Sixteens Sample Exchange

The Sixteens is a sample exchange group of weavers all across the United States and also in Canada and a few other countries over its history.

Each year the leader assigns a topic and we all produce a fabric to the specification. Then we cut generous samples and with the pattern draft and comments on the joys and trials of production, send them out to other members.

Marian Hoskinson formed the group. By chance I sat next to her during a meal at a weavers' conference and she overheard me telling a friend that I had a sixteen harness loom on order. She handed me a paper explaining this new group that would solve a weaving challenge utilizing sixteen harnesses. I joined on the spot.

I am the only member from the original group that is still active. Loom trouble and building a new studio meant I missed several years. I have appreciated that the assignments forced me to try new things. When I am confronted with the project I imagine the most typical approach and then try to come up with something very different.

In the early years the group was kept to 30 members with a waiting list. As other sample opportunities became available through the Complex Weavers the numbers have dwindled to around 15 each year.

I have wonderful notebooks from all of the years, with creative samples on a wide variety of multiharness weave structures.

The following years lack documentation
1989: Pique — 1994: Network Drafting — 1995: Stitched Doubleweave — 1996: Taqueté — 1999: O'Hara Technique — 2001: Integrated Cell Weaves (see 2015)