This is a post by one of Mirrix's 2026 Brand Ambassadors, Debby Weiss. Follow Debby on Instagram @specksandkeepings here.
It’s September, and I’m slowing down my weaving projects—at least for a little while.
Last month was all about play and experimentation. I found myself exploring what could happen when I combined beads, yarn, and paper in a single piece. I loved the unexpected relationships between these very different materials—the softness of yarn, the delicacy of paper, and the sparkle and weight of beads. There is something exciting about letting the materials lead the way and seeing where they take me.
I’m not quite finished with this exploration. I can imagine adding even more beads, more layers, and additional supplemental warp. There are still so many possibilities to explore.
But for now, I decided to pause the making and turn my attention to framing the completed pieces.
I commissioned an artist to weld steel into open frames for the work. I love the contrast between the rigid structure of the steel and the changing nature of the weaving. Within the frame, the textile can be pulled taut in some areas and left loose in others. The steel holds its shape, while the weaving remains soft, flexible, and responsive.
This relationship between the soft and the rigid is something I keep returning to in my work. I’ve used steel frames with my stitched pieces as well, and I’m drawn to the tension created when these opposing materials meet.
Perhaps that is part of what keeps me interested in fiber. It can be delicate, but it can also have strength. It can bend, stretch, fray, knot, and change. Put next to something as solid and uncompromising as steel, its softness becomes even more apparent—and somehow, its strength does too.
For September, I’m giving myself permission to slow down, frame what I’ve made, and simply look.
Sometimes stepping away from the loom is another part of the process.
