time to weave

I pore over books in much the same way that I scour the internet looking for a spark of an idea to feed my muse. Jane Patrick’s Time to Weave is a lovely example of a book that has given me more than one ‘aha’ moment. Patrick, a full time weaver and a former editor of Handwoven magazine, offers a relaxed approach to weaving without a loom, allowing the non-weaver entry into the world of weaving. I found her style inviting, intriguing and timely as I experiment with alternative uses for polymer clay.

The book’s 16 projects demonstrate weaving with paper, plastic, rubber backed carpet strips, balsa wood, flower stems, bamboo, copper foil, embroidery floss, canvas and wool. 16 new ways to think about weaving. 16 reasons to combine weaving with polymer clay. 16 sparks to feed my muse.

After coaxing us toward the weaving process with several non-loom projects, Patrick demonstrates how to use a simple frame loom – and then goes on to explain how to felt the woven wonders to make a pocket purse, hat and pillow.

The Wrapped Tile project is serene simplicity at its best. Patrick wrapped three 6 x 6 square Quartzite tiles with a simple weaving and arranged the tiles on a wall, making an elegant statement. As soon as I saw it I thought “use polymer clay tiles made of faux jade, ivory or amber”. The variations page for that project is pictured below.

If you are looking to do something different with thin strips of polymer clay, or if you want to try a unique wrap for your polymer clay tiles, focal beads or vessels, Time to Weave is a good place to start.

You can find a link to the book in the sidebar.