What's on the Loom????

February 20, 2011

Since I was having technical difficulties with the 'Relay for Life' piece I warped up the Mini wave. 

I used #3 mercerized cotton crochet thread in the color 'coffee' and a slightly nubby unidentified yarn that Ms. Allen of Gilmore looms sent home with her daughter on one of her trips to California a few years ago.  I have been hoarding this yarn a VERY LONG time.   I had no idea of its fiber content, or its size.  More learning curve.

I warped for double weave, thinking to try to do my stick people.  The piece is 1 3/4 in. wide and 7 ft. long.  The nubby yarn makes if a little more difficult than I might like.  It is also a good deal heavier than the #3...more learning curve.

Basically I have both looms warped up with difficult warps.  No relief in sight since they are both pretty long warps.  grrrrrrr  On the positive side the first stick man is done and he really pops on the dark background.

For now girls and boys I get to struggle a bit, as I don't want to waste this much yarn.  Especially on the relay piece as it is 333 warp threads wide, each doubled or tripled.  Lots of yarn there folks.  

Wish me luck!

Relay for Life

February 19, 2011

I am having to do some re-thinking on my piece for 'Relay for Life'.  After getting everything warped up, I decided all of the pinks and reds were screaming at me to do hearts.  It was indeed Valentine's day when I wound the warp onto the warpboard.  Must have been some silly subconscious thing.  LOL

Anyway, I started out with a heart and of course decided on LARGE BOLD design motif's.  It actually looks great, but I am having tension problems with the warp.  This is not totally unexpected as I used multiple stranding and multiple yarn weights.  It was bound to happen.  DUH!

  Even though it is a 7 ft. warp, I will be doing it in several pieces instead of one long piece as I had intended.

Each panel will approximately 8 in, wide and about 12 in long.  I am thinking of doing a set, maybe...A hear, an X and an O, that could be auctioned as a set.  Keep in mind I am having to adjust on the fly and things are subject to change at any point. 

I will keep you posted.

Aren't the colors divine!

Tapestry workshop!

Friday morning, February 18, 2011

Last night was tapestry workshop night.  The Art Center also 'Open House', more of a fund raiser than anything.  

Dana brought in the wash cloths that she did on her rigid heddle per the Betty Davenport, Textures on the Rigid Heddle Book, (I think I remember the title correctly).  They are simply awesome.  She does beautiful, exacting work.  Now I want new wash cloths.  She is having greater successes with the loom than I ever had in all of the 5 years I owned it.  I knew she would though, once I knew her educations and career are built around textiles.  She is a seamstress and I knew drapeable fabric would definitely be of interest to her.  

I pleases me that the decision to sell her the Kromski was a good one.  She is much happier using it than I was, and I am VERY satisfied with what I am learning on the Gilmore Wave Looms.  I call that a 'win win'.  

I also met a lovely lady from Ravelry via the phone.  She was having some difficulties with her warpface/Inkle weaving and I offered via Ravelry to try to help her via phone and she accepted.  She is a lovely lady and of course by the time I could call her she had pretty much already figured out her problems all by herself.  She was using wool a.k.a. stick yarn that grabs.  Once she put on a yarn more suitable for warpface structure she was well on her way.

In speaking with her I learned that she is also an avid yarn spinner.  She love silk and when I said I had never tried any, she sent me some.  Wow!  Very generous of her!  It is a beautiful hand dyed, hand spun PURPLE!  It is plied, slightly varied in shading and slightly nubby.  Stunning!  I am not sure it will work for warpface, so I will definitely have to get out the tapestry or the rigid heddle very soon.  I am going to have to think on that one though, this kind of yarn is expensive by my standards and I certainly wouldn't want to waste it.

In return, when she found out I predominantly use cotton, she asked for some ginned cotton.  I sent her a box packed full of it!  Can't wait to see what she does with it. 

As for my spinning efforts, they are a bit sporadic for now.  Space is at a premium where I live right now, so I am constantly shifting equipment up and down those very steep attic stairs.  Spindles and puni's for now.  No problem.  I should have enough cotton spun for a wrap soon, might already.

Anyway, that's what going on in my world!  Here is a picture of the beautiful purple silk!  Thank yo so much Catseye03!

 

The camera bag is still coming along.  We are re-thinking the design of the construction part for a moment.  When it is at the next stage you will be the first to know!

Relay for Life!

Valentine's Day!

I started the warp for my 'Relay for Life' donation piece today.  Just coincidence that these colors lend themselves to the holiday! I used just about every red and pink I had in the house.  Warped for simple warp floats.

I think I like it already!

My friend Dana

Written February 14, 2011

As you all know my friend and tapestry workshop student, Ms. Dana, has graciously accepted my invitation to assemble the camera tote for my friend KraftyMax.  

In the meanwhile she also has a very demanding job, a home to run, her own projects to do (think tapestry) and in between all of that she also rigid heddle weaves.  She actually bought my Kromski Rigid Heddle 32 in. loom.  The money from the sale got me my Gilmore Mini Wave loom.  

She is also my only tapestry student and the one new friend I have made in Moultrie, GA.  

She set out to assemble the tote today and decided to be patient and make sure that the design is correct...this is why I trusted the project to her, instead of even attempting it myself.  

She did send me pictures of her latest Rigid Heddle dish cloths though...I am entirely envious of these cloths.  I love to use hand made items, even my own hand made washcloths.  She smoked mine...these are gorgeous!  She tells me that she is using a book by Betty Lynn Davenport called Rigid Heddle Textures.  Please don't hold me to the name of the book, I do know that I am correct about the author's name.

What do you think of them?

Oops...blogger is acting funny for the second time today with uploading pictures.  So this is the only one I have for now.  LOVE IT DANA!

New project!

Written February 13, 2011

Shortly after opening my FaceBook page, Artfire shop and this blog last year I was approached and asked if I might like to make a donation to the cancer "  Relay for Life" by a fellow artisan.  

Her shop is called 'The Pine Cone Tea Cup'!  She is an very active artist that like myself has been touched by cancer.  So she is of course participating in this great cause again this year, and as has once again asked for volunteers.  I didn't even hesitate.

I have decided to donate a weaving.  Having recently expanded on my weaving techniques, I had written down in my idea book to do a piece with 'people' woven in at some point.  My friend KraftyMax, suggested to do them walking or running.  Maybe even on a belt.  I had been mulling this idea over in my head ever since.  

So it seemed only natural to do 'runners' for a relay race.  I have until June to complete the piece.  The relay in her town in June 10th.  But I started a design yesterday.  I just wanted to share a rough copy with you.  I haven't decided which techniques or colors to use yet.  But I will, of course, keep you posted.

I think it will be cute.  If you would like to participate in this very worthwhile cause, do what I did and search google for 'Relay for Life'.

You will be amazed how far and away from this idea the final product turned out to be.

One weft double weave! For the Camera strap!

Written 2/12/2011

Thursday night I gave the panels for the camera tote for KraftyMax to Dana, my student, so she could assemble the cube.  Meanwhile I kept working on the double weave camera strap.  

Last night- Friday - I completed the strap and took if off of my Gilmore Mini Wave loom.  I was asked to leave the fringe long so she could attach it anyway she wanted to to the actual camera.  Keep in mind that when the tote is completed and closed, the camera strap will also serve as the bag's strap.

Once again I know that there is a higher power somewhere in the universe.  This thing is simply beyond all of my creative expectations.  Beautiful, in a word.  It is 32 in. long without the fringe, 44 in. with fringe and a consistent 2 1/4 in. wide.  It's only flaw is a slight curve.  This will actually serve the band well when on the camera though.  Another serendipitous mistake.  I found 4 teensy weensy floats.  Only one in the webbing.  It was in the letter M on the backside and all I had to do was snip it out.  The others were in the edging.  I actually found the worst one near the fringe, so I threaded it onto a darning needle and corrected it.  The other two were so tiny I left them.  You would have to look very hard to find them.

Then I singed the fuzzies.  THEN, I found out my roommate, Carol, had a little steamer.  This thing is the bomb.  It heats up in 10 seconds flat and produces a profuse amount of steam.  I haven't been wet finishing these pieces up until now, but I definitely will from now on.  It made the yarn bloom beautifully, even though it was mercerized cotton.  It evened out all of the ridges in the weave to a consistency that is stunning.  I will be investing in one of these for my own.

Then I steamed the symbolism piece with the dog on it.  I had decided to keep it for myself and hang it in my room.  I would love to hang it with driftwood...oh yeah...I don't live in FL near the beach any more (for the first time in my life I might add).  Then I thought a piece of a cedar branch...then I thought, "what the heck I don't want to wait".  So I tied it onto the curtain rod with my curtains, which are red and purple.  The colors are great together and it looks like it belongs there.

All in all a great morning.  I get the greatest sense of satisfaction from weaving.  Now I get to plan the next piece.  

Probably a piece for an envelope bag...Then the piece for 'Relay for Life' cancer fund raiser.  

I will be pretty busy as usual.  Keeps my mind sharp.

Check out the pictures.

Relay for Life

Written 2/12/2011

I have met so many wonderful people on the internet.  So very many are talented artists!  I couldn't possibly name them ALL. 

In this post though I want to mention one lady in particular, her name is Heather Forte.  She is the proud owner of an online shop called 'The Pine Cone Teacup'.  Not only is she talented, but she is also dedicated.

She runs her shop, her home, her loving family and she also contributes her time and devotion each year to raising monies for Cancer research through the 'Relay for Life'.  I, like many of my counterparts donated a piece of art last year that was auctioned and the proceeds donated to this very worthwhile cause.  I will be doing so again this year.

Last year I was new to all of you and still not sure of my work, especially my pencil drawings, and that is what I donated.  This year it will be a weaving.  I am not sure yet what it will be though...in thinking on this the first thing that came to mind was of course a pink ribbon.  Then I thought too common.  Then, after giving it much more though I decided totally against the pink ribbon and here is why.

There are many people out there fighting this battle that do it quietly...some don't even tell family members until they absolutely have to.  Many do not tell, for instance, their children, or grandchildren.  It isn't as though small children really grasp things like terminal illness anyway.  More importantly they don't understand death and so we tend not to expose them to it until absolutely necessary.

So I kind of feel like a piece that screams "  I have/had cancer" might not always be appropriate.  

So I don't think I will use the typical slogan, or the pink color...I am not really sure what I will do yet, but it is there, in the back of my head rolling around and I am definitely open to suggestion.

Here is a shot of the art I donated last year.  It was just a little 5 x 7 graphite/pencil design.  I call it a prism, and it did indeed sell at the auction.

Camera Tote for KraftyMax!

Written 2/11/2011

Last night was Tapestry workshop and I took the two weaving's for the body of the camera tote for KraftyMax  to Dana (my friend and student) so she could start assembling the cube part.  

As for me I have 2 and 1/2 of the letters left to do on the double weave camera strap.  I have never wet finish any of my warpface weavings...but maybe for this strap?  Laverne what do you think?  Also I found one little float on the back side.  Usually I would just snip it out.  But of course it is in the formation of one of the letters. Ugggg.  I am also thinking about doing an edging...I watched the video on the Van Dyke stitch and can't for the life of me figure out how I would do that if I wasn't attaching two pieces together.  Guess I will have to go to Laverne's site and read....Not sure yet what I want to do.  I will just be happy to have enough warp to complete the lettering.

She wanted a 30 in. strap.  I warped 5 ft.  I have no idea how much take up is involved.  I also had no idea how large these letters would be.  Each is 3 inches and there are nine.  I put two rows of plain weave between each letter and I started out with 2 in. of plain weave in the beginning...I would like to put 2 in. of plain weave at the end also.

I will post pics as soon as I can get them taken.  Just an up date.

One weft double weave! For the Camera strap!

Written 2/8/2011

OMG!!!  Look what I did!  This is going to be awesome, even if I do say so myself.  Please keep in mind that not only am I new to this technique, I CHARTED MY OWN LETTERS!  

The logo will be "KraftyMax"!  I started at the bottom.

Just hope like the dickens that the warp is long enough for the entire word.  Again there is a learning curve and I didn't know the letters would be 3 in. long. 

Camera Tote for KraftyMax!

Written Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Here is the completed piece that will be the side panels.  It is exactly 6 in. wide and 24 in. long without fringe.  

Both pieces came out exactly the same size.  Consistency is a GREAT thing.  It looks like one end of the green piece is a little wider than the other.  After measuring though I have found that the ends are exactly the same width.

What's on the Loom????

Written Monday, February 7, 2011, posted March 4, 2011

Here we have pictures of what I did yesterday, Sunday.  I warped both 'Wave' looms.  I warped KraftyMax's Large Wave with the fabric that will be used for the side panels of her camera tote.  It is a little, o.k. a lot, larger than I needed actually.  It is 6 in. wide and 116 heddles of double stranded 100% cotton.  Double threaded is made it thicker than I intended.  But, on the plus side, we will have plenty of fabric to work with.  Better that than not enough and have to weave it again.

Then I wove my 'Mini Wave' with double weave for the camera strap.  I used #3 mercerized cotton.  It is doubled stranded in 40 heddles.  It gave me exactly the 2 in. width that I wanted.  It is only two colors and I made my borders with the same two colors.  I am going to have to chart her logo before I go any further on the double weave.

I knew that the large piece would be done pretty quick, as it is plain weave.  When I go to Tapestry workshop on Thursday evening, I will give it and the body piece over to Dana for the construction of the cube.  She will have it until the following Thursday.  In the meanwhile I will be working on the double weave as it is ready and waiting.  I am hoping everything is complete at that point.  

There are variables though with the timing.  Dana lives in the REAL world and has a REAL job.  So I hope she has time to complete it in a week but if not that's o.k. too.  Especially since I rarely work on double weave and it could indeed take me longer than that to complete the strap.  It needs to be at least 30 in. long.  I warped up 5 ft. so I think I have enough warp.  We'll see.  

I also snapped a shot of my bedroom...WALL TO WALL looms...LOL.  Here you go!

Big Wave with wide piece.

 Baby Wave with double weave!

Very full bedroom!

Weaving workshop!

February 5, 2011

Thursday night I got a call from the Art Center, they had a little employee issue.  Nobody to stay and close up after my class.  I called Dana and we decided to do workshop on Saturday, today.

We spent the first hr catching up and doing mock ups of KraftyMax's camera tote.  Since she is a seamstress I will be letting her take the lead on the construction of it.  We want to achieve a cube, and I would be at a loss.

The piece for the main portion of the body is complete.  Now I need to do the side panels and then a strap for the camera itself.  The strap on the camera will serve as the strap for the bag also once it is closed.  I hope to make a point on the closure flap, add a tassel with a long cord and use it to wrap around a pretty button.  

Here is a picture of the body piece, for those who haven't already seen it.

 

The side pieces will be green with purple edging.  The edging on the side pieces will be the same as the edges you see on this piece.  That way the seams won't show much.

The camera strap will be double weave purple and green and I am going to attempt to put her company name in the weave for design.

Cross your fingers.