Topic: Paper Play: Kami-ito, and Shifu

Speaker: Barbara Nitzberg

Barbara started her textile journey young, with buttons, sitting on the floor next to her grandmother’s loom, sorting, stacking, stringing buttons. Her first loom was a backstrap with a rigid heddle made by her mother using popsicle sticks. In 1979 she had the very good fortune to learn to weave on a “proper” floor loom through classes with Kay Sekimachi, later Lillian Elliott, Emily Dubois and others. A class with Martha Stanley sparked an interest in off-loom techniques used in ethnic textiles which continue to inspire her current work. Curiosity has led her down many textile paths, exploration and experimentation always the goal.

Description: Kami-ito translates as thread made from paper and Shifu is cloth woven using that paper thread. I’ve been playing with paper thread, making and using, for about 8 years and would love to share my journey with you. Learn some of the basics of making thread from paper, both the traditional Japanese method and my adaptation for the materials I love to use. Thread from a fine smooth yarn to chunky fun novelty can be made, depending on the materials chosen. Experimenting with different papers is much of the fun, especially satisfying to recycle what would otherwise be thrown away.