Exploration into Textiles London Craft Week

May 8, 2018

Visit Craft Central in our magnificent converted Forge, open for the first time in London Craft Week.

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9-11 May 10am-5pm, Saturday 10am-12pm: Free exhibition of textile work by Erna Janine and Rob Jones

Thursday 10 May, 12am-5pm: Free demonstrations of Saori Weaving and Shibori Dyeing

Thursday 10 May, 6.30pm-9pm: Shibori dyeing introductory workshop, £47.75 FULLY BOOKED

Saturday 12 May, 10am-12.30pm: Saori Weaving introductory workshop, £65 FULLY BOOKED

ADDITIONAL SESSION ADDED Saturday 12 May 14.30-5.00pm: Saori Weaving introductory workshop, £65 booking required

ADDITIONAL DATE ADDED Thursday 31 May, 6.30pm-9pm: Shibori dyeing introductory workshop, £47.75 booking required

Saori Weaving led by Erna Janine

Saori Weaving is an intuitive style of hand weaving developed in Japan in the late Sixties to enable weavers to create unique pieces of cloth, play with colour and texture and weave in an expressive way. Janine will be demonstrating two-shaft weaving and talking about the philosophy behind this “mindful weaving”. Several easy-to-use floor looms will allow visitors to try their hand at weaving, choosing from a selection of yarns and other textiles. The woven pieces from each loom will become banners for display.

Erna Janine been involved with natural textiles for over 20 years. She studied hand spinning with animal and plant fibres, botanical dyes and Viking age textile construction: warp-weighted looms, tablet weaving, nonbinding, etc. at the Icelandic College for Traditional Handcrafts in Reykjavik.

For the last four years she has been visiting Japan regularly to study Saori free weaving, a hand weaving technique developed by Misao Jo. Unlike traditional textile techniques which rely on repeating patterns, Saori weaving is freestyle, personal to the weaver and so expressive that each cloth is unique, a work of art.

Thursday, 10 May, 12am-5pm: Free demonstrations and an opportunity to try out the technique.

Saturday 12 May, 10am-12.30pm: Saori Weaving introductory workshop, £65 FULLY BOOKED

Saturday, 12 May 14.30-5.00pm: Saori Weaving introductory workshop, £65 booking required

Shibori Dyeing led by Rob Jones of Romor Designs

Shibori is the ancient Japanese art of resist dyeing: binding, stitching, folding, twisting, or compressing cloth before dyeing to form very different patterns. Rob will introduce its history and current use and demonstrate some of the basic techniques. These will include the basic kamosage knot used to secure all bound work and how to make the kumo (spiderweb), bai (seashell), and tesugi (stripes) patterns using binding.

Rob discovered Shibori, at West Dean College, going on to study in Japan under indigo guru, Bryan Whitehead. Rob’s passion is in finding the new in the old, building on the tradition and centuries of skill that shibori has behind it. He takes the work in new directions by combining techniques and inventing his own forms.

His love of colour and pattern is a core component of his work is, which he brings to light in his colour saturated and complex fabrics. In a lampshade, rich colours take on new life when lit, casting bright shadows. In home textiles, patterns are broken and reassembled to produce new and original forms.