04/13/2015

How about some nice green. I've been thinking so much about what a short Spring we had,  that I am  thinking about doing a series of bracelets in seasonal colors Of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.  

And actually I'm using Crosstitch floss in various textures and thread finishes,  for instance some of them are metallic, some of them are just shimmery and some of them are not shiny at all. I'm using the Baltic threading (on my inkle loom) and I'm really liking the way it's going.

9/08/2014

I found waxed linen in this beautiful Garnet/burgundy color. 

It is absolutely beautiful with this wood on this basket.

 I was actually going for Garnet and Gold because of the Florida Seminoles team out of Tallahassee Florida. But I don't think it screams football I think it is just plain elegant.

Let me know how you feel about it.

Then I warped up my tapestry loom. I have to tell you that it is absolutely wonderful that all I need to do every time I want to change the length of my project/warp is adjust the different components to the loom.  

I decided I did not want to take my antique stool to the market anymore and the only other stool I had was much shorter to the ground. So I rearranged my boards and my threaded rod and now it's perfect for sitting at the market!!!  I don't have to worry about the weather ruining anything and it's very sturdy and very very infinitely adjustable this is so awesome if I do say so myself!

I finally figured out how to translate my favorite backstrap/warp face weaving onto a frame loom. It's just so much easier for me I love it!  Even more proud that I did it myself.  It is just the coolest feeling to say I wove it and I even wov it on a loom I built myself!

And can you believe it I went with yarn Artie had I didn't want to go to the store and I guess the purple just one out. It is pretty though.

It reminds me of Mardi Gras.

And already started a new basket today for a friend of mine is having a baby it's going to be pink and brown it's got beautiful work to check it out...

I'm never done a pink basket before, so I'm looking forward to it, it should be cute.

What's on the Loom????

I am so proud of my friend/student's accomplishments with her weaving.  Last week she completed the never ending tapestry.  She is still deciding what she wants to make it into.  She also warped up again for a sampler that we found in an old Handwoven magazine, AND she warped up her rigid heddle, she is still thinking on that one also.  

She has been a busy beaver!

Funny how opposite we are, and yet we are both still managing to learn from one another.  She needs a game plan, although she is always open to adjusting that plan.  Me?  I pretty much always wing it.  I like to just see what the loom has to say to me.  

Having her for a student has me rethinking some of that though.  I have recently even predetermined a project or 2.  Like her bag that we did together with the bands I wove, and she assembled!  It turned out lovely, and although we didn't write the plan down in blood, we did indeed discuss it and come up with something of a plan.  

We are both proud of the outcome.  I posted the pic once before, but I will give you another glance here.

Now for the tapestry!

The multi color (think verigated) is a very fine chenille and really shimmers.  When she stared this she had in mind a 'but pillow'...you know to sit your but on when you weave.  Since then I think she had decided she might like to sit her loom up on a table.  I can't wait to see what she comes up with for a set up.

I love the weaving itself.  I think it would be beautiful as a table topper.  We were working on hatching and she find it tedious...so we adjusted the plan accordingly.   

As for my weaving...I am thirsting for something with a little more freedom than the warpface weaving.  I want flowing lines and maybe something that comes a little easier for me.  

I feel a tapestry weave coming on.  Maybe...I do love the warpface though and you just never know which mood will strike me.

New loom

I am still in Jacksonville, FL., and I still don't have MY new loom, of course.  It is not even due to arrive in GA till Tuesday the 5th.

However, since I am visiting the daughter (KraftyMax) of the owner of Gilmore looms, I have access to her loom.  She has the largest of the WAVE table/inkle looms.  Mine will be the smallest, called the MINI WAVE.   Soooo, I have warped up Max's and would like to share pictures of what I am doing.

I used a traditional warping board.  Do keep in mind that normally I use one continuous warp thread that is wrapped around my frame and a warp stick, even my rigid heddle had an alternate method for warping.  It was called the peg method and it also was one continuous thread, no warping board.

