Saori

With no pattern or rules to follow, Saori enables you to weave quite freely; simply enjoying each moment as it comes. In Saori, we weave with our heart as well as our hands.

Beauty With lack of Intentions

The 'Sa' of Saori has the same meaning as the first syllable of the word 'Sai' which is found in Zen Buddhist vocabulary. It means "everything has it's own individual dignity".
The 'Ori' means weaving.

When sitting at the loom each person brings their own ideas, personality, hopes, choices, rhythm and preferences so every weaving produced is completely unique. Saori textiles reflect the experience and state of mind of the individual weaver, just as they are in that moment.

"All flowers are beautiful, even though each individual flower is different in form and color. Because of this difference, "all are good". Because everything has the same life, life cannot be measured by a yardstick. It is this individuality that makes everything meaningful and the uniqueness of each thread that creates the tapestry of life"

Misao Jo, Founder of SAORI

Whilst Saori focuses on weaving, it is much more than simply a weaving technique. It is also:

A philosophy that all people are artists: Saori can help anyone to enjoy their own creative nature, regardless of previous experience or perceived artistic ability

An outlook that embraces the natural beauty of unintended "mistakes". and encourages people to explore into the unknown. In Saori, we do not try to imitate machine-made products. The irregular selvage, loose thread and accidental skip of the shuttle are all considered to add to the beauty of the finished cloth

A social movement towards bringing diverse people together to learn from one another. It is especially a movement to include within a larger community people who may be isolated or marginalized because of disability, age, income, mental or physical health issues, caregiving, ethnicity, or any other reason
Saori can also be used as a creative and practical path of meditation, therapy, rehabilitation, trauma recovery, stress reduction, identity-building, community-building, economic self-reliance, and holistic human development

The four principles of Saori

Consider the differences between a machine and a human being

A machine can be programmed to weave uniform patterns and straight edges. The human hand and heart reveals itself in the variations, the unevenness and the flaws of the woven cloth

Be bold and adventurous

Whilst weaving, we are free to explore different textures, colours, patterns and ideas without a fear of doing something the wrong way. Our 'mistakes' can lead to the discovery of new techniques and our ideas can arise quite spontaneously from the act of weaving itself

Let’s look out through eyes that shine

We try to stay as open and enthusiastic as we can in each moment and try to be kind to ourselves whilst weaving, noticing the beauty around us and being alert to our own thoughts and emotions. With Saori, you can let your weaving be an expression of who you are, right here and now.

Inspire one another, and everyone in the group

Each person's ideas and experiences are equally valuable and there are no levels such as beginner, advanced or master. Differences in status, age, physical or learning abilities are unimportant and all participants are encouraged to share their discoveries with others. A new weaver can come up with ideas and combinations of threads that no-one else has thought of before, a child can show a new technique to an adult and a person with learning disabilities can coach other group members.

The Saori Story

In Japan in the late 1960s, Misao Jo, then in her mid 50s, decided she wanted to weave a sash (obi) for her kimono by hand. Her husband and sons built her a handloom, and her 84-year-old mother taught her how to weave!

However, Ms. Jo soon felt that her weaving in the conventional style was imitating the regularity and predictability of a machine. She said, "I have a brain and emotion. I'm a human being. I will weave an obi that is full of humanity." She allowed herself to skip threads in an unforced, rhythmic way, introducing unusual stripes and fringes that resulted in original work of striking expressiveness. She kept experimenting, enjoying herself to a degree that she hadn't believed possible, but wondering whether others would perceive her work as "really good."

Finally, she brought her work to the owner of a fashionable kimono shop. To her surprise and delight, he bought all the work she showed him, sold it quickly, and asked for more. When she tried to fill his orders for a specific pattern she had made previously, however, she found that her joy in weaving was gone. Realizing that spontaneity was the secret of her success, she determined to teach this wonderful way to others. Today, at age 99, she is still weaving SAORI.

Misao Jo