10 Qualities of Slow Cloth

This must be the day that all of my dreams come true
So happy just to be alive
Underneath that sky of blue
On this new morning
New morning
On this new morning with you

(bob dylan)

It is that morning, the one that comes in the middle of winter but has the first tiny promise of spring in it. The quality of the light is different, the angle of the sun has changed, and though it's cold and the snowiest months are still ahead, spring will come.

In celebration of that, I thought I'd say more about my idea of Slow Cloth as an approach to working with and relating to fiber and textiles. When I began this blog, Sharon B asked me if I had a manifesto or something like that for Slow Cloth. I didn't have anything that formal, but here are more of my thoughts. These are not meant to be rules or impose anything on anyone -- just a way of thinking about working with fiber.

You can have a Slow Cloth sensibility as an individual artist or artisan, and it bears repeating that slow is not meant to be literal -- it's not about how long it takes to finish or whether you're stitching by hand or machine. There are also companies that I think have a Slow Cloth approach even if they are manufacturing clothing or textiles in commercial quantity.

With those caveats, Slow Cloth:

• Has the possibility of joy in the process. I often hear people say that they think they "should" learn to knit or sew, because they think they will save money (right) or that it's somehow virtuous. That's nonsense. Everybody should know how to sew on a button or mend a seam, but when it comes to doing more, if you don't love the process, there isn't much point. In other words, it's the journey, not the destination. If efficiency and sameness are the primary goals, it's not Slow Cloth.
• Offers the possibility of contemplation in the process. Not every moment of making is a serene mystical precious experience. But the totality of your work opens space for you. Like the old saw, you may not be able to define it but you know it when you see it or feel it.
• Involves skill and has the possibility of mastery. Rather than choosing easy or instant-gratification methods, you're aiming for an ever-expanding level of fluency and grace in the techniques you work with.
• Acknowledges the rich diversity and multicultural history of textile art. Textiles are an expression of culture and we live in a fantastically big and small world. Slow Cloth celebrates that diversity rather than eliminating it.
  
• Honors its teachers and lineage. Most of us began to learn our skills with cloth from an ancestor or friend, and there are many generations before us who used their inventiveness and creativity to expand possibilities in the world of cloth. Thank them, and pay it forward.
• Is thoughtful in its use of materials and respects their source. Ever been to one of those wholesome organic dinners where the host went through every dish and named the farmers? You don't have to do that with your textile ingredients. But take a moment to remember that it takes a lot of people to make your fabric or yarn or dye. In a similar vein, I don't think Slow Cloth has to be only natural materials -- some of my favorite artists, like Mary Ruth Smith, work with some synthetics -- but be mindful of your footprint and choose well and appropriately.
• Honors quality. We want to make things that last and are well-made.
  
• Honors beauty. Beauty is a whole complicated subject all its own. I think that we all have a need for beauty, and that's driven the urge to make and decorate textiles for tens of thousands of years.
• Supports community. A Slow Cloth company respects all of its labor force; individual art and artists  acknowledge their relationship to other textile artists. I think part of this is being willing to share knowledge, preserve knowledge about traditional techniques, and teach others.
• Is expressive of individuals or cultures. Remember the old saying in art circles, "Anonymous was a woman"? Well, you could also say anonymous was a quilter or a batik artist in Indonesia. Throughout history, textiles and crafts have been mostly unsigned. Today we can do it differently if we want to; but either way, the human creative force is reflected and evident in the work.

Again, these are my thoughts and ideas; subject to change and conversation. Comments and thoughts are welcome. Have a very creative day.

Comments

[Paula]

well said - this has given me a lot to think about. I think slow cloth is like slow food - an ideal you aim towards, but just as occasionally life gets in the way and you eat tinned beans on toast in front of the TV, so do you sometimes fall off the slow cloth wagon.

[aurora fox]

What a great summation ! --- I have been creating various fiber arts for over 40 years now, and these are all the reasons why I keep coming back to fibers (cloth, fabric, yarn, dyes, beads, buttons, fleece) as a medium....fibers embody everything you are writing about here--for me--and I suspect---for many women. I especially love the community that creating a group quilt creates, or the community of a knitting group---and I enjoy sharing what I have learned from so many others over the years...while at the same time I also remember and honor the women who taught me. I also am a designer, painter and printmaker---but I keep coming back to fiber arts because the process is so satisfying.

[Lainie]

Dear Paula and Aurora,
What lovely comments. Thank you so much for reading and commenting. Paula, I think you're absolutely right that not everything we make has to be an icon of slow-clothiness -- but our overall relationship to textiles changes and deepens as we develop this sensibility. There is no wrong way to make things, and every day we just start where we are and do what satisfies.

Check back soon! I'll be reviewing some of the latest fiber-related magazines and some new books I've received.

Lainie

[jude]

thank you for your thought on this. your" slow blogging" is refreshing and i enjoy coming here between stitches.

[Laurie]

I am a weaver and very active in the Slow Food movement. Although I have thought about all the concepts and ideas related to my weaving that you mention in this manifesto, and consider my life to be a "Slow Life," I've never actually connected the words "Slow" with my weaving (although it certainly is slow!). Thank you for some wonderful inspiration. From now on, I'll think of my weaving as Slow Cloth.

[kyra]

Very interesting - thank you for sharing!

Kyra
www.BlackThreads.blogspot.com

[Dawn Sellers]

Thank you for putting this into such wonderful words. I agree with Aurora in that, no matter what other paths I take, this is what continues to bring me back to this medium.

Ah, the true love of the process - the rest is all part of that for me. I love holding a piece of handiwork from days past and imagining each stitch being done with care, each with such a love of the process.

[hilly]

Perfect! I love the clear explination of Slow Cloth, I have been a spinner for over 30 years, the vast majority of what I knit is my handspun. When asked why I spin ("its so slow!") for me that thread extends back through the centuries connecting me with all the women who came before; all those individual threads that clothed families, that made the sails for ships to explore the world. And I believe it is terribly, terribly important to preserve those skills and tools, so much knowlege has been lost in the mists of time.
It is wonderful to find a like minded community and no one will go glassy-eyed over these thoughtful and thought provoking discussions!

[kathy]

Thank you for a stimulating, engaging explanation of Slow Cloth. It's really given me a lot to think about, and helped me remember to be thankful for the ones who have taught me to sew and knit and embroider (haven't done that in ages, but I've heard it's made quite a comeback!). Your site is terrific and I appreciate all the work you've done in the field of organics and textiles. I can learn a great deal from you! All my best, K.