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Community Weaving Day

Saturday was my community weaving project in Angelica. Although I will change some things next time around, the project was reasonably successful. This is a story told mostly in pictures, with just a few words.

As I expected, it took only about 5 minutes for me to complete the loom frame assembly.
frame assembled

What I didn’t expect was that the tent frame would be substantially lower than my tent, so the milk jug weights were resting on the ground. I should have made the weaving frame only 4′ high and wide instead of 5′, both to deal with this problem and account for the time it took to do the weaving.

Regardless, I started warping the loom.
warping started

My guesstimate was right – it took me about an hour to get the loom all warped.
warping complete

I put in just a bit of one color so people got the basic idea, then solicited my first weavers.
first weavers

It didn’t take long before some younger weavers joined in.
girls weaving

They drew in others.
more girls join in

The frame is large, so it takes a lot of time to build up color.
not much color yet

more weaving

two at a time

adding color

and more color

reaching through the loom

keep adding color

working high & low

Time is passing really quickly and the crowd is thinning, so I work quickly trying to fill in around the shapes the community wove in. Wish there was more time, more people, and a smaller frame.
filling in close up

filling in

I asked people at the end to fill in sections, too. Kids were happy to oblige.
filling in

finishing up

Just in time, the weaving is done.
done - side angle

done - from the front

I think it’s going to be about a week before it’s fully installed on Main Street. I’ll go back then and take a photo, too.

All in all, it was fun. I plan to improve on this process and do more community weaving.

7 comments to Community Weaving Day

  • Cathie

    I think this is a terrific community project! Almost everyone has had experience with weaving those little potholders, now they see the same weaving principles ( over one under one) on a large scale producing a piece of art together! It must of been fun to do and I think will generate lots of interest at it’s next venue. Great idea!

    • Peg Cherre

      Thanks, Cathie – it was lots of fun! And you are correct – I often used an assumption that people had made potholders as a strategy to draw them in and convince them they could do this. I also thanked everyone for helping. I hope the woman ‘in charge’ of the Farmer’s Market gets it hanging up downtown soon – I think people need that to close the circle. In terms of over one-under one, that was my goal. Some people, particularly the kids, didn’t exactly do that, and I was often too busy to work with them. Still, everything worked fine.

  • Anne Romance

    What a GREAT community project. I don’t believe I have ever seen so much involvement at an
    event. Sure do hope you do more of these, and that it is rewarding in every way for you.

  • Peg Cherre

    Thanks, Alma & Judy. To answer your questions, Alma, I had 12 rolls of tulle. People would choose their color and I’d cut them a length of 1-2 yards – I learned that longer lengths were harder to work with.

    I think the people who chose to be involved enjoyed it. In its next iteration the loom will be smaller, the warp closer together, and I’d find a way to spend a bit more time with each person.

    And yes, Red did enjoy it. He met some nice dogs and people.

  • Alma

    What a good group project. What were they weaving in? Scarves? Chiffon? Tulle? What a good ice-breaking team-building motivator exercise! You should rent yourself out to corporations!

  • Judy T

    Hmmm… thought I already left a comment… anyway – VERY cool!!!! Great idea! Great project! Great community involvement!

    (and it looks like Red likes it too : )

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