Roll the Dice on Your Next Design

You hear a lot about writer’s block, but what about weaver’s block? I know I’ve suffered from it a time or two. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the options when it comes to a design—so what if you took some of those choices and left them up to chance? That’s exactly what tapestry weaver Tommye Scanlin did one year as she challenged herself to weave one tiny tapestry a day for four months—and left the overall design to chance.

In this article, originally published in Little Looms Summer 2021, you’ll learn Tommye’s method for designing by chance. You’ll learn not just how she used it in her tapestry-design challenge, but also how she’s used this same approach in her other weaving. What I love about her technique is how easily it can be applied to all kinds of weaving across every loom type. Whether you’re suffering from weaver’s block or looking for a fun way to approach design, I think you’ll enjoy designing by chance!

Happy Weaving,

Christina

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Designing by Chance

Have you ever felt weighed down knowing you must make a design decision before you can start the next weaving and yet feeling unable to begin because of the seemingly endless search for the right design option? All weavers have been in this same spot, facing the dilemma of how to choose from many possibilities.

What if you could set up a system for decision-making that allows you to move forward without agonizing over whether you’re creating the best and only design suitable for a project?

Sometimes I use a process that takes the design decision slightly out of my hands and lets serendipity play a role. I find that once I start letting chance help out, ideas begin to flow.