Advent Artistry

As we begin our journey through advent we welcome a new addition to our sanctuary. With a vision from Rev. Jane and the artisanal skills of member Andrea Anderson, a new installation of beautiful tapestries adorn our altar. During a recent interview with Andrea she shared how she came to be a master weaver, how these weavings came to be and the process she used to create them.

“I learned to weave first. I started out weaving potholders until my mother would not buy anymore loopers for me. They used to be cheap nylon loopers that made really bad potholders. In high school I took a class called "Fibers." It was the '70's so this included batik, macrame, stitching on burlap and weaving on a loom. That was it, I discovered weaving.”

Andrea at her loom

“When Pastor Jane first talked to me about the project she mentioned hangings behind the altar. They are woven out of three shades of purple so they work for both Lent and Advent. Originally they were to be woven with a blue weft but the design did not show up enough. I switched to a more vivid blue for contrast. The result was too bright for the feeling of the season. After weaving up another sample with a light blue and gold both with a gold thread with it. We decided that the light blue greyed out the colors too much and the gold thread looked silver. The gold sample worked well with the gold on the back wall and the gold on the altar.”

“This has been almost two years in the planning, or basically we had to deal with the "round to it" factor. I dressed the loom for the hangings in June and got the first sample woven. I had to change colors and change the weave structure to make the pattern stand out. In early October when we changed the colors. I wove the sample with light blue and gold and then we discussed. Yes, the gold worked much better and I started to weave the hangings. I had to figure out how many times to repeat a treadling to get the length that I needed for each hanging. So basically I started to weave the hangings in late October.”

Rev. Jane and Steve Cole installing the weavings.

Andrea used to manually design the weaving patterns but now relies on computer software to plan and visualize the steps involved, like threading the loom, tying up the threads, and the actual weaving process. The program helps streamline the process and allows for more complex or precise designs than could be done by hand alone. As the weaving started to take shape Andrea said:

“I started to think about a progressive twill that I could adapt for different lengths. As I worked on the design I realized that the design had kind of an Alpha/Omega thing going on with the lines reaching up for help and reaching down to help. My husband really never pays attention to anything that I am weaving. To be fair he does not see very well. The other day he came down to talk to me when I was weaving one of the altar panels. He looked at it and said "Wow, that looks really good." I am still amazed.”

“When I weave I find it very rhythmic and calming. This required a lot of counting as I wove, i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 etc. I put a warp on the loom and the warp is wound up on the warp beam. As I weave the beam feeds the warp and I keep moving it forward. When I get to the end there is a stick that comes up over the back beam and signals to me that the warp is ending. It is kind of like life. Sometimes the warp seems to go forever and I want it done. Other times I wish that I could weave more but the warp is finishing. There is a passage in Isaiah 38:12 

"Like a weaver I have rolled up my life,

    and he has cut me off from the loom;

    day and night you made an end of me."

“When I go down to my studio to weave I find that this brings me peace. I think about how these pieces will be hung in the church and people will be looking at them as they worship. When I weave prayer shawls I think about how they will bring comfort to someone who is suffering. I hope that these hangings will bring comfort to someone.”

We are so grateful for Andrea and all that she has given to us at St. Barnabas.