Images Copyright Tomoko Torimaru 2022

Live & uncut recordings of instructions included with registration, viewable for two months after the workshop for the people in different time zones.

Study four days in-person with Dr. Tomoko Torimaru, author of One Needle, One Thread. In this workshop at our Berkeley, CA studio, Dr. Torimaru will lecture on tablet weaving, finger weaving, and finger braiding as observed along The Silk Road. Students will have the opportunity to learn and practice Moroccan tablet weaving and finger weaving under the guidance of Torimaru-sensei and will make a small pochette (pouch or narrow purse) or something similar.

Torimaru-sensei says, “In my field research, I saw from Western China along the Silk Road to Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and other West Asian areas, the edges of clothing decorated with beautiful ribbons made using primitive techniques such as tablet weaving, finger weaving and finger braiding.”

Student example from previous workshop taught by Dr. Torimaru

“These ribbons on clothing edges also serve to reinforce and appear to represent the harsh Silk Road journey of proud merchants.”

“The tablet weaving ribbons we saw in Morocco during our 2019 survey are of various types seen in Silk Road countries. I saw a very interesting technique that combines sewing tablet weaving ribbons on cloth then finger weaving. I felt that I experienced and saw the last stop of the Silk Road there.”

Since 1990, Dr. Torimaru has done much field work in China, Southeast Asia, Uzbekistan, Tibet, India, and Morocco to study many forms of proto-loom weaving techniques including ancient tablet weaving and finger weaving.

DETAILS ON TIMING OF WORKSHOP:  Each day, on July 18, 19, 20, and 21, Dr. Torimaru will give instruction from 9:00 – 13:00 PST.  Lunchtime in the garden: 13:00 – 14:00.

$700 | $665 WSN Members. $70 materials fee to instructor (cash/ check) if you are taking this in-person. Virtual workshop students will receive instructions for preparing their own materials and simple tools, or suppliers’ links will be shared.

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Tomoko Torimaru

Dr. Tomoko Torimaru received her PhD from Donghua University, Shanghai, in 2004 for her studies on the history and technology of Chinese textiles. From 1995, she spent 15 years among the Miao People in Guizhou, China performing field research in collaboration with Sadae Torimaru. She is the author of and co-author of three books. She traveled around the world in search of tablet weaving and published her findings at the Textile Society of America’s symposium. She is currently a University lecturer in Japan.