I'm always interested in hearing how people got started weaving. So what got you going?
As for myself, I have to say that I'm not really sure. My first real memory of seeing someone weaving was when I was a teen. The dad of my friend, Pat, taught at the local community college - Georgain College in Barrie, ON - and so one day we were at the college, just wandering around the buildings and came across the weaving studio. The weaving instructor was there weaving and I thought it was neat.
Fast-forward five years, I applied to the college for the Design Arts program. During the first year of the program all the students take the same general courses - life drawing, colour theory, 2-D design, 3-D design, drafting. Then for the second and third years, we would specialize - there were several disciplines from which to choose, Interior Design, Fine Arts, Pottery, Industrial Design, Weaving & Textiles, Metal/Wood/Glass. I had thought to go into Industrial Design, but somewhere during that first year I changed my mind and took Weaving & Textiles.
Weaving just sort of made sense to me. I seemed to understand it right away. So now I've been weaving for just over 25 years, mostly as a hobby but I have sold my work at craft sales and had it in some shops. I worked for a summer, between my second and third years, in a weaving studio where I learned about production weaving. Also, I worked for about 13 years as a home-production weaver for a studio, Loomcrofters, in Gagetown, NB. Enid, the manager, would wind the warps and provide all the yarn, and I would get paid per piece. Unfortunately, Enid passed away last fall, so I'm not sure what is happening with the studio. The nephew of the lady who started Loomcrofters owned it after she passed away quite a few years ago. I really enjoyed doing this kind of weaving, as I could do it at my own pace, and my daughter was a toddler when I started, so I was at home anyway. As soon as I put her down for her nap, I would head to my loom and get in a good solid two hours of weaving.