Learn SAORI Weaving at White Stone Farm…
Whilst exploring the remote areas of Japan in 2007, Prue stumbled upon a village devoted to traditional Japanese handicrafts in the mountains of Honshu. Learning the Japanese art of SAORI weaving and natural dye techniques, Prue remained in the mountains under the tutelage of Toyomi Harada, a renowned SAORI weaver. SAORI is a form of freestyle weaving, encouraging creativity and expression in a textile form. In Japanese, the ‘Sa-’ comes from the Zen word ‘sai’ meaning individuality and the ‘-ori’ the word for weaving.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) came out to White Stone Farm and did a great story on Prue’s SAORI weaving and the sustainable farming venture. Check out the video and story here.
Prue has returned to live at the Japanese village many times since then, further honing her SAORI weaving skills and assisted with teaching weaving classes at the village. Prue draws her inspiration from the landscape, colours of nature, texture and natural fibres and dyes.
SAORI weaving is often like painting, the loom becomes the brush and the threads provide the palette of colours and textures.
With only a handful of SAORI weaving artists in Australia, Prue is excited to share the art of SAORI weaving with Australia and with visitors from near and far. In 2014, Prue opened her Dyeing To Weave SAORI Studio at White Stone Farm – one of only 3 globally recognised and accredited SAORI studios in Australia, where people can learn and enjoy the benefits of SAORI weaving, relax, create and discover their individual expression through the loom!
SAORI weaving allows creativity to flow, the use of natural fibres and the production of beautiful items to wear, enjoy or just appreciate for their woven complexity.
With the llamas at White Stone Farm for fleece production, Prue has a steady resource of beautiful natural fibre to weave her pieces. Combined with other local wool and alpaca fibre, handspun and woven on the loom, Prue’s weaving is the essence of local, sustainable and resourceful.
Each individual thread and woven piece in SAORI provides a great representation of how our world is woven together from many different individuals, colours and textures to become a rich and wondrous tapestry of Life.
Prue has been involved in a number of exhibitions. Look out for more exhibitions coming soon! Prue also runs tours over the Japan, an Immersive SAORI Weaving Retreat in a traditional Japanese accommodation in Victoria’s Spa Country and a myriad of weaving and natural dye workshops at her studio.
For more information about the Art of SAORI weaving, SAORI weaving lessons or to purchase SAORI looms or equipment, please email Prue at:
dyeingtoweavestudio@gmail.com