Janis Saunders - Stonepath Textile Studio
I am a hand weaver who loves patterns, and watching the colors appear and disappear into the woven textile delights me as the pattern satisfies my need for order. I have woven yards and yards of patterned cloth for many years, and yet it is still a fascination.
In 2021, I started painting textile dye onto the warp threads (which are held taut on the loom, raising them in their pattern order so that weft threads can be interlaced across the warp to create whole cloth) before they were woven. A shuttle carries the single color weft, which is passed through the warp threads anywhere from 1500 to 2000 times depending on the length or density of the scarf. This combination creates a pattern overlaying the changing colors on the warp. Often one side of a scarf is light and the other dark.
When the cloth is removed from the loom it is rather stiff. Washing settles the threads and makes them bloom, creating a soft draping fabric and allowing the threads to snuggle up against one another, which makes the pattern stand out. It is a thrill to see the finished cloth that had been only threads a few days before.
Below are examples of my scarves and a kumihimo (kumi-hee-moe) bracelet. Kumihimo is a Japanese form of braiding that allows the braider to make complex braids.
Contact Janis
I am a hand weaver who loves patterns, and watching the colors appear and disappear into the woven textile delights me as the pattern satisfies my need for order. I have woven yards and yards of patterned cloth for many years, and yet it is still a fascination.
In 2021, I started painting textile dye onto the warp threads (which are held taut on the loom, raising them in their pattern order so that weft threads can be interlaced across the warp to create whole cloth) before they were woven. A shuttle carries the single color weft, which is passed through the warp threads anywhere from 1500 to 2000 times depending on the length or density of the scarf. This combination creates a pattern overlaying the changing colors on the warp. Often one side of a scarf is light and the other dark.
When the cloth is removed from the loom it is rather stiff. Washing settles the threads and makes them bloom, creating a soft draping fabric and allowing the threads to snuggle up against one another, which makes the pattern stand out. It is a thrill to see the finished cloth that had been only threads a few days before.
Below are examples of my scarves and a kumihimo (kumi-hee-moe) bracelet. Kumihimo is a Japanese form of braiding that allows the braider to make complex braids.
Contact Janis
