Hot off the press... I just learned about this on Facebook -- lets get started!  Look at the http://contests.interweave.com/vav/ for more information -- lets get started!  Ready, Sett, GO!! This is copied from their Facebook entry.


 

Comments

Sat, 01/08/2011 - 11:06

kerstinfroberg

Fun!

It will be fun to see some garments in a VÄV-mässa again - last time was, I beleive, in '93.

However, it saddens me that only residents of the US and Canada are allowed to enter...

Kerstin (in Sweden - where the VÄV is located...)

Sat, 01/08/2011 - 20:31

Ellen (not verified)

What makes you think that this is only for people from the US and Canada? I did not see that mentioned in the link Suzyhook just posted.

I'd love to see one of your garments there! Are you going? I am planning seriously to do so, perhaps we'd manage to meet at last :-)

Sat, 01/08/2011 - 21:26

tien (not verified)

It's mentioned in the fine print in the rules.  I'm guessing it's for legal reasons; limiting entrants to residents of the U.S. and Canada means they only have to research legal requirements for those two countries.  Still, it does seem a little odd to me that Sweden is not represented.  Perhaps Vav is running a similar competition?

It doesn't say so in the rules (yet), but i emailed Madelyn van der Hoogt, and the fabric has to use a maximum of eight shafts.  I kind of figured that, since the garment has to be publishable as a project in Handwoven, and they only do eight shafts and fewer.

I'm still thinking about doing it...it would be interesting to try designing within the constraints of the contest.  I've started drafting up some eight-shaft designs already!

Sun, 01/09/2011 - 13:10

kerstinfroberg

No, Vävmagasinet does not (at least not yet - not in the last issue, not on their website) have a similar competition.

It is true that we are used to having textile competitions announced a very short time before the "last" date - I remember a couple of years ago:  "they" were planning "the biggest textile event ever" - invites were made public about 3-4 weeks in advance... (I've better point out that Väv was not among the organizers). It has also happened that info (for vendors) about time and place for the VÄV-mässa has been sent out less than 3 months before the event. In my not very humble opinion this is a sure way to get fewer entries/vendors/visitors and therefore less interesting exhibitions... but that's just me.

Re "legal requirements": AFAIK there has never been any problem for non-US members of HGA to enter Convergence exhibitions, even if I (once) had to argue with (Swe) customs when my exhibited piece came back.

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 01:50

msthimble

 

I agree that 3 months or less is not enough time create a unique entry.  The time constraint definately discourages me from entering the competition, and it discourages creativity, as weavers will be limiting their techniques to those that they can accomplish quickly.  I predict warp stripes with a few novelty yarn warps thrown in, single color wefts and EPI's of 10 or fewer.  A recipe for speed.  I would love to see garments that feature overshot, Theo Moorman, hand manipulated laces, pulled warp, etc, but those are all very time consuming techniques.  A shame, because this type of competition should be a showcase for technique and artistry, not a race to the finish.

XO Gail & Fog

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 18:25

tien (not verified)

While I agree that three months is a pretty short time to come up with a unique entry, I think that as long as you're not doing a lot of hand-manipulated techniques or really complicated sewing, it's enough time to do one garment.  My tentative plan (see my blog post from this morning for more details) is to do a lined coat using painted warps (at least two chains, painted in different color sequences), using 30/2 silk warp sett at 36 epi.  I'm pretty confident I can complete this, including designing and weaving up samples, doing muslins, etc., in two months, leaving me one month of buffer time.  Admittedly I do plan to work on it fairly intensively, but I think it's do-able.  Even weaving overshot would be OK, I think - it takes longer to weave, but as long as it's not a floor-length garment, I don't think it would take THAT long.

So I wouldn't be too discouraged!  If nothing else, you can weave up a nice piece of cloth and use it for a loom-shaped garment entry.  Butterick has a nice pattern here: http://butterick.mccall.com/b5108-products-8544.php?page_id=428 (yes, I know it looks fancy, but I've seen the pattern, and it's all rectangles!).  I'm planning to use that for a second entry, if I have time.  I bet it would be quick and simple to do, and you could focus your time on producing an interesting fabric rather than spending lots of time sewing...

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 18:28

tien (not verified)

I forgot to mention that I had some correspondence with the folks at Handwoven on the subject of what would and would not be appropriate for the garment contest.  One of the things to keep in mind is that the garment has to be publishable as a project in Handwoven - meaning you need to keep it simple enough that you can publish full instructions in just 3-4 magazine pages.  That, to me, is far more limiting than the timeframe, but at least it does simplify things enough that a three-month deadline is somewhat more viable!

"Simple and beautiful" was what they recommended to shoot for.

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 18:35

kerstinfroberg

Hmm... from me too

Not really wanting to start an argument here, but - in issuing invitations late, there is an implicite idea that weavers are ... can't think of the correct word, well, that they generally don't have anything to do but waiting for invitations to crop up. I think it is a bit disrespectful to a) professional weavers and also to b) hobby weavers that are professionals at something else (i e have a day job)...

Of course it is do-able - but will it be your (or mine) *best* design?

 

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 19:07

tien (not verified)

Oh, I agree that the timeframe is too short - just trying to suggest that you shouldn't be too discouraged, either.  I think six months would have been better/allowed for a much more relaxed pace.

Tien (who also has a day job)

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 21:13

Michael White

I guess they have been watching too much "Project Runway," for you that have not seen the TV show: designer are give 24 hours (or less) to design, layout, purchase supplies and sew a garment  ready to be worn by a model on the runway, then judged. In this case they have given you added time because you have to make your own cloth.

Have fun,

Michael

Sun, 01/16/2011 - 18:33

kerstinfroberg

For various reasons I checked the contest rules again today. And... suddenly the challenge is "open to everyone". (There is one sentence I don't understand: "Void where prohibited by law. The challenge is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations."  "Void..." - what does that mean, explained to a foreigner, please?)

Also I'm a bit confused by what Tien wrote about constraint (max 8 shafts etc) - I don't doubt Tien, of course, but I can't see them anywhere?

Tue, 01/18/2011 - 12:23

Michael White

Void: Law: of no legal force or effect, not binding. invalid, nell.

What they are saying is if your local law does not allow "contests" then you cannot enter the challenge. 

Michael

Tue, 01/18/2011 - 18:52

tien (not verified)

There aren't any restrictions in the posted rules, but I asked Madelyn herself and she said no more than 8 shafts, and that she was working on getting that into the revised rules.

Basically, it must be publishable as a project in Handwoven, and they don't do more than eight shafts.

I don't know if that's an "official" rule yet or not, but it seems prudent to design that way...

Tue, 01/18/2011 - 18:54

tien (not verified)

I wove up the first samples for the garment contest today.  It's a painted warp in six bouts, and I've been doing various arrangements of the color sequence and experimenting with various wefts.  Here's the one I like best so far:

I'm thinking I'll make a longish jacket out of it, but haven't decided for sure yet.

Tue, 01/18/2011 - 19:05

Aunt Janet (not verified)

That would make a terrific long jacket, Tien.