The Loom & Shuttle Bird Challenge !

Weave a Bird!

Find a feather, a photograph of a bird, a painting of a bird or a real bird and weave a swatch that evokes the texture, color, style or emotion of that bird! Any technique, any yarns, any colors are acceptable - the sky is the limit for your imagination as you join in this Guild project.

The swatch should be at least 4 inches x 4 inches and should be accompanied by a draft sheet with weaving information such as yarns used, sett, drawn down, a copy of a photo of the “bird of inspiration” and your name.

Swatches are due at the December, 2007 meeting. If possible, make more than one swatch, one to create a book for the Guild Library and the rest for the Special Sample Service. If you use a technique such as tapestry that isn’t conducive to sampling, a photograph or photocopy of the piece is also acceptable.


Shown here in no particular order - Enjoy!

Barbara NitzbergSecond Runner up - Barbara Nitzberg
Barbara did card woven quail top knots.
          
Cheryl SwansonMost Artful Bird - Cheryl Swanson
Cheryl has made more than a dozen fanciful birds which they use on their Christmas tree, and her daughter gives them all names. She used inkle bands on the wings of this one.
          
Donna LaValleBird Most Likely to Lay an Egg - Donna LaValle
Donna used the sample she wove for the chicken challenge back east. Normally doing very simple weaves she did this in an advancing twill with yarns that obliterate the pattern. Someone in her guild used her fabric and made the chicken.
          
Eileen ConlanWise Old Owl Award - Eileen Conlan
Eillen took her color and pattern from a picture of a barn owl.
          
Eve ConnerBird Song - Eve Conner
Eve downloaded a bird song schematic from the Cornell site and turned it into a shadow weave pattern.
          
Judy GradyUnrisen Phoenix Award Judy Grady
Judy insisted on not being part of the contest, but brought her Phoenix Yet To Rise to join the party.
          
Lillian WhippleFirst Bird - Lillian Whipple
Lillian worve a peacock feather on the back of a miniature kimono. Hers was the first entry, submitted in August.
          
Mai ShieldsMost Subtle Coloring - Mai Shields
Walking her dog along the beach, Mai noticed that many birds blended into the environment and were difficult to see until close. Her pattern is very subtle and difficult to see until very close.
          
Marlene Golden Most True to the Bird - Marlene Golden
Marlene had a picture of a "superb starling" that Dick took in Tanzania.
          
Nancy AlegriaWinner - Nancy Alegria
Nancy cardwove birds and sewed the bands together into a lovely little bag with a card woven strap.
          
Pat StewartFirst Runner up - Pat Stewart
Pat did several scarves on the same warp with feather patterns, plus a jacket with two different patterns, one on the sleeves and one in the body, plus feather trim.
          
Sally ForelliBlue Bird of Happiness - Sally Forelli
Sally also used the colors of the peacock. She had green weft which looked blue when woven with the purple.
          
          
Rita BrunsThree-Dimensional Bird - Rita Bruns
Rita’s was woven on the loom and pulled into tubes for the legs and head. The loose warp ends hanging down became the “guts”
          
Most Wearable - Penny Peters
Penny used all sorts of computer programs to make a feather pattern which ended up looking like leaves. And she hates the scarf, mostly because of the color.
          
Bird in Motion - Patty Townsend
Patty made a scarf in peacock colors. When she talked about it she picked it up and everyone oo’d and ah’d at seeing how lovely it looked in motion.
          
Britta RosenthalBiggest Bird - Britta Rosenthal
Britta card wove a bird body using the unwoven threads as a tail.