Gracious Preservations
Cally Booker Blog
by Cally
11M ago
Gracious Preservations is the name I have given to this garment. The garment The back panel, front panels and the neck facing are handwoven in silk and organic cotton, while the side pieces and neckband are a lightweight organic Tencel I purchased from Bawn Textiles. I used the Tibetan panel coat pattern from Folkwear, adapting it somewhat to eke out the small quantity of fabric I had woven – because when I wove it, I had a different garment pattern in mind – but isn’t that the way things go? The fabric The fabric itself is a close relation of this project – yes, it is the same warp and weft ..read more
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Personal Approaches to Design
Cally Booker Blog
by Cally
1y ago
I can’t tell you how pleased I am to hold the new Complex Weavers book in my hands. Having been present at the moment when the first spark of the idea was seen, I’m acutely aware of how much effort from how many people it has taken to nurture that spark into the beautiful finished volume. The book celebrates the 40th anniversary of Complex Weavers and commemorates the life of Wanda Shelp, who served the organisation in many capacities over many years. It is a wonderful accomplishment by the editor, Laurie Autio, and her team. The book’s subtitle Personal Approaches to Design is a theme which ..read more
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Postcard from Sutherland
Cally Booker Blog
by Cally
1y ago
Scotland is blessed with an exceptional quantity of coast for its size, which is perfect for those of us who love edges. My home stretch of coastline is along the Firth of Tay, but I love to visit all the other edges too, especially those further north. One of my favourite areas to visit is Sutherland, in the farthest north-west corner of Scotland. The pandemic has kept us away for a few years, but that meant it was all the more of a treat to head back there in July. I feel as though I have only partly returned home… Working with sound as a design inspiration has been an ongoing interest for m ..read more
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Creative Entrepreneurship Showcase
Cally Booker Blog
by Cally
1y ago
I know you know I’m a weaver, but did you know I am also a creative entrepreneur? (It is not as easy to say or to spell, so I don’t think I’ll be changing my logo any time soon.) Last spring I was part of the Creative Entrepreneurship class at RGU, but we weren’t able to have a class show due to the rules in place at the time. Now we can, and our exhibition in Aberdeen is open weekends until the end of May. The preview night was a lot of fun and quite strange at the same time. It was the largest indoor crowd I have kept company with since early 2020, and a lot of my classmates turned out to be ..read more
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Postcard from Sutherland
Cally Booker Blog
by Cally
1y ago
Scotland is blessed with an exceptional quantity of coast for its size, which is perfect for those of us who love edges. My home stretch of coastline is along the Firth of Tay, but I love to visit all the other edges too, especially those further north. One of my favourite areas to visit is Sutherland, in the farthest north-west corner of Scotland. The pandemic has kept us away for a few years, but that meant it was all the more of a treat to head back there in July. I feel as though I have only partly returned home… Working with sound as a design inspiration has been an ongoing interest for m ..read more
Visit website
Creative Entrepreneurship Showcase
Cally Booker Blog
by Cally
2y ago
I know you know I’m a weaver, but did you know I am also a creative entrepreneur? (It is not as easy to say or to spell, so I don’t think I’ll be changing my logo any time soon.) Last spring I was part of the Creative Entrepreneurship class at RGU, but we weren’t able to have a class show due to the rules in place at the time. Now we can, and our exhibition in Aberdeen is open weekends until the end of May. The preview night was a lot of fun and quite strange at the same time. It was the largest indoor crowd I have kept company with since early 2020, and a lot of my classmates turned out to be ..read more
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New course for Scottish makers
Cally Booker Blog
by Cally
2y ago
If you are a Scottish craft maker who is setting up a new craft business or re-thinking the direction of your existing business, then this course has been designed for you. It’s free, it takes place online over 10 weeks starting from the end of January, and the deadline for applying is Monday 10 January. Full disclosure: I’m part of the teaching team, and will be leading a module on project management. It would be great to see you there ..read more
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2021 in review
Cally Booker Blog
by Cally
2y ago
For a stay-at-home year 2021 has been a busy one. I thought I’d share a few of the things I’ve been up to. In February I launched my first online workshop on the theme of 8-shaft double weave. It was scary to plan and prepare, but once we got started I had so much fun working and weaving with a pioneer group of enthusiastic weavers. A second group joined me in April and a third in October, and it has been a treat every time. The creative energy that people bring to the course is a delight, and I love seeing the way the same basic tools are turned into an endless variety of designs. The next tw ..read more
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Meet Make Collaborate
Cally Booker Blog
by Cally
2y ago
Hello from Inverness! OK, so actually I am back in Dundee now, but it was very exciting to be somewhere else for a day! The Meet Make Collaborate exhibition, which had to be postponed several times due to COVID-19, is on display at the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery until 19 June, so – now that Dundee is in Level 2 and we are allowed to travel outside the area – we decided we would pay a visit. This exhibit has been organised by Applied Arts Scotland to showcase some of the international collaborations which they have developed and supported over the last few years, and this includes the ..read more
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Sound Exchange
Cally Booker Blog
by Cally
2y ago
I’ve shared the ongoing work of the Aural Textiles project here before, and also posted links to the project blog where we’ve documented some of our collaborative process. I am sad that – after nearly two years! – this collaboration with jewellery designer Jen Stewart has now come to an end, but I am beyond delighted with the work we have created together. This week it is on display at the Inspace Gallery in Edinburgh alongside the fruits of all the other collaborations, and since very few of us will likely have the chance to visit it there, I thought I’d share a few alternative ways to see wh ..read more
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