Elaine Duncan

I was delighted to teach at the Maiwa Textile Symposium in early November.  I had a very enthusiastic class comprised of beginning tapestry weavers and more advanced.  It was good to have many levels so the beginners could be inspired by those who had more experience.  Every day I showed a digital presentation showing the weavers and dyers of Teotitlan de Valle, Oaxaca and also the inspiration of the archeological ruins at Mitla and Monte Alban.  Maiwa is a fantastic organization to work with as they anticipate what the instructor’s needs might be as well as the students.  We worked in the Net Loft upstairs where Maiwa has its textile and book collections.  Excellent place to be!  I have included some photos of the workshop.

Packing up the yarns in preparation for the class

We used naturally dyed wool yarns mostly from my Romney sheep that was mill spun in Crofton, BC.  They were 2 ply and worked well at cotton seine twine sett at 8 epi.

The teacher's table in the class.

Some photos of the students’ work:

As with any class each sampler, each student’s approach, colour choices, and the work looks completely different from each other.  Each person learns to find their own voice and express themselves.  Thanks Maiwa and my students for an excellent workshop!!