weaving Voices 01.04.2025 issuu - Flipbook - Page 36
In Europe, traditional weaving communities are scarce. I speculate
that there may be some collective weaving communities left in
the remote rural landscapes of Eastern Europe. Unfortunately, the
fading popularity of passing down this ancient craft is a common
disheartening trend. As weavers age, their offspring show a
diminishing interest in taking up their threads, indicating a gradual
loss of this skill from one generation to the next.
Weaving is a meticulous and skillful craft typically performed on a
loom, but it can also be practised without one. Examples include
basket weaving or fence weaving using branches, where the hands
directly shape the material. In my experience in teaching weaving,
I’ve noticed that beginners often find the loom fascinating and also
intimidating. The process of preparing a loom can take days. It
requires accuracy, patience, materials and more than two hands. The
intricate steps involved in preparing a loom highlight how weaving
has historically been, and in some places still is, a craft practised
collaboratively within communities worldwide.
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