From the journal · An illustrative story
Six weeks on one loom
A single 8 by 10 kilim begins with wool, a pattern held in memory, and the patient work of one row after another.
First, the wool and colour
In this imagined workshop, the first week belongs to sorting, washing and spinning the wool. Skeins are prepared in small batches, ready for the dye vats. Madder brings warm rust; indigo brings blue; pomegranate rind lends a softer yellow.
No two batches take colour in precisely the same way. Those small shifts become part of the finished surface, visible where one skein ends and another begins.
The rhythm of the loom
Once the warp is stretched, weaving moves steadily from one end of the rug to the other. The weft passes over and under the warp, building a flat fabric without a pile. A stepped motif grows by counting threads rather than printing an image onto the cloth.
For several weeks, the pattern is a daily rhythm: pass the yarn, beat the row, check the edge. A large piece asks for time, and the hands making it leave subtle differences in every repeat.
A piece ready for everyday life
The last week is for finishing the ends, checking the weave and letting the cloth settle. A kilim is light enough to move between rooms and sturdy enough for daily use. Its character comes from the work that remains visible.
The products, workshops and stories in this portfolio demo are fictional. The illustrations explore the texture and geometry of flat-weave textiles.