It has been a few years since I have done any weaving, the last effort being on my lovely peg loom. Whilst bimbling around Whitchurch Silk Mill, I came across a lovely woman sat weaving happily and a conversation began. The woman was Amanda Edney and the conclusion of me leaping about in excitement was booking in to a course by Amanda on Saori Weaving. Amanda can be found as BEAUTIFULcloth, a registered SAORI Studio, based in Winchester.

Amanda Edney.
http://beautifulcloth.co.uk

The philosophy of Saori Weaving especially appealed to me, allowing creativity to flow without being constrained by rules or expectations. My first piece was woven using colours that I love together and it was bliss being about to sit and put together those colours however I liked.

This is a collection of yarns and wool tops I have ferreted together from my work room to take the next class.

I distinctly remember the feeling when I finished my woven book, the final piece at the LCC that I couldn't quite believe I had done it. There seemed to be some strange alchemy going on that meant that my original thoughts had produced an object very closely resembling what I wanted to do! No, more than that it exceeded it. So, what was this alchemy? I am not sure, but current suggestions to myself are that, somehow, in producing some work that had been officially endorsed or accepted as being worthwhile gave me permission to think it was OK for me to do such a thing. Hmmm - it seems strange now as I feel I am moving very much away from that need for external approval. It is liberating to feel that I do not have to justify my work to anyone. Which is where the concept of Saori Weaving comes in and encourages and nurtures the importance for me of creating for myself, not others.

The quote below is taken from a website all about Saori Weaving, the principals and the philosophy.

"SAORI is a free-style hand weaving with no rules or restrictions. SAORI is an art form in which we express our true selves in weaving. There are no samples to follow, and there are no mistakes in weaving. Weavers just weave what they want to with a complete freedom and creativity."
Information about the history of Saori Weaving
http://www.saorinomori.com/eng/index.html

Weaving is such a beautiful process, and it can be done very simply and with minimal cost. There are loads of weaving frames available to buy but they can also be made fairly easily.