Ann Wennerstrom, Seattle Weavers’ Guild, Seattle, WA
Winner: People’s Choice Award
Material & Technique: Weaving Structure: Rosepath. Pattern Source: Traditional. Warp = 8/4 cotton, sett 6 per inch. Weft = miscellaneous wool. LeClerc Jack Loom, 45″
Description:.My philosophy is that scarcity can be the mother of invention when it comes to design. Using unmatched wool yarns from my shelves to come up with a fresh color combination was a fun challenge in this weft-face rug. The weave structure is a simple bound Rosepath, an old Scandinavian favorite using 4 shafts. I created the design as I wove the rug, with the help of a spreadsheet to visualize the placement of the dark and light stripes in different widths.
I learned to weave in 1977 at Steneby School, a small craft school in Sweden where we were taught to weave functional household textiles and garments using traditional weave structures. Recently I have felt an excitement to experiment, stemming in a large part from attending the Seattle Weavers’ Guild rug study group: the talent, encouragement, humor, and variety we share every month has helped me feel safe to plunge into new types of projects.
