Dear Weavolutionairies,

At the MAFA fashion show, one of the weavers/ models announced that her student would be a contestant on Project Runway this season.  I have not seen the show this season,. episode 3 just aired.  Does anyone know who the designer/weaver is?  I would like to follow her progress.

Thanks!!  XO Gail & Fog

Comments

Sat, 08/03/2013 - 07:34

loomyladi (not verified)

I think his name is Matthew.  He is the one that is into "sustainability," being organic etc.  He was in the bottom 2 on the first and second shows.  I don't know how he did on the third, I haven't seen it yet. He has his own weaving studio.

 

 

I wish they would add a weaving challenge in along the way.  See if these folks know where cloth comes from.  One season they drew pictures of a print and it was woven for them, but put these designers at a loom and see what happens.

Sat, 08/03/2013 - 12:35

endorph

Timothy and I was not impressed - He ws voted off on the third show. All of his designs were bad and his sustainability spiel was pretty unbalanced. He didn't want the hairstylists to use any electric appliances on his models hair but he uses electricity to light his space, cook with, etc. He was just odd - I am hoping people don't think all weavers are that strange! It would have been nice to see some weaving on the show but. . . realistically given the time constraints they are under I don't see that happening.
Sat, 08/03/2013 - 15:38

Sara von Tresckow

I've met Timothy - sloppy at best. He mastered the Blooming Leaf pattern and found himself smugly congratulating himself on the "new" use of VHS tapes as weft material (though it has been around used by handweavers for about 2 decades). He stated to me that his "professor" had been after him to learn more and better techniques - I even offered him the run of our shop and looms as inspiration, but the trip from Milwaukee to Fond du Lac was simply too much for him (65 miles one way). He's a strange character - abrasive and not at all skilled in either weaving or textile design - and here in the area does a lot of "self promotion" and "fundraising".

It is quite possible to support sustainability and the environment, and at the same time create an aesthetic that doesn't rape the senses.

There definitely could have been a better example of weaver/designer, though I'm thinking that some of the better creative weaving people would not want to get involved in these high powered, commercial reality gigs.

Sun, 08/04/2013 - 17:59

sally orgren

from Syracuse University, was the professor who announced (during the Mid Atlantic Fiber Association workshop weekend) that one of her students would be on Project Runway this season.

Timothy Westbook was the designer, and frankly, I thought the episode was painful to watch. However, when I was watching, I didn't realize he was the one Sarah referred to at MAFA, and I couldn't take my eyes off his scarf in this episode. (I kept wondering if it was handwoven.)

I think pretty much everyone—the other designers, his design partner, the viewers and the judges figured him out fairly quickly.

Sun, 08/04/2013 - 03:42

msthimble

I tried to watch episodes 1,2 & 3 on the Lifetime website, but my TV provider is not a member of Lifetime.  I am going to YouTube to see if anyone ahs upoloaded the entire episdose.  If not i will watch the clips on Lifetime.  This is fun getting so much feedback.

Sun, 08/04/2013 - 12:57

Michael White

I thought he was a nerd. And the way he treated his first model, she is there to walk and not be his "actor" I felt bad for her.

Michael

Sun, 08/04/2013 - 13:10

Michael White

Is not all that it is crack up to be for weaving. I know two universities that hired MAFA grads to teach weaving. One came to Cheryl to get refresher classes, both are no longer teaching weaving (that I know of). A other MAFA grad (from that school in NYC) came by my warehouse to purchase yarn two weeks ago and she didn't know the different between 8/2 or the different sizes of other cottons. What she purchase for a scarf had Cheryl rolling her eyes when I told her. Natural linen, cotton and 8 ply reeled silk.

Michael