The Heddle to the Metal study group is delighted to share that Pam James, one of our members, won third place for her submission to the “Explorers of Wind, Wagons, and Wheat, Mixed Media Exhibit” at Handweavers Guild of America’s Convergence in July. Sue Griffiths, a colleague in the rigid heddle weaving interest group, interviewed Pam for this blog.
Sue: Congratulations, Pam! You look forward to Convergence every year. What are the best aspects of this gathering?
Pam: Everything! If you are interested in taking a class, there is a wide range of offerings. If you’d like to meet some famous weavers, they will probably be there. I always make sure I am there for the fashion show and the keynote speaker. Both are always excellent.
And what could be more fun than a 5-night sleep-over with seven weavers? My first Convergence was several years ago with my husband. The last two have been with a combination of weavers from the guild I left in Texas, Sydney Sogol (Syd’s Threads in Chapel Hill), and others my Texas friends bring along. Tooooo much fun!
Sue: Please describe how the theme of this challenge relates to you.
Pam: Having grown up on a farm in Oklahoma, I know a LOT about wheat and wind. And since I had some left-over wheat from an earlier project, the initial inspirations for my project came easily.
Sue: Please describe your approach to the design for this hanging and how it relates to the theme.
Pam: I started with a picture taken from my farm (Figure 1). It shows a flat horizon with a red shale road (very reminiscent of Oklahoma), a ripe wheat field and a blue sky. My goal was to recreate a representation of that scene and to try to capture the feeling of wind. (Figure 2).
Sue: Why did you choose to use your rigid heddle loom for this project?
Pam: To get the color blending I wanted, I planned to use both clasped warp and clasped weft. By using my variable dent reed, I was able to create gaps in the weaving to suggest waves of wheat.
Sue: Those choices are similar to many of the materials you’ve used in projects you’ve shared with our group. You often use “found” materials in your weaving. And you prefer to recycle fiber.
Pam: Absolutely. Recycled fiber is cheaper and “found” objects add interest.
Sue: What challenges did you encounter as you wove?
Pam: As soon as I created the first gap/wave, I realized that when I advanced the warp it would want to straighten itself out. There is a LOT of spray starch in this piece!
Sue: Problem solving on the fly! Or should we say, Starch is an “element” in this project?
Pam: Probably! But I didn’t tell anyone!
Sue: I remember when you shared your work-in-process with us that you had some concerns about getting the finished piece to the conference. Do you have any transportation adventures to share?
Pam: It was a challenge. It was going to cost $200 to mail it flat. A framer at a Michaels store suggested accordioning it. That helped a lot, but because of the wheat placement the creases weren’t symmetrical. That made placing and connecting the hanging loops tricky. Ultimately there was a lot of bubble wrap involved and I’m glad I included a repair ‘kit’ for the loops.
Sue: What advice do you have for people, like me, who’ve never attended Convergence? Will it be easy to meet people and make new weaving contacts?
Pam: I saw some people on-line referring to themselves as “Convirgins” 😊! I would say people are absolutely likely to make friends. When I went ‘alone’ (with my husband) I found that ANYONE will talk to anyone – – more or less.
And the handweavers secret handshake (walking up to someone, taking a pinch of their scarf/shawl/shirt/dress and saying “did you weave that!!!???”) is a constant. And a great ice-breaker/friend-maker.
Sue: It sounds like you had another fantastic experience, along with receiving your award. The location for Convergence 2026 has not been announced yet. People can search on https://weavespindye.org/ to learn more about the Guild. What have you valued most about being a member?
Pam: Convergence for sure. The magazine is great, but there is also Textiles and Tea which came about because of the pandemic. Every Tuesday at 4pm there is an interview with a weaver. I ‘toured’ Daryl Lancaster’s studio one day, got to ‘meet’ Astrid Tauber (and amazing 16-year-old weaver who was briefly a member of my Texas guild after I moved) and also learned a lot more about our own Kelly Walsh. Great fun!
Sue: Thanks for sharing your experience, Pam. Also, it’s great to learn that you’ve donated your project to an upcoming raffle for United Way in Enid, OK (your birthplace). Your artwork is just beginning its journey.