Picture
Caption: Weaving Sally’s Story Photo Essay by Vicki Russell
Picture
Caption: Weaving is clearly in Sally’s DNA. Her grandfather’s textile mill in a small Pennsylvania town wove silk linings for men’s hats. As a little girl playing in her grandparents’ attic, Sally was fascinated with the shuttles and spindles left over from the then closed mill. As an adult she ended up using the leftover tools in setting up her own looms. For Sally cloth became a rich resource for learning about different cultures and their traditions. Being a weaver has also served as a way to meet interesting people wherever her travels take her.
Picture
Picture
Video
Picture
Caption: Q: What is it about weaving that you enjoy so much?
A: I love playing with color and texture and how they intersect on the loom. Love that there is always something new to learn, something new to try. Love the creating something from almost nothing: a cone of thread. Love that finished pieces can reflect an experience, place, cultural traditions, etc.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Caption: The bigger of her two looms was bought in Peoria, Illinois where Sally and her family lived in the early 80’s. Built by a monk who used the loom for 25+ years, the loom still works perfectly. The design is interestingly no different from similar hand looms manufactured today. Weave on!
Picture
Video
Picture
Caption: This weaving project uses threads from a friend of Sally’s who raises alpacas. The gray warp threads are the natural alpaca color, and the purple threads are dyed. So soft. So beautiful.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Caption: On this small loom is the work in progress of a scarf that will be auctioned at an upcoming charity event. Difficult to imagine, but Sally actually hand painted the warp threads. The process requires lots of patience. She starts with plain white threads, measures carefully, stretches them out, and paints dye directly on the threads before finally putting them on the loom - creative but incredibly time consuming.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Caption: Q: What would you like people to know about the weaving process?
A: I wish they knew that the preparation of the threads, the dying, winding, threading, and then setting up the loom take so much more time than the actual weaving. After the weaving is the finishing: washing, hemming, ironing, winding fringe, etc. A 10” X 72” scarf, for example, usually takes 10-20 hours of work from start to finish.
Picture
Picture
Caption: One of many beautifully hand woven finished products by my friend and gifted master weaver Sally.
Picture
Picture
Caption: Q: In closing, what are five adjectives that describe the effect weaving has on you personally?
A: Stimulating,
Calming,
Peaceful,
Thoughtful,
Thankful.
Picture
Caption: Mini Bio
Sally has studied weaving and textiles for many many years - first in Washington, D.C.; then Jakarta, Indonesia; Hong Kong; Vancouver, British Columbia; and now in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. A personable and knowledgeable speaker, she is often invited to give talks on Indonesian textiles and is an active member of the Triangle Weavers Guild.