This is only my 3rd time warping with a warp board.  VERY DIFFICULT! at least for me.  I put 11 feet on it.  I found it to definitely be a learning curve.  Moving the warp from the board in an organized fashion and mounting it onto the frame is all foreign to me.  I must also say there were several major problems...somehow I managed to correct them for the most part and not waste the warp.  The yarn I used for the warp also came from Max and I believe it is silk.  Definitely didn't want to waste it.  It is beautiful, very bright and shimmery.

I have indeed been weaving a lovely 4 inch wide inkle/warpface band.  I intend to make Max and her daughter ( who now proudly wears the blue and brown prototype cuff bracelet) matching cell phone pouchs, myself a bracelet and I am not sure what else.  I have never had the option of this much warp before.  Of course now I also get to learn how to hem stitch.  I always used half hitches on my tapestries.  Hemstitching was never necessary, I never minded the fringe either.

I may have to get out the sewing machine eventually.  I am trying to avoid that though, I really don't need another hobby or to try to figure out where to put it.  Lack of space remember, is why I sold the rigid heddle.

In tapestry, warping takes very little time, weaving much longer.  In warpface textile, warping is MUCH more time consuming, weaving very much faster.  Everything is backwards for me, the design, the warping, the types of yarns, even the hand motions.

I am making some strides though.  Check it out for yourself.  The pictures aren't great, please forgive me.  I will get better ones soon....even the finished projects will be posted.

I had my reservations about ordering the smallest wave, but this one is a bit of a moose.  I think I will be quite happy with one that is a little less bulky for my smallish person.

Warp Floats!

I sold my Rigid Heddle Loom!`

My Rigid Heddle didn't get much use and further more it was too large for my current living situation.  Even when it had it's own space in the spare room with the spinning wheel and all of my fibers it simply didn't get used much.  I prefer tapestry, so that is the loom that stayed the closest at hand and got used (and still does) the most.

I sold it for the price of a small lap loom I wanted.  It is made my friend KraftyMax's parents.  They live in California and own Gilmore Looms.  The loom is  technically a modified Inkle Loom.  It has texsolve heddles though and a cloth and warp beam.  You can put up to 5 yards of warp on it, depending on the yarns you are using.

These looms are called the "Wave", and I could only afford the smallest of these called the 'Mini Wave'.  It will weave maximum 4 in. wide.  At the rate of success I have been having with my warpface weaves, this is probably the maximum I would ever hope to achieve anyway.  LOL

Traditionally these bands, tapes, ribbons, (small thin strips) are pieced together to create larger pieces of fabric.  These are used all over the world in places like African and Peru. 

Since it will fit in my lap I am thinking it will be more ergonomic for my body aches and pains.  Wish me luck.

My weave workshop lady bought the RH and I will be giving her private lessons as part of the sale.  Wonderful!  I love the barter system.  She gets what she needs and wants, I get what I need and want.  Bravo!

New small tapestry loom all warped up

I had a particularly messed up day yesterday and didn't do a single artistic thing...not one.  

However, I did start a new weaving a few days ago on my new, home-made tapestry loom.  

This is a tapestry weave, also know as an even weave, which means over one under one for one row and then reverse on the next row and repeat.  Because of the wide spacing of the warp threads ( the vertical threads), it creates what is known as a weft (horizontal threads) faced fabric.  

Weft faced fabric can range from very boardy and stiff to very soft and slinky.  These things are controlled by spacing, fiber content and how tough you pack down the weft (horizontal) thread.  It can be very creative since only the horizontal thread shows you have complet design control, anything from pictorials to simple stripes.

This one is white on white and I am using multiple's of Soumak.  Soumak is a kind of wrapping technique that creates little raised designs that look like an embroidery stitch and sometimes a crochet chain stitch.  Depending on which side you start and/or how many warp threads you cross over.  

This piece is 100% cotton, peaches and cream cotton actually, the color is called natural.  It could actually be used for just about anything from a wash cloth to a doily or even a handbag which is what I will probably use it for.

Pictures to follow.   There are close ups of the Loom as well as the weaving, in case anyone else wanted to build one.