Rosalie Neilson loves using color and geometric design in her weaving, her specialty being warp-faced rep. She is featured in a 2-hour DVD called Rep Weave produced by Interweave Press (now Long Thread Media). She publishes articles regularly in weaving and braiding journals and maintains an active teaching schedule. She has developed a series of Zoom workshops, both in Kumihimo and Huck Lace. Her publications include three books on Kumihimo design and An Exaltation of Blocks, a two-volume book with a toolkit of printed Design Pages and Transparent Overlays for weavers and designers to explore literally millions of unique symmetric patterns.
The Power of Block Design
Block designs consist of black and white squares on grid paper, where black is considered the pattern block and white the background block. Through a PowerPoint Presentation, learn how the binary number system is used to develop the sixteen textures of 4-shaft huck lace, and how these textures are expanded to develop the definitive number of 2-block motifs. These sixteen motifs (eight 4-part symmetric and eight 2-part symmetric) become the building blocks of more elaborate patterns.
Following the lecture is a design session where weavers will develop 6-block patterns using Design Pages and Transparent Overlays from the Section One Toolkit of An Exaltation of Blocks, written and self-published by Neilson. The pages and overlays allow weavers to construct and deconstruct complex patterns following the principles of rotational symmetry. The 6-block patterns can be woven in a variety of different weave structures, depending on the number of loom shafts and the interest of each weaver.
Materials Fee: $12-$15 (depending on printer’s pricing schedule). Coil bound booklet including envelopes containing Section One Design Pages and two different styles of Transparent Overlays
Supplies for Design Session: Graph paper – 4 squares to the inch; #2 pencils or a few colored pencils; Eraser – pink pearl; Pencil sharpener; Straight edge
The Power of Block Design with higher-order block motifs
Through a PowerPoint Presentation, learn how the binary number system is used to develop higher- order block motifs where the eight 2-block motifs (which show 4-part symmetry) are the core of the 64 3-block motifs, and in turn these 3-blocks motifs are the core for the 1,024 4-block motifs. Learn how motifs of 5- to 8-blocks are created by adding transparent outlines to the 4-block motifs. Learn how the outlines in turn become the definitive number of twill lines for 5- to 8-end twills.
Following the lecture is a design session where weavers will develop higher-ordered motifs using Design Pages and Transparent Overlays from the Section Two Toolkit of An Exaltation of Blocks, written and self-published by Neilson. Learn how the higher ordered motifs can be placed in a larger grid system for more elaborate patterns. A way to document the patterns for future use is to photograph them with a cell phone.
Materials Fee: $12-$15 (depending on printer’s pricing schedule). Coil bound booklet including envelopes containing a selection of Section Two Design Pages (showing 4-block motifs) and Transparent Overlays (Outlines for 5- 8-block Motifs)
Supplies for Design Session: Graph paper – 4 squares to the inch; #2 pencils or a few colored pencils; Eraser – pink pearl; Pencil sharpener; Straight edge