Teaching Lily all the do’s, don’ts and options in designing for a Chilkat robe
Many weavers of the Chilkat method of weaving are not designers of the imagery. They either copy a design that belongs to the clan or family, or they have an artist draft one up for them. Chilkat weaver, Lily Hope is learning how to design Chilkat; it is not as easy as it looks! A designer must understand how the weaving is done in order to design a Chilkat robe successfully. Lily has an advantage that she is both a weaver and knows how to draw!
The pattern transparency serves as the template
Lily is in the process of designing a child-size Chlkat robe with her clan image, the T’akDeinTaan. She is doing a take-off on a robe her mother designed for her Auntie Jean. She continues to reinforce her knowledge by true discipline, making the time to weave even though she runs a household and takes care of 2 children.
Clarissa and Lily calculate to which warp the next row is to be woven
Lily and Clarissa weave Chilkat together
Lily Hope rips back a few rows; no such thing as mistakes, only “learning opportunities”
Thank you to the New England Foundation for the Arts Native Arts Program for their monetary support for Clarissa’s grant to travel from Colorado to Alaska to help Lily get started in designing and beginning her own robe!