Weft Kasuri: Pattern at the Fell of the Cloth
Beth Ross Johnson
The fascinating world of ikat in the weft will be opened to you in this workshop by a top designer and student of the Japanese ikat tradition called kasuri. These patterns develop at the fell of the cloth and reveal great strength and beauty.
With your loom warped in advance, you’ll tie and dye weft skeins the first day with fiber reactive dyes. You’ll then weave weft ikat based on block designs and learn to shift the patterns diagonally to make arrows or curves.
There will be time for experimenting, and you can weave a short length for a bag or small table runner. The workshop is enhanced by Beth’s presentations on Japanese textile traditions, and her recent research in ikat textiles of Europe.
SKILL LEVEL: Able to warp a loom.
EQUIPMENT: Participants supply:
- Warped Loom you are familiar with: 10/2, 8/2, or 5/2 mercerized cotton (carpet warp is NOT good!); Navy or other Dark color; 10” W; 3 1/2 yards long; Threading: Straight draft for plain weave; Sett: For balanced Weave 16-24 e.p.i. depending on yarn
- Weft Yarn: White or natural cotton, same weight as warp, in cones, tubes or balls; Other bits of colored yarn (same weight) you might want to experiment with.
- Weaving tools: Boat shuttles, lots of bobbins or straws; Scissors that aren’t your GOOD scissors; Bobbin winder- we can share; graph paper notebook or pages; If you have one- those flimsy metal umbrella swifts- we can share.
- Other things: C or trigger clamps to hold tying blocks to table- usually 6”; your own rubber gloves, dye apron, plastic grocery bag, and towel.
PRE-WORKSHOP PREP: warped loom
MATERIALS FEE: $12
An interest in the folk textiles of Japan led Beth to study kasuri (Japanese ikat) with Jun Tomita (at Fiberworks in Berkeley!). She later had two extensive stays in Japan in 1985 and 2000-2001 to study kasuri and indigo dyeing at Hongo Orimono, and took a course of study in sakiori (Japanese rag weaving). Current research includes weft ikats of France and woven sashiko. She has an MFA in textiles from Georgia State University and maintains a studio on Black Mountain NC where she researches, weaves and ventures out to teach.