Sunday, May 15, 1:00 pm

We are in this life together. Making cordage from fabrics that represent those we love, and even with those we love, offers an opportunity to create an object that is imbued with intention- a blessing for a birth or marriage, a celebration for a coming of age, an honoring of family, a wish for what could be and gratitude for what has been.

For over 50,000 years humans have been making cordage. It is in the double helix twist of our dna, in the spin of the yarn making up nearly every fabric we wear on our bodies or have in our homes. Cordage surrounds us and has made much of human progress possible- from hunting with bows and fishing with nets, to walking on the moon and getting dressed in the morning. It is such a ubiquitous and fundamental form that we often don’t even recognize it.

Cordage is essentially rope- two strands twisted individually in one direction and brought together in the opposite direction- dynamic and strong.

Please join California based fibre artist Saoirse Byrne, as our hands learn to twist together cordage from fabrics that are meaningful in our lives- it could be a thread-bare t-shirt, a sister’s scarf, a grandfather’s handkerchief, a mother’s painting rag. The physical process of making is an invitation to see cordage as a metaphor for connection. The process is fun, simple, and repetitive in a way that leaves room for conversation, laughter, contemplation. Cordage making is accessible to folks who would not consider themselves crafty as well as to artists wanting to explore another way of engaging with materials.