WEAVING A MARK FRIENDS SPINNING YARNS OF ART.Byline: Carolyn Sinclair Special to the Daily News SIMI VALLEY Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. - Rays of sun streaming through the skylight of Deborah Jarchow's Simi Valley 'loom room' spotlight the raw ingredients of her art - spools and spools of brilliantly colored yarn and exotic fibers. Four wooden looms and supplies of materials fill Jarchow's converted dining room, testament to the central place weaving holds in her home and heart. ``I discovered weaving, and it felt like I was meant to do it,'' said Jarchow. ``It's amazing that beautiful garments are created by taking single threads and putting them together, in an immense variety of colors and patterns.'' Jarchow's friend and weaving partner, Betty Bingham of Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. , also lives surrounded by her art. Bingham even collects fur from her Samoyed dog and angora rabbits for unique additions to her creations. ``People think of art as something to hang on walls, or sculpt sculpt v. sculpt·ed, sculpt·ing, sculpts v.tr. 1. To sculpture (an object). 2. To shape, mold, or fashion especially with artistry or precision: on pedestals,'' said Bingham, who with Jarchow uses old-style hand looms and spinning wheels to create elaborately designed scarves, tapestries, capes, blankets, stoles and handbags. ``To me this is art to wear.'' And it's an art and craft that's been around for a long time. ``Weaving has been around since people began making clothes, for thousands of years,'' Jarchow said. ``Basically, (today) it's the same principle, but the technology is better, so it can be more complex in structure. They even use computers now for getting color, texture and an intricate pattern.'' The mechanical process of weaving involves lifting different thread combinations simultaneously, then pushing a cross-stitch over and under the threads to create different patterns. The creative process is deciding which colors, textures, order and pattern to use out of infinite possibilities. Just as in ancient times, Jarchow and Bingham first decide the colors they want to combine and then meticulously string the threads through the loom. ``Yarn is like my palette,'' Jarchow explained. ``I have tons of yarn. I see the colors I want to use in the piece I'm working on.'' Along with being a creative outlet, both women find the process itself is a pleasure. ``It's meditative med·i·ta·tive adj. Characterized by or prone to meditation. See Synonyms at pensive. med  i·ta ,'' Jarchow said. ``It's kind of like having the headset on, you get into a rhythm, get into a zone or something. I'll just be weaving and weaving, look up and a lot of time has gone by and I've gotten a lot of work done. It's very soothing.'' Their pieces, like conventional art, have been featured in galleries and exhibits in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, , including the Palos Verdes Palos Verdes is often used to refer to a group of coastal cities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the Los Angeles/South Bay area of California. This affluent bedroom community is known for its dramatic views, good schools [1] extensive horse trails [2] Art Center, the Gallery at the Landing in Lindero Canyon and many local museums. They both belong to a guild, the Ventura County Handweavers and Spinners Guild. Despite their success in the craft, the two women weren't always professional artists. Bingham worked for many years at the Rockwell Science Center and is now retired. For many years, she worked weekends at the Stagecoach stagecoach, heavy, closed vehicle on wheels, usually drawn by horses, formerly used to transport passengers and goods overland. Throughout the Middle Ages and until about the end of the 18th cent. Inn Museum, at the Pioneer House, educating tour groups about how cotton and wool fibers are made into yarn on a spinning wheel. Jarchow always had artistic ambitions and even studied art in college before going to work in business. She had always been interested in fiber art and even made extra money by embroidering cowboy shirts in Colorado. Then she found weaving. ``I always liked creating with fiber, but with weaving, I really found my niche,'' she said. They've even started their own business, Handwovens Etc., creating made-to-order pieces and filling orders from specialty boutiques. The two also find time to travel to arts and crafts arts and crafts, term for that general field of applied design in which hand fabrication is dominant. The term was coined in England in the late 19th cent. as a label for the then-current movement directed toward the revivifying of the decorative arts. shows all over the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. and Canada. When traveling, Jarchow takes her portable loom to share the process of her creations. ``I just love being able to create something from threads,'' Jarchow said. ``It just fascinated me, and it feels good.'' CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color in Verb 1. color in - add color to; "The child colored the drawings"; "Fall colored the trees"; "colorize black and white film" color, colorise, colorize, colour in, colourise, colourize, colour Simi SIMI Sea Ice Mechanics Initiative SIMI Search for Intelligent Monkeys on the Internet SIMI Students Islamic Movement in India SIMI Society of Irish Motor Industry SIMI Smallholder Irrigation Markets Initiative edition only) Deborah Jarchow, right, and friend Betty Bingham formed Handwovens Etc. and sell their wares at craft shows. (2) Betty Bingham uses a spinning wheel to create elaborately designed items. ``To me this is art to wear.'' Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer |
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