How do I “encode” words into my designs?
You have probably noticed I refer to my work as being “encoded” and maybe you are wondering what that means. An encoded message woven into fabric? That sounds intriguing doesn’t it? Allow me to explain.
On the type of loom that I use, which is an 8 shaft floor loom, the patterns are created by controlling which threads are moving up and down, and in which order. My encoding process assigns a numeric sequence to a phrase of words, giving each letter an assigned number that corresponds to what the threads are doing on the loom. (in the case of my 8 shaft loom, I’m using numbers 1-8)
This numeric sequence then essentially creates the pattern that is woven on the loom, thereby “translating” the words into a pattern. This whole process gets quite geeky and also involves a lot of designing to get the pattern symmetrical and to scale it to the size of the project I’m weaving. Lots of math and extreme attention to detail is involved. While some of the process is done on paper, a computer software program is also involved. In some cases, the work of creating the design can take longer than the actual weaving itself.
And while this part of the designing is quite technical, there is another side of it that is all about intention and symbolism. I explore how intention can be literally embedded into a physical object. It is said that our thoughts and words create our reality, if this is true then this work is an exploration of this concept. If we can translate words into many different languages, why not translate them into geometric shapes and woven patterns? Each step of my process, in additional to the complex details of the threaded design, also entails a focused awareness and intention on the phrase that is being worked into the woven fabric. In the case of the mantras and affirmations that I work with, these are repeated mentally, aloud or within music all throughout both the design and the weaving process. Extreme care goes into the vibration that is held throughout the creative process.
Putting meaning, symbolism, and even encoded words into woven fabric is not a new concept. Weavers have been doing it in various ways for thousands of years. While I have put my own unique spin on the process I use, which dates back to early Colonial America, I do not claim to be it’s sole originator. I am proud to come in a long line of people who put intention, meaning, and therefore SPIRITUAL POWER into their art and craft. I believe this is one of the things which imbues life with meaning and beauty…..our uniquely human ability to speak words, think thoughts, and materialize new things from them.
