In 2024, she implemented the project “Master of Tradition” as part of the “Folk and Traditional Culture” program by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, leading workshops titled “Perebory — Weaving Workshops with Irena Ignaciuk”.
Magdalena Kozioł: Where did your interest in weaving come from? Irena Ignaciuk: For me, it wasn’t a typical adventure — it was more of an obligation. In my family, weaving was a tradition. My grandmother wove, my mother wove, and children who were old enough to wind thread onto a spool were expected to help. From a young age, I participated in various tasks around the loom: cleaning, dusting, and later, increasingly complex work. I only waited for the day when I would grow too big to fit under the loom, just so I wouldn’t have to clean beneath it anymore. [M.K.] How did your journey with weaving begin? [I.I.] My early experience with weaving primarily involved helping my mother. At first, I learned to hold the boards and perform simple tasks related to operating the loom. Later, I started participating in weaving simple rugs or fabrics on four shafts. When it came to pattern selection, I rarely got involved when I was young — only when we were weaving for the family or making a gift. If my mother was working on a com- missioned piece, she never let me select patterns or weave. She was afraid I’d make a mistake, and the entire piece would need to be unraveled. I never thought I’d ever take up weaving. I found it boring, monot- onous, even pointless. But life had other plans. My mother stopped weaving for very practical reasons. After my father passed away, she was left alone and didn’t have time for handcrafts. I also got married and lost interest in the loom. The loom my mother used, with an unfinished warp still on it, was stored in the barn, where it sat for over fifteen years. It wasn’t until my husband and I decided to start an agritourism business that the need arose to find a unique feature for our property. While cleaning the barn on my family’s land, we came across the loom. It was dusty, and some parts were damaged. But the reed was still beautiful and shiny. My husband immediately said, “You’re looking for an idea? Here it is — weaving”. I thought of bringing it into our home as a display piece. We transported the loom, cleaned it, replaced the missing parts, and put it all back together. When my mother saw it, she said, “Child, I can’t help you with this anymore; I don’t have the strength”. But I felt I could handle it on my own. I remember sitting down at it for the first time without any fear. I started weaving, and somehow, everything just came together. [M.K.] What was the first thing you wove? [I.I.] The first thing I wove was perebory because the warp on the loom had been set up specifically for that technique. There wasn’t much of it, just enough for a table runner, which we gave as a gift. After that, I started weaving with four shafts. I made several rugs using this technique — it was something I was very eager to try. [M.K.] Who or what has been your greatest inspiration in weaving? [I.I.] It wasn’t other weavers, as one might expect, but the people who came to visit my workshop. Their amazement and curiosity were incredibly motivating for me.
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Woven Heritage Interviews
Tkane Dziedzictwo Wywiady
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