Ann's Weaving Hobby Brings Joy & Creativity
Ann Ruel, 95, a resident at Girton Green independent living complex in Cambridge, has a passion for weaving. With her work having been exhibited locally and some pieces sold, she spoke to us about her hobby and how it provides an escape from everyday life.
"When I took up weaving it became a passionate hobby of mine, which it has been now for about 20 years.
"When I consider what to make, I tend to look at pictures for inspiration, and to reproduce parts of pictures that I have seen. I have completed 10 smaller tapestries on this basis, and another that was probably over a metre wide, based on a birthday card I bought when I was on holiday. It is cut and mounted in three strips, but the design goes right across the piece, with gaps where the strips are separated."
“Weaving is an expressive art form with a very creative side to it.”
"Colour is the biggest motivator for me, and what I love about tapestry weaving is that it is an expressive art form, very much like painting. As long as you have access to plenty of different coloured threads, you can paint a picture.
"If you say you are a poet or a painter, people think you are very artistic, whereas weavers are just seen as doing something that is practical. That is true, of course, but people don’t necessarily realise there is also a very creative side to it. However, I don’t call myself an artist – I’m a craftswoman.
"My latest project, that I am just starting now, is a bit different. I have bought a set of watercolour pencils and I intend to make my own design, which I will then use to create the tapestry. I’m not sure yet how it will go!"
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