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This work employs a fan reed to create visual rhythm through controlled warp displacement. Often described as ondulé in Western handweaving literature, the structure aligns with the Japanese textile practice known as yoroke, where the emphasis is on intentional warp misalignment rather than differential shrinkage or elastic contrast. The resulting cloth exhibits fluctuation in light and transparency across a rhythmic 2-dimensional surface.
Techniques:
Yoroke (fan-reed warp displacement) weaving
Dimensions:
58″ x 15″
Materials:
linen (hand dyed)
Loom:
Schacht standard floor loom with custom attachment for fan reed; 4 shafts were used.
Rebecca Smith
My weaving career began in Massachusetts, but I have lived and worked in my home studio in San Diego since 1996. Following a series of workshops with tapestry master Archie Brennan in 1999, I primarily wove tapestries for the next 20 years. In 2018 my interest shifted to transparency weaving. I combine various modalities and methods in my work—lace weave, ondulé/yoroke, ikat dyeing, and geometric pattern inlay—to weave textiles that engage the environment by being semi-transparent rather than presenting an opaque barrier.
My work, both tapestries and transparencies, has been included in juried exhibitions throughout the U.S. I teach workshops for guilds and conferences throughout the country. My upcoming book, Transparency Weaving: A Guide to Creating Sheer Textile Art, will be released by Schiffer Publishing in August 2026. I am a member of California Fibers, a juried group of professional fiber artists. I am a Board member and active leader of the San Diego Creative Weavers’ Guild.
