SAORI Worcester is a SAORI Weaving Studio offering on-going classes and selling SAORI looms & accessories, hand-woven items, SAORI books and more.
This is a studio where people feel safe and comfortable to express their inner creativity regardless their age, sex, abilities and social status. In the classes we teach basic weaving skills and encourage students to make unique work that only the person can create at the moment. The basic weaving movement on the SAORI loom is very simple and easy. In the studio there have been having all kinds of people; kids to elderly and people who have special needs physically and mentally.
The SAORI loom have several accessible accessories which allow people who have physical difficulties to be able to weave. The teacher has many experience working with people who have developmental problems, Muscular dystrophy, minor psychiatric problems, autism, down syndrome and other “problems”. During the class time all those “problems” or “diagnosis” doesn’t matter. Everyone in the class is SAORI Artist. We all learn from each other.
We offer one time “trial” class to “membership” to let people have continuous practice this art form deeply for a long time. The goal of the classes is not focus on the finished products. The aim of the classes is letting people explore their creativity through free expression. Weaving is just a tool. The ultimate goal is finding the true self, build relationship, share in communities and spread peaceful mind to the whole world.
When I saw the Saori Bridges of Elm Park, I was enchanted—all those colorful hand woven banners displayed in the natural beauty of the park. I decided right then that I wanted to try free-style weaving myself. I enrolled in classes, and have now been weaving for a year at Saori Worcester. I have found the Saori philosophy of encouraging everyone to follow their own unique path of self exploration through weaving both liberating and personally empowering. Weaving has become for me a form of meditation, a means to express myself creatively, and a whole lot of fun—all rolled into one.
Under the skilled and inspiring leadership of Mihoko Wakabayashi, the studio offers a wonderfully supportive, diverse and inclusive community of weavers. Classes include all levels of weavers, from neophytes to accomplished fiber artists. Everyone is welcome; everyone can learn to weave! I am so very happy that Mihoko has made Saori weaving available to us here in Central Massachusetts. I encourage you to try it for yourself. You’ll be amazed by what you can do. -J.N.
Here is a video clip that we created for Misao Jo, the founder of SAORI Weaving in 2011. You can feel our studio atmosphere and check out students’ art work. You might be in the next clip!