This weaving was all about green, nature, and calm. I chose several shades and textures because I wanted it to have the feeling of something growing naturally, without everything needing to match or follow a particular pattern.
Ironically, I was not always calm while making it. As sometimes happens when I weave, I became frustrated with the direction it was taking. Before reaching the end, I must have changed parts of it at least four times. I would add something, look at it for a while, remove it, and try again.
That is part of weaving that no one really sees in the finished piece. A weaving may eventually look peaceful and settled, but the process of getting there can involve quite a bit of uncertainty. Sometimes I know immediately that something is not working. At other times, I cannot tell until I have gone much further.
The most frustrating moment is when the weaving is finally off the loom and I suddenly wish I had used another color somewhere. While it is still on the loom, there is always the possibility of changing it. Once it is finished, I begin seeing all the things I might have done differently.
Still, perhaps that is also part of making something by hand. The different greens, natural fibers, uneven shapes, and changes of texture all became part of this piece’s story. The process was not quite as calm as the finished weaving appears, but eventually, it found its way there.