Completed pink and gray!

April 12, 2011 Tuesday.

From a 7 ft. warp and 148 warp threads, I had 78 in. total with waste.  I got 59 in. (4 ft. 11 in.) woven web.  It is 3 3/4 in wide.  With fringe it is 70 in. total.  I am very happy with the way it turned out.  The only thing wrong is that it is slightly curved...I seem to have this in my work at times.  Always to the same side....hmmmmm.  Maybe something to do with being right handed, or the tension...maybe even both.  Since it is to be an addition to the poncho I don't think it will be a problem.  It might even relax out of it after a period of time.

Dana's One skein project bag!

The panels that I posted a week or so ago has been turned into a complete tote. She calls it her ‘one skein project bag’! I am sooo excited. She lined it, put pockets on the inside and even used a zipper for the closure. She is a seamstress, she even works as a supervisor in a sewing (uniform factory) facility. She is my tapestry workshop student and it seems I will be learning to sew more often! She even bought me a sewing book for Christmas.

 Wow!  I just love it!

Second half of the Green warp

I just wanted to share.  This is the rest of the green warp that gave me fits.  I finished it on Wednesday the 17th...I have a little niece that is into green.  I think I will make 2 little envelope bags that match for her out of these.  I actually like these bands.  This comes as a surprise since I hated the warp AND it gave me tension issues.  They turned out really well.  I love the larger designs.  I think my favorite is my version of the little 'person'.  I embellished the design I found and used on the other band, the little 'man person' and tried to get a female.  She is shaped a little funny, reminds me of a witch...LOL.  But cute right?

Anyway here are the pictures.

Another practice band on the Mini Wave!

This one is green on green.  After threading up the loom, I discovered I really didn't like these two colors together.  No 'pop', no 'pizaz' and certainly not enough contrast. :-{

But being a trooper and all I persevered and then discovered, low and behold I also have tension problems with this warp.  Drat!  Still I plugged along.  I found a couple of new PDF articles on inkle weaving with some nice pictures and applied a couple of their designs.  

My favorite is the little 'man' figure.  SOooooo kewl, if I do say so myself.   I had to complete this warp is two pieces.  The first piece is complete.  I had to cut it off so that I could retie onto the the front beam to correct the ridiculous tension problems I was having.  It's not written in concrete but I will probably make an envelope bag out of it.  For not I just want to look at it while I complete the rest of the warp.  

Here are a few pictures.  Let me know what you think.

One weft double weave!

I finally succeeded in one weft double weave!  I got all of my information for the very informative blog on Backstrap weaving by Laverne Waddington.

I discovered her on Weavolution and Weavezine.  Then I stumbled on her information again on Ravelry.  All three of these are full of great information on weaving and fiber arts in general.  The really great thing is the information is free for the offering.  

One weft double weave allows the weaver to have one color on one side and another on the back side.  It also provides for the weaver to have design on the front that is the reverse color on the back.  I am still trying to get the basic weave down so mine has no design...yet.  It produces a very thick and sturdy band.  I think for myself I will use finer threads next time and produce a finer band.  I can see where this would be great for dog collars, leashes, mug rugs, hot pads and even belts.  It is a labor intensive weave, which in my case made for time consuming as well.  We all know though, that weaving in general is not a 'fast' form of art.  This weave actually forms kind of a tube.

I took some pictures for you.  I did break a warp thread with all of the fraying going on from all of the manipulations while weaving.  It requires very minute changes in the weave tension that I am absolutely sure would be easier with a backstrap loom.  I can see another session with the backstrap in my future.  

Keep an eye peeled.  More to come soon.

My Pandula Band!

I finished it! and it is 7 1/2 ft long before the fringe!  Now two Pandula's are alike and I love this.  It is for sale on my Artfire site for $28.00,  It would be a great textile trim, dog leash, or even a sash belt.  

Guess its time to re-warp the loom.

I wish I had a better camera, these pictures don't begin to do this piece justice.  The cotton  has a beautiful sheen and the colors just 'pop'!

Update!

I finally got the courage to sit down at my sewing machine.  Thanks to my friend Dana.  She sat down with me, after making up the prototype envelope bag, and helped me get the tension correct on my sewing machine.  I needed to reacquaint myself with the machine it had been so long since I used one.   

So I made up some little 'envelope' bags.  They are so cute I can hardly believe I am the one who made them!  I even put them for sale in the consignment booth.  Here are a few pictures.

I kept these for myself!

These are for sale in my consignment booth.

Now that they have a purpose I can consider their structure when developing the designs.

Beautiful Art and Artwork Guild!

I belong to the Beautiful Art and Artwork Guild!  If you are not a member already you should go and check it out.  It is founded by my friend KraftyMax and she is working very hard to round up participants.

Right now we are having a contest with a Christmas Theme.  Today, Friday the 5th is the deadline for entries.  So I thought I would show some pictures of what I have entered.

 

The red and green bands are handwoven tone on tone after a damask effect.  They are 100% mercerized cotton crochet thread #10.  The bells and silver ribbon were purchased commercially.  I think this piece would serve nicely as a door bell, a ribbon for a special present or even for a tree topper.  The bands have diamonds alternating in the pick up technique from end to end.  They could be used for straps of any kind at your discretion after the holidays! Simple, effective and very holiday oriented! 

Another warp band!

Well its confirmed!  I am no seamstress!  I tried to make little purses/make-up bag/cell phone pouch out of my warp face bands today.  What a disaster.  These weavings are as forgiving as my tapestries!  Every stitch pulls and snags!  I even tried the sewing machine, and I HATE sewing.  I destroyed one small piece, and learned alot.  

I also completed another band.

I have done waaayyyyyyy too much research and still can't get the hang of how to get rid of the stripe background.  No successes there either. And, now I can't even figure out how to sew the bands I have already done into something useful.  FRUSTRATION, FRUSTRATