Inspiration

Today we're sharing an interview with Steven Salazar, a multi-faceted textile artist, teacher, and designer. We love his insatiable curiosity for all things fiber, and are excited to offer a peek into his world in this interview. Enjoy!

In this blog post, Olga Owczarek explores how weaving outside the bounds of rigid cartoon adherence can unlock creative freedom on the loom, allowing tapestries to evolve organically as they're woven. Referencing examples from contemporary artists who embrace improvisational approaches, Olga offers inspiration for tapestry weavers to follow their own intuitive impulses and explore. 

While the digital age has fueled a promising revival of tapestry weaving, the focus has heavily favored contemporary Western weavers and well-known figures. Although these artists deserve recognition, this emphasis overlooks tapestry weaving's rich global history. In this blog post, Olga Owczarek highlights a selection of inspirational tapestry artists from around the world, both past and current, to showcase the broader cultural heritage and unique approaches that exist in the tapestry landscape.

If you feel you are in need of weaving inspiration, sometimes you need to look no further than your surroundings. Nature is a wonderful organizer of color and design, and translating scenery into weaving can create stunning projects. In this blog post, Bella Nunn describes how to use photographs as a reference to create uniquely beautiful weaving projects. 

If you’ve been weaving for a while, chances are you’ve amassed a collection of handwoven scraps. These bits and pieces, often the result of sampling or projects that didn’t quite hit the mark, might seem like mere leftovers. But in reality, they’re hidden treasures brimming with potential! In this post, we’ll dive into three imaginative ways to breathe new life into your handwoven scraps.

As weavers, it is a joy to give our handwoven fiber creations to those we love. But while we may wish for unlimited hours at the loom, we have to be realistic with our plans when it comes to making gifts. With so many beautiful weaving patterns in the Gist library, we know it can be hard to decide what to weave. Here are five of our favorite weaving patterns that are sure to impress any recipient this holiday season. 

Today we're introducing our Director of Content and Customer Experience, Christine Jablonski. Christine has worn many hats throughout her time at Gist. You've probably woven a pattern she designed or produced, or chatted with her via phone or email—with or without knowing it! Read on to learn a bit more about Christine. 

We're so proud of our team of seven fiber enthusiasts, and felt it was only right for you to get to know everyone a little bit better. Today we're starting with Gist founder, Sarah Resnick. 

Rya, a Swedish hand-knotted pile-technique with a long "shag" and fewer knots per inch, is an exciting technique with room for ample exploration. In this blog post, Miriam Parker provides suggestions for color-blending when weaving Rya using Gist's Array and Mallo yarns. 

You might know Jennifer Mao as a Gist pattern designer and former Weave Quarterly artist, but she’s also known for her weekly pay-what-you-wish weaving series, which she shares on Instagram. In this interview, she shares more about that practice. Enjoy!

In the West, weaving is a largely solitary endeavor. We may take a class or belong to a guild where we are weaving with others, but we wind our warps solo and we sit alone at our looms. In Morocco, I spent two days with the women of the Anzal Weaving Association and the experience could not have been more different.