Modern Tools

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“In the same way that our ancestors made looms and tools from tree branches, contemporary weavers incorporate modern conveniences to enhance their abilities as weavers. While historical weavers worked according to how much sunlight was available, today’s weavers work into the night under florescent bulbs. Rope cinches have been replaced with metal turnbuckles, and tape measures give the weaver numerical precision. While we have adopted cell phones and remote controls, ensuring that we rarely have to leave the loom, the inventive sprit of our ancestors is still abundant. The long metal needles you see between the warps used to be spokes from a broken umbrella, and yesterdays mint tin makes an excellent holder for small tools. Weavers adopt convenience on their own terms as a means of artistic creation. We are now able to record our family history through scrapbooks and teach new weavers about those that came before them. Much like our predecessors, as modern weavers we use technology to find a balance between our tradition and our ever-changing surroundings.” —Sierra Ornelas