Victoria Inspiration

[Photo: Jean Betts showing her splendid coat
made from many scraps of  various textiles
she has woven]

I attended the Victoria Weavers and Spinners Guild on Thursday having heard that one of their best weavers, Jean Betts was giving a presentation on some of her recent work. I had to be in Victoria to do some research anyway so I added this to the schedule and come away inspired. Jean recently took a workshop with Dorothy Field, poet, writer, artist, intellectual extraordinaire. Here's a documentary about Dorothy.
The workshop was intended to push the artist and extend their creativity and Jean felt she was able to do that. She has woven for years and getting bored with the same old same old and this was a chance to try new things. Her theme was reuse, reinvent, recycle and rejuvenate. Napkins from Value Village were dyed, textiles, cut and added, Japanese rice wax resist, stitches adding details..well, you get the idea and the pictures tell the story. Jean discusses the workshop in more detail on her blog OneSmallStitch

Jean also showed a book on 'Boro' a Japanese word meaning rags. Impoverished people in the 19th and 20th Century patched and patched and re-patched their clothes creating beautiful textiles. They are now collectable and sell for a lot of money. Do a google for "Japanese boro" and you will find some interesting images and information about boro.