October 9, 2024 at 7:00 PM
Weaving with Light and Air: Leno and Gauze Structures
with Patrice George
Leno is a specialty weave structure where warps “twist” around single wefts instead of running parallel to each other as they do in plain weave. Leno creates a structure with warp ends that do not slip when spaced apart in the fabric. Leno twists can be created by hand, on the simplest looms, or by using a modified heddle system on looms with 3 or more harnesses. Leno is a perfect structure to use for lighter weight fabrics like curtains, scarves, shawls, and table textiles, but can also be used with heavy yarns for blankets, mats, and technical textiles.
This presentation will introduce many examples of how leno has appeared in handloomed fabrics from historical and global cultures, as well as in modern industrially woven fabrics.
Instructions for making leno doups for any type of loom will be demonstrated along with examples of leno combined with other weaves. Leno is especially effective when used with specialty yarns, when the spaced warp twists provide a showcase for unique textures.
Bio:
Patrice George recently retired from the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she was Associate Professor in the Textile Development and Marketing Department for 18 years, specializing in woven textile design, and the history of the textile industry. She fell in love with weaving as a high-school exchange student to Sweden. While a student of Art History at the University of Michigan, she joined the Ann Arbor Fiber Arts Guild, sparking a study of woven textiles that led to a long and happy career in the US textile industry.
Immersed in the emerging field of computer-aided design in the early 1980's, Patrice developed courses in computer-aided woven design for the School of Visual Arts, Parsons and FIT. As a Fulbright Scholar in 1994, she taught digital woven design at the University of Industrial Arts in Helsinki, Finland.
Her NYC studio, Patrice George Designs, founded in 1979, designed and created prototypes for the decorative textile market. Leno was one of the studio’s specialties. She has been a guest instructor at textile schools, a consultant to international handweaving projects, a contributor to Handwoven Magazine, and a frequent presenter at Complex Weavers Seminars, Convergence, and other textile seminars and conferences.
Education:
BA in the History of Art, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 1970
Course in Swedish handweaving, Handarbetets Vänner, Stockholm, Sweden 1972
MA in Fashion and Textile History, Fashion Institute of Technology, NYC, NY 2020
Publications:
- George, Patrice F. The Digital Dawn: Introducing Computer-Aided Design to Woven Textiles 1966-2000, Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York, United States -- New York, 2020. ProQuest
- Hue (the FIT alumni magazine) “Seven Fibers that Changed the World”, article by Patrice George and Alex Joseph, 2013
- Textile Forum, “The Success Story of the TC-1: Digital Weaving”, by Patrice George, 9/2006
- Handwoven, "Pedigreed Tabbies: A Weaver's Glossary of Plain Weave Fabrics", by Patrice George, 11/91
- Handwoven, "Designing Fabrics for Upholstery", by Patrice George, 11/90
- Handwoven, "Design Decisions: Software Solutions", by Patrice George, 11/84
Related Publications and Articles:
- Women Designers in the USA, Kirkham, Pat, Editor, Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Yale University Press, 2000
- Reference to Patrice George in chapter on “Women Textile Designers”, Ch. 5, p. 159, written by Mary Schoeser and Whitney Blausen
- Personal Computing "Creative Solutions with Everyday Systems" by Amanda Hixson 9/87
- USA Today, "High Tech Looms for Textiles", Photo & story by IBM News service 1/30/86
- New York Times, "Exploring the Use of Computers & Weaving", by Ann Barry, 3/28/85
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