THROWING LIGHT ON SAORI; A WONDERFUL WEAVING ART
SAORI is all about self-expression and free-flowing creativity. There are no limitations and rules whatsoever; you can weave whatever you want and however you wish. Every work accomplished at the SAORI loom is a masterpiece in itself. The irregular patterns and style give it the real beauty that everyone admires.
Now, the first thing that might come to your mind is How to weave? Well, the great thing about SAORI is that you don’t need to have any weaving experience to start! Yes, you heard it right; you don’t have to know how to weave to produce beautiful SAORI cloth! SAORI is about freestyle creativity – it’s more like painting a picture with yarns, using colour and texture as your guide rather than rigid patterns that can be reproduced by a machine. The textured fabric, ragged edges, and rough or smooth texture of the finished item created with SAORI weaving make it a beautiful, unique textile that you will cherish.
Technicalities of SAORI:
SAORI weaving emphasizes imagination rather than technique. You need not plan or pre-think anything while undertaking the journey of SAORI. You can focus on aesthetic decisions rather than keeping track of the patterns you create.
Your hands should guide the shuttle through the shed and let your fingers gently beat the weft; that is all you must do to create a masterpiece. Consequently, the fabric will become fluid and organic. It is all about distributing the colours, doing what feels right at the time to create your own design in the cloth. SAORI weavings look rich and alive even though there is no set pattern to follow.
Easy-to-handle SAORI Looms:
If you’ve considered starting weaving or heard about SAORI, certain questions might come to mind: How to weave with a SAORI loom? Is a SAORI Loom cumbersome to handle? Is it portable? These are all important questions to ask. The answers, just like this style of weaving, are easy!
The SAORI loom is wonderfully simple to use, it quickly folds up for storage and transport at any time and is easy to set up and handle. The ergonomic design of these handcrafted looms enables you to weave unhindered and comfortably for hours.
The SAORI looms are also very versatile in their design, enabling you to easily and quickly switch between projects on the loom or to share the loom with others and each have your own specific project to create.
Weaving on a SAORI loom is easy, as mentioned above. There are no complicated patterns to reproduce or concentrate on – just pure enjoyable creativity.
Do not imitate others:
Misao Jo, the founder of SAORI weaving, was passionate about everyone discovering and tapping into their own innate creativity, their kansei. So, we encourage INSPIRATION rather than IMITATION. If you try to reproduce the work of other weavers or a traditional pattern, you will fail miserably because SAORI is all about going with the flow – your own flow, without a set pattern in mind. This is where true creativity exists.
The SAORI looms are wonderfully designed in such a way that your hands, mind and body are free to move to select colours, create unique patterns and generate innovative ideas of your own.
Do not become Self-Critical:
It is important not to become self-critical while pursuing anything and not just SAORI. Remember, no one is born perfect, and we all learn by doing! The same applies to SAORI, where you can just go with the flow and not worry if you are doing it right or wrong. In SAORI, there is no right or wrong, there are no mistakes – all that happens at the loom was meant to occur in that moment. The power is in letting go and allowing your innate creativity to shine.
Let us know about your SAORI Experience:
Have you ever woven using the SAORI weaving technique? If you have, please let us know all about your experience. What did you create using this technique?
Or would you like to learn How to weave? Let us help you with your new weaving endeavor and start your SAORI journey with us today!
Get in touch, as we would love to hear from you!
