The Gentle Rhythm of the Warp and the Weft….
Ancient arts like spinning and weaving often feel like a deep homecoming.
Sometimes we just innately recognise an action as familiar, even if we have come to it for the first time. Our fingers recall the gentle movements with a memory all of their own. We find our breathing starts to slow, the tension in our shoulders fades away and we enter into a state of calm as the mind chatter quietens and a sense of well-being comes upon us.
This element of creative space, or ‘flow state’, is described as something akin to meditation. Loom weaving is one of the many ancient crafts that slow us down and create a heightened connection to the task at hand. It’s a slow-paced creative practice. The intertwining of two separate threads – the warp and the weft – sitting at right angles coming together to form a new fabric.
It’s believed that humans have been weaving since Paleolithic era. Flax weavings have been found in Egypt, dating from around 5000 BC. Since that time, the design of the loom has been through several incarnations and fibres have changes and evolved over the years.
Pheobe Phillips joins The Sound Temple this weekend as part of our Common Threads – Woven Through Community exhibition for her much anticipated workshop, Weave and Wind, Soothe and Spin. She will take you on a journey into the ancient art of weaving to make a beautiful hanging to take home and boast pride of place in your favourite spot. Pheobe will take you through the weaving process, loom design and various techniques, step by step, on a wooden hand-loom which will be yours to take away. All yarns, tools and weaving materials will be provided for you to immerse yourself in this creative project.
Pheobe uses found and recycled fibres, vintage textiles, modern art and the colours of the Australian outback in her work. She is interested in weaving as a cultural practice, and how it has been used amongst different groups and communities around the world.
Phoebe will create a beautiful space where you can slow down, drink good tea and coffee, have a wonderful conversation with like-minded weavers and immerse yourself in making magic.
Join us for a workshop that will ignite the creative fire within you and start you on the next step – or the first step – of your weaving journey.
Photos by Amy Snoekstra taken at Stackwood and
Cheryl The Makers Portrait.