Lesson video

Hello, my name's Mrs. Alton.

I'm thrilled that you could be here today to learn about the ancient craft of weaving, and that's from the unit: An Overview of Craft.

So let's get started.

I hope that by the end of today's lesson you can create weavings using different techniques and reflect on how materials can convey meaning.

Let's look at some keywords for today's lesson.

Weaving is the process of making fabric by interlocking two sets of threads.

Warp are the vertical threads that run up and down in weaving.

Weft are the horizontal threads that run side to side in weaving.

And threads are the long, continuous strands of fibres used in textiles.

The lesson today has been broken down into three learning cycles.

The first is an introduction to weaving.

The second is creating a finger weaving, and the third is reflecting on materials and meaning.

So let's get started on our first learning cycle, an introduction to weaving.

Take a look at this image.

These are examples of weaving.

Weaving is one of the oldest crafts known to humanity, with evidence dating back nearly 27,000 years.

For thousands of years, humans have been creating items such as baskets and fabrics, anything that was needed in the home.

However, weaving goes beyond just making fabric, as we'll learn.

Weaving is a method of textile production that interlaces threads on a structured grid.

Have a look at this example.

You might notice that the threads are going under and over each other, and that's a process of interlacing.

You could even interlace your fingers and you'll find that this creates strength and it's a very similar process in this textile weaving.

The warp are the vertical threads that run up and down.

So on your screen, it will be top to bottom.

Weft are the horizontal threads that weave through the warp, or on your screen side to side.

Now over to you for a quick check for understanding.

Label the diagram with warp and weft.

They sound very similar, so just have a go.

Well done if you correctly labelled the warp as the vertical and the weft as a horizontal or side to side.

Alex asks, "What tools can be used for weaving?" And this links to our previous learning on how some artists and designers create their own tools for different needs and purposes.

Take a look at this image.

What type of tool do you think this is? Well done If you said it was a hand loom.

Looms come in many different shapes and sizes.

Sometimes they can be huge industrial machines that create thousands of metres of fabric a day.

A loom is a tool that holds threads tight so that they can be easily interlaced to create the fabric.

Over to you for a quick check for understanding.

What is the purpose of a loom in weaving? Is it A: to dye threads to create fabric? B: to hold threads tightly so that they can be interlaced? C: to sew threads to create a fabric? Or D: to embroider threads to create a fabric? Well done if you said B.

It's to hold the threads tightly so that the threads can be interlaced.

Take a look at this image.

This is basket weaving using willow.

Can you identify the warp and the weft in this image? Think about the vertical and horizontal structure.

Well done if you correctly identified the warp as a vertical structure and the weft as a horizontal structure.

And you can see in this image that the weaving is going under and over each other and interlaced.

Basket weaving uses flexible materials to weave the warp and the weft.

This example is using willow, which is a type of flexible branch.

By interlacing materials like bamboo, willow, reeds, and grass, a rigid framework is created.

So this is different to the fabric framework that we've just been looking at, and it shows that weaving can be used to make all different types of products.

A quick check for understanding.

Take a good look at all three of these images.

Which of the images do you think are examples of weaving? Well done if you identified that all three examples are examples of weaving.

Weaving can be done in any material.

Describe items of weaving that you may see every day.

Think about items around the home or things you might wear.

Jacob says, "My rug is made by weaving colourful threads together." Aisha comments that, "Our fruit basket is made by weaving thin strips of wicker." Sam says, "My jeans are made by weaving threads into fabric." And Lucas says, "The chairs in our back garden use weaving for the seats." Did you think of any other examples? Now over to you for a task.

Create a warp and weft weaving using a recycled card or paper.

You could experiment with using contrasting colours and label the warp and the weft.

In this example, I've used a cardboard square for a frame for the warp,.

Be sure not to cut all the way to the bottom.

Leaving a small anchor at the bottom helps keep the warp securely in place, making it easier to weave the weft.

Using a contrasting colour helps you to clearly see the grid light pattern that forms during the weaving process, making it easier to follow and understand the over and under technique.

Your work may have looked like this pattern, depending on the types of materials that you've used.

Let's move on to our second learning cycle: Create a finger weaving.

Take a look at this demonstration.

How would you describe this weaving technique? Does it remind you of anything maybe you've tried before? If you've tried crochet or knitting, this might seem quite familiar.

And don't worry if you haven't, we are gonna go through this process stage by stage.

Finger weaving is an ancient weaving technique that uses just the hands to interlace threads.

It can be done anywhere, unlike loom weaving, which needs equipment and space.

It uses your fingers to control the threads without a fixed warp.

Over to you for a check for understanding.

Finger weaving can be done anywhere without a warp.

Well done if you said true.

Finger weaving doesn't require any additional tools, just your hands and thread.

Take a look at this image.

Do you recognise these products? These are finger weaving bands, you may even own some yourself.

Finger weaving originated among First Nation communities of North America, particularly the Anishinaabe and Cherokee, who used it to create items like belts, straps, and decorative items. Artists like Jeffrey Gibson, a First Nation American, celebrate these ancient weaving traditions in works like "The Anthropophagic Effect," honouring techniques used by tribes long before the European settlers, that would've been passed down for generations.

A quick check for understanding.

Items that can be made from finger weaving include: A: belt, scarves and shoes, B: towels, hats and straps, or C: belts, straps and decorative items. Well done if you said C: belts, straps and decorative items. These items are much more suited to what you can achieve using finger weaving.

Now over to you for our task.

Create a finger weaving using your choice of thread, I'm using string, but wool would also be a good choice.

There are different stages to this process.

A is holding your thread.

B is interlacing your thread.

C is the weaving process which you repeat.

D is how you get tension on your weaving, and E is about finishing and tying your weaving, and we're gonna look at each stage of these in more detail.

Have a look at this demonstration.

This is about how you set up your weaving.

First of all, you hold your string in your non-dominant hand, and this is the hand you don't usually write with.

You can secure the string with your thumb so it doesn't move.

Then you're going to interlace the thread.

You weave once under and over each finger.

So you can see in this demonstration that I draw the thread back behind the back of my hand and then weave under and over each finger, backwards and forwards.

You only need to do this once to set up the weaving.

So take your time, it can be a bit fiddly.

You may just need a couple of goes.

The next stage is to do the weaving.

Take a look at this demonstration.

You'll notice that I lightly place the string over the tops of my fingers.

Then, one finger at a time, you lift the bottom loop over the new thread and off your fingertip, and this process gets repeated over and over until you have the length of fabric that you require.

Have a look at this demonstration.

You'll see that the back of the hand can look quite knotty until you pull the tension correctly.

The loops on your finger can also become a bit loose, so it may be good to just pull down those loops as you do your weaving.

As you weave, the back of the hand does look really messy; but don't worry.

Gently pull the thread and smooth out the weaving.

This will also adjust the tension.

Lastly, it's finishing and tying.

You need to cut the thread and then pass the cut end through the loops on each finger, starting with the loop on your index finger.

In this video, you can only see me doing this for the index finger, but you need to work your way down one finger at a time.

This process ties a knot at the end of the thread to secure your weaving.

Finger weaving can be quite tricky at first, but once you've mastered it, it's really fun because you can do it anywhere as it doesn't require any additional materials, apart from your fingers and some string.

Take your time and be patient.

It can be fun to learn this technique with somebody else in pairs and help each other if you get stuck.

I can't wait to see how you get on.

Your work may have looked like these examples which have been done in different weights of wool.

Or this example, which was the string outcome from the demonstrations.

I hope you enjoyed that process.

You might want to think about how you can use this technique to make other craft items. Let's move on to our last learning cycle: Reflect on materials and meaning.

Weaving goes beyond craft.

It can be a powerful art and craft form that can tell stories and reflect cultural heritage.

This is an example of ceremonial cloth from the Andes.

These colourful cloths show pictures of nature like mountains and animals, and are used in special ceremonies to connect with ancient beliefs.

This is basket weaving from Vietnam.

Basket weaving uses materials like bamboo, ratan, and other natural fibres.

The way the baskets are made show how people connect with nature and their environment.

Different shapes and designs also tell us about what the baskets are used for, like carrying goods or holding tools.

And they also show the unique traditions of the regions or communities that they were made.

Table runners in Mexico are made from beautiful, bright colours and patterns that show the history, love of nature, and connection to the land.

Tartan is a special kind of cloth with different patterns that tell which family or clan someone belongs to in Scotland, like a badge of honour.

These textiles help us think about the culture and traditions of the people who made them.

Artists sometimes choose specific weaving materials to send a message or highlight important topics, like: the environment, identity, heritage, or social justice.

Social justice means that all people should be treated the same, no matter where they come from.

Artists turn everyday materials into art that carries deep meaning about culture and society.

Quick check for understanding.

True or false? Weaving is simply a way of creating fabric for clothing.

What do you think? Well done if you said false.

Weaving goes beyond just making fabric.

It's a powerful form of art that can tell stories and reflect cultural heritage.

Contemporary artists use unusual weaving materials to convey important messages in their work.

Alex asks, "I wonder why artists choose to weave specific materials like glass beads, tin, copper, plastic, or even tights?" Jeffrey Gibson, Ifeoma Anyaeji, Enam Gbewonyo and Magdalena Abakanowicz all use unusual materials.

Jeffrey Gibson is a First Nation American artist.

He uses materials like beads, leather, and found objects in his art.

He mixes traditional weaving with other art forms like painting and sculpture.

Ifeoma Anyaeji uses modern plastics, which is a major pollutant of her home country, Nigeria.

She blends traditional African hair threading techniques used for creating patterns in hair with modern materials like plastics.

Anyaeji tells personal stories through her sculptures and weavings, reflecting on her experience growing up.

Her work explores sustainability by using non biodegradable materials and making them into meaningful art.

Enam Gbewonyo uses fabric beads and other materials to create weavings and sculptures.

She also uses performance to engage with her audience.

Gbewonyo uses traditional Ghanaian weaving techniques to talk about issues around race and gender.

One of her most notable works is called "the Invisibility Cloak," where she uses tights to represent the invisibility of women of colour, highlighting the need for all voices to be heard.

Magdalena Abakanowicz was a Polish artist.

She used industrial materials like burlap, sisal, resin, and cast iron.

In the 1960s and '70s, she took traditional tapestries, which were often hung on walls, into three dimensional sculptures, blending, weaving, knotting, and all types of textile manipulation.

Abakanowicz's large sculptures are called Abakans.

They look a bit like huge cocoons.

Her work invites us to think about strength, vulnerability, and the tension between wanting to be part of a group and standing alone.

She reminds us that, in art, as in life, we can always rewrite the rules.

Think about your experience of weaving today and the methods that you've tried.

Do you agree or disagree with Enam's statement? Now, for our last task.

Write a reflection that considers your experience of weaving.

Are there other materials you'd like to use? How could those materials help tell a story or send a message about culture or society? Think back to the artists that we've just looked at.

How did they use materials to tell a story in their art? You may like to use this prompt: "In my weaving, I used material," and list some of the types of material you used.

"I preferred this weaving technique because.

." Then maybe you could give a reason why.

"I would like to try weaving with.

." Think of different types of materials.

This could even include things like wire.

"This would help my work to tell a story or send a message about.

." Do you have a story that you would like to explore with weaving? Try and give a reason.

I look forward to hearing what you've come up with.

Let's have a look at what you may have said.

Alex says, "In my weaving, I used paper.

I liked this technique because it was simple.

I would like to weave with fabric scraps.

This would make a statement about recycling because I could use old clothing." Sam says, "In my finger weaving, I used string.

I preferred this technique because I can make bracelets for my friends with colours and materials that tell a story about their personalities." Let's take a look at a summary for today's lesson.

Weaving is one of the oldest crafts using materials to interlace patterns.

Weaving is practised worldwide, with communities showcasing their own unique styles and techniques.

Contemporary artists use weaving materials in creative ways to express ideas about culture and society.

Thank you for learning with me today.

I look forward to seeing you again.