Anette Meier: Paper Weaving Flats

Cherokee Twills
16" x 20"
cardstock paper

As a seasoned weaver or even a novice one we all see patterns in baskets and cloth that we would like to try and weave. The problem is that sometimes I don't want to weave a whole basket or the materials would cost too much to "play", so paper strips are relatively affordable. Cutting the strips is fun, too. Office document shredders used to be my cutter of choice and if you can find one that cuts 1/4" strips GRAB it... a pasta cutter is used by some and will cut 1/4" and 1/8" strips, but I cut mine with a rotary cutter, strip by strip, and can cut any width that I need.

So how do I come up with a design? Well, in the case of the Cherokee Twills above, I did see a picture online of the bottom of a basket with this twill pattern and thought it was too pretty to be hidden in the bottom. It was clear enough to get a "read" on the pattern on the star in the upper left, so I started at that point and faked it from there... all widths are 1/8", done in black and harvest gold, placed on a black and white mat in a clear glass frame. Pretty striking in person!

A close up view...

Could I stop there? NO! Weaving with just strips of paper is methodical and relaxing. I get so "lost" in the weaving that time really does fly when you are having fun. Unlike traditional basket weaving, I can do this if front of the TV, on the porch, and can even get a few rows done while cooking. LOL, I get so lost that I forget I'm cooking... a.k.a. burnt food.

The next thing I wove was for a class in 2009 NCBA Convention in North Carolina. It is called Nothing but Diamonds. The folks in this class were awesome and kept me laughing the whole day. The idea started with the center panel with the biggest diamond... then what would it look like if a couple of strips were removed... and so on... the diamonds decreased in size all the way down to a simple cross. It was woven from the center out in each direction. Very easy... yes, I mean easy, but the results are cool.