Dyeing To Weave Studio is an official and globally recognised SAORI weaving studio based in Clunes in the Central Highlands of Victoria.  Prue Simmons is the founder of Dyeing To Weave and is an accredited SAORI teacher and official distributor of SAORI looms, equipment and yarns.  Prue is passionate about engaging and empowering people with this easy and meditative form of textile creativity so that each person can find self-expression through SAORI weaving and easily produce beautiful cloth to wear or cherish.

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Hi, I’m Prue Simmons – a zoologist turned SAORI weaver!

I came across this beautiful form of Japanese weaving whilst exploring and living in the mountains of Japan in 2007 and was instantly hooked!  The easy, meditative and freestyle way of SAORI weaving enabled me to create cloth immediately and I was able to make beautiful garments after just a few hours at the loom.

I didn’t come from a textile background. I am terrible at knitting.

I don’t like having to concentrate when I create.  I want to create from the HEART not the HEAD.

I want to just RELAX and ENJOY my creativity – not feel pressured to recreate a particular pattern, to copy someone else’s work, to be worried if I’m doing it ‘right’.

I never considered weaving in the past, as it seemed too complicated…too mathematical and too structured for me.

I want my creativity to be FREE.  To flow organically, in response to colour or texture – to let the yarns tell their tale. Not to recreate the same pattern over and over.

I want to make things that are truly one-of-a-kind – uniquely mine and that tell a story. A human-made cloth. A tangible outcome from my meditation and individual creativity at the loom.

I want to get lost in the meditative rhythm of the loom…that easy motion of marrying warp and weft to create beautiful cloth.

With the SAORI loom – all of this is possible.

And I’m passionate about sharing this beautiful craft with YOU.

After falling in love with SAORI weaving in that tiny village in the mountains, I brought it home to Australia and was the ONLY person doing SAORI weaving here for a while.  I returned each year to that little village in Japan, to hone my skills with my SAORI mentor and be inspired by the SAORI weaving studio that she had established there in that peaceful valley in the mountains.

After 8 years, I decided to take my passion for this incredible form of textiles to the next level. I went back to Japan to the home of SAORI to work with the masters for one month and completed my teacher training and globally-recognised accreditation with SAORI in Japan. It was one of the most inspiring months of my life, spending time with Misao-sensei – the incredible creator of SAORI weaving and learning from Kenzo Jo, the President of the SAORI organisation and designer of these wonderful looms and equipment as well as from the other wonderful SAORI teachers. Through this comprehensive training and accreditation, I am a fully qualified SAORI teacher and licensed dealer of SAORI looms and equipment here in Australia.

In 2013, I opened the doors to Dyeing To Weave Studio to share my passion for SAORI weaving and it’s meditative benefits here in Australia.  I am one of just three people in Australia accredited to teach SAORI weaving and I’ve since engaged thousands of people in the wonderful gift of SAORI weaving to help people find their true selves at the loom.

But what is SAORI weaving?

SAORI (pronounced sour-ri) was developed by the visionary Misao Jo in Japan in the 1960’s.  Inspired to find a craft that allowed her to express her true self, to tap into her innate creativity – which the Japanese call kansei, she developed the simplified loom with her son Kenzo.  This very ergonomically designed loom, allowed for easy movement and freedom of expression through colour and texture to produce unique pieces of cloth.

She coined the term SAORI – the term represents a conjugation of two words:

SAI – a Zen word meaning unique and ORI meaning weaving. 

It also stemmed from the shortened words for ‘Misao’s weaving’:

Misao ori = Saori

Through her weaving journey at her SAORI loom, Misao realised a deep connection to Self. It made her consider the way we traditionally weave cloth, the increasing industrialisation of our textiles and how inspiring each person can be when they allow their own unique creativity to shine.

In response to her realisations, Misao coined 4 key philosophies of SAORI weaving:

Consider the differences between a human being and a machine

Be bold and adventurous

Look out through eyes that shine

They are wonderful mantras for both weaving and Life!

Interest in this ground-breaking form of individual creativity increased and Misao soon began teaching others SAORI. Over the years, these teachings have spread across the globe and with the advent of social media, thousands of people are now discovering this beautiful form of textiles.

Misao-sensei passed away just 2 weeks shy of her 105^th birthday in 2019.  But her amazing legacy remains.

I feel so privileged to be able to share my passion for SAORI weaving with you. To be able to share my love and connection with Japan and this beautiful Japanese craft. To help you discover and delve into your own creativity at the loom and support you on your journey into the wonderful world of SAORI weaving.

Come and immerse yourself in this incredible Japanese artform with me!

I teach workshops at my studio in Central Victoria, in studio spaces throughout Melbourne and also run an incredible SAORI Immersive Retreat at the stunning Shizuka Japanese Ryokan & Wellness Spa – a traditional Japanese-style inn located in the charming spa town of Hepburn Springs, VIC.