What's on the Loom????

Last night, Thursday the 27th, was Tapestry weave workshop.  Dana has decided that before we do our cartoon together that she wants to work through a sampler that we found from a 1988 Handwoven Magazine.  

Since I am self taught, this is definitely to my advantage also.  I did use Navajo techniques and followed a graph once a very long time ago.  Got half way though it and found that it bored me to tears to follow someone else's patter.  Half hitched the end, took it off the loom, and a very dear friend of mine in FL, who is a plant freak, uses it (among others I have given her) to sit plants on.  After that I never even tried to follow a grid, pattern or cartoon.  

I have discovered though that I would like to use some of my own artwork in my weaving's.  Yes, some of the designs in my warpface endeavors are my own, but I want scrolls and flowers and such of my own drawings.  

I have used quite a number (most even) of the techniques show in the sampler, but not all.  So we will learn them together.  I see some tapestries coming after that.  

Another thing about tapestry weaving that I didn't realize I was spoiled to, is that mine are always reversible.  Not so with warpface so much, unless you do double weave.  For my purposes, double weave is not so practical.  It takes twice as much yarn, for half as much width and twice as much time.  Since most of what I do are purses/totes/pouches, I don't need the inside, which is hardly seen, to be "  Pretty".   I can, and always have, still use predominantly cotton.  Not so much wool here in southern USA to be found or even used/needed.  I have also discovered over the years that I really don't care as much for hairy yarns.  

I have 2 little dogs, as most of you know, and deal with quite enough hair.  I don't like finding it on my eyelashes, or stuck to my lipstick.  LOL  Plus, alot of the agriculture here in southern GA, is indeed cotton.  Very accessible and inexpensive.  

When I decided to really venture into cotton, I took a day trip.  I lived in FL, and drove to GA, looking for a cotton field.  I had never seen one.  When I found one I spotted a gentleman on a tractor close to the edge of the road.  I got out and shouted "  HEY MISTER",  and he politely shut off his machine and got down to visit.  I asked him if he knew where I could find a cotton gin and he answered "  Just so happens I own one".   KEWL!  He called ahead and I got a tour.  

I actually thought a gin might be about the size of a tractor trailer...NOT.  They are huge barns and they waste more cotton than I could ever spin and use.  I was given 3 huge garbage bags of ginned cotton for free!  This is why I offer instruction for cotton spindle spinning at the art center.  All I need now are students.  LOL  I do indeed want to learn to spin cotton that is usable for warpface weave.  I have often used my own hand spun cotton for tapestry.

Back to tapestry weaving.  Dana's significant other made me some new boards for my loom.  Now, instead of a very large loom and a very small loom, I will have a medium size one that is just right for my space.  I just have to free up a table to clamp it to, since I am Gilmore Wave loom crazed...

Anyway, I have the small tapestry and a large piece on the Large wave that I need to complete and then I will be doing a custom bag for one of my dearest friends, KraftyMax.  Max is actually the culprit to this entire weaving saga of about 15 or so years.  She got me started.  As a result she has my weaving's all over her home, along with my drawings, knitted socks and even some of my very few cross stitch pieces.  

A little side humor...I was in Max's wedding and decided to do her a Wedding sampler.   It is the first thing you see when you open the door to her home, framed and hung with obvious pride.  I even designed it and wrote the poetry on it myself.  I was in the house by myself one day and stood looking at this piece that had been hanging in her home for 11 yrs. and had a terrible revelation.  I mispelled her husband's name......I thought I would crawl under the carpet.  Very upsetting, and she never said a word.  This is a true friend who loves me, faults and all.  Back at ya Max.

Here is a picture of Dana's Sampler!  It is letter perfect!  Now the student becomes the teacher.