colorful kumihimo braids
with just one little piece of cardboard and colorful yarn, so the set-up
is very easy, much easier than any method of setting up tablet weaving.
Exactly my point, it is not the tools, it is the craft - there is true Zen
like magic in the motions of well performed braiding - whether on Maru Dai,
Taka Dai or other braiding stands.
I could go on, but it would be more of the same.
I'm working on a design for a compact table-top tablet weaving loom that I
can use for tablet-woven scarves. More about this if I can figure it out.
I modified one of my Mountain Table Looms so that I could remove the part
to hold the harness and just use the "frame". working from the back, with
the reed secured, much like a rigid heddle, it serves as a warp spreader
and I can change the reed for different threads. Takes a little getting
used to when you are winding on the warp but "it works for me"
Briefly I believe until those who love the craft are willing to let it go
just a bit and develop a version that will attract the young and hip, TW
will remain relatively esoteric - much beloved, but still with a very
limited audience.
Wheat
who probably should have kept her opinions to herself, but you did ask <G>
Send private reply to Wheat Carr <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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