The weavings of
Though often shrugged off as 70s kitsch, weavings and wall hangings are enjoying a major comeback thanks to artists like fiber artists Maryanne Moodie, who defy traditional conventions and play raucously with color and texture. Moodie injects modern sensibilities into the ancient craft, and her new book, On the Loom: A Modern Weaver’s Guide, teaches the fundamentals of weaving through an array of bright and contemporary tutorials.
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Moodie started her career as a teacher in Australia, while simultaneously running a vintage clothing shop. But after a decade, she got burnt out from the jobs right around the time she got pregnant. “Everything was really go, go, go fast-paced,” explains Moodie. “But when I got pregnant everything slowed down, and I was looking for something that embraced the slowness.” After trying various crafts, she found a loom, “and something switched on, because it melded together my love of vintage, art, and textiles into this creative outlet. And I started to weave and immediately it just felt like a better kind of normal. I was more alive, more engaged, more present… I suddenly had more love to give.”
Much of Moodie’s early success can be traced to her hugely popular Instagram. “Before I sold pieces I was sharing my work through social media. And I was just trying to share what I was doing, but inadvertently I was also building a market, or a certain awareness of what I was doing. And there were some people who wanted to own the work that I was making, but there were other people who wanted to feel the feeling that I was feeling, they wanted to be creative. Put down the computer, put down the phone, and engage with art. So I started teaching.” Maryanne now sells her works and hosts weaving classes for various skill levels all around the world via her Etsy shop.
So what can beginners and people interested in the craft get out of On the Loom? “There’s a section in the front that are skills for if you’ve never woven before at all, here’s how you get started. And it also tells you how to make a loom from what’s around your house, how to make tools from what’s around your house, and how to recycle fibers from around your house so that you can weave with them. The second part is all projects. I’m known for wall hangings so there are some wall hanging projects, but there are other types of projects too. If you are a weaver, here are some other ways you can apply those skills. Here’s a bag, here’s a scarf, here’s a placemat, here’s a plant hanger. So there are all these little projects that, whether you’re a beginning or advanced weaver, you probably haven’t tried these styles.”
To start your own weaving journey, pick up Maryanne Moodie’s On the Loom: A Modern Weaver’s Guide.
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