Reader’s Gallery: Love Theme

I was looking through the messages that came with the Reader’s Gallery scarves and shawls and came to the conclusion that often weavers want to show their love or send their love to others via their scarves and shawls. So on a whim, here is this week’s offering of love through weaving. —Susan

Designer Statements

Janet Fontaine: This scarf conveys the different ways love presents itself. It is an 8-shaft structure of tiny hearts that appear differently as the warp and weft colors change. I made it for my niece who was going through a tough time.

Ria van der Aa: This scarf is woven for my daughter. The song is “I will always love you.” It is doubleweave pick-up.

Evelyn Arvey: I designed and wove these matching scarves in June 2020 for my daughter, Sarah, and her fiancée to commemorate Pride 2020. Each scarf has hearts to represent their love, the colors of the rainbow to represent their LGBTQ+ identity, and their embroidered names.

From the left, Eloise DeHaan’s Love of Pat, Fran Johnson’s Anniversary Scarves (and a cute kitten!), and Deborah Abella’s Friendship! The photo in the middle was taken by Anne Drogin. The other photos by the designers

Designer Statements:

Eloise DeHaan: Love of Pat, my husband of 47 years. We met on the street when I was a wild teenager and moved in together 3 weeks later. Still, it took me years to learn how much I love him. I started weaving in April 2020 as a coronavirus hobby.

Fran Johnson: Anniversary Scarves: These scarves are a 25-year wedding anniversary gift. They use the same name draft, “AnneBarb25Love” and were woven on the same warp. But the two scarves are different through use of a different pattern weft and different treadling sequence, to suit two different people. Marriage: two individuals grounded in the same pattern.

Deborah Abella: Friendship! In these times, we need to reach out to those who are having a rough time....for whatever reason...and let them know that we care!

From the left: Joan Goddard’s For My Sister, Jacqueline Eshuis’s Teal and Purple Scarf, and Kathryn F. Olson’s Being Brave Shawl. All photos by the designers

Designer Statements

Joan Goddard: This scarf conveys my love for my sister on her 60th birthday. We have both always loved pink. The scarf is woven in 10/2 cotton and is a Corris effect weave (a variation of echo weave created by Margaret Coe and Amy Norris), my original design.

Jacqueline Eshuis: Endless Love

Kathryn F. Olson: I made this as I grieved the death of my 60-year-old nonverbal autistic brother in May 2019. The last time he was clear headed enough to really watch me during his last week, I was weaving on a small elongated Turtle Loom. He was enchanted! So this shawl was made with the wild colors he loved and a randomness that reminded me of him. It kind of looks like butterfly wings to me and reminds me to be brave and that he loves me still. This is my favorite shawl and comforts me when I’m sad.