Two layers, 17 x 25 cm, 8/2 cotton, January – mid-February 2026.
Nederlandse versie hier.

Layered Complexity was a study of complex weaving in multiple layers. With this research I added a new dimension to my relatively new weaving practice. I explored the possibility of creating color changes without the ever-present warp intermingling with the weft, but then with complex weaving patterns instead of the basic weave that is commonly used in multi-layer weaving. I took one-on-one lessons with weaving artist Babs van den Thillart, who has extensive experience with multi-layer weaving. In this project, I wove three multi-layer pieces. For each piece, I document my experiments, learning experiences, and moments of triumph.

The first piece is small in size, which can make you underestimate the amount of energy that went into weaving it. Setting up a double weave is complicated enough on its own, but Babs and I figured out pretty quickly that weaving in the usual basic weave wasn’t going to motivate me as much. For the basic weave, also known as the linen weave, you basically only need two shafts. With a twenty-four shaft loom, you can therefore use quite a few layers. But the kinds of patterns I like to weave require at least four shafts, preferably more.

The first fabric was a block weave consisting of two layers of six heddles each, made up of two blocks. This meant I needed twenty-four heddles instead of twelve. By using blocks, you can ensure that the layer isn’t changed across the entire width, but only across the predetermined and threaded width of the blocks. In this first piece, I hadn’t quite understood that yet, so one block consisted of the left half of the fabric and the second block of the right half.

It got pretty complicated right away because you not only have to figure out on paper how to thread the blocks onto the loom, but you also have to first think through and write down every part or pattern you want to weave to get a clear picture of how you’ll actually achieve the intended top and bottom layers while weaving. Then you have to program the dobby bars, think of them as punch cards, which determine which heddles go up for each weft. And then you hope you got it right. Figuring this out kept me pretty busy, but it has now become a more workable logic.

The Layered Complexities research project received financial support from the CBK Rotterdam through the Impuls en Verdieping program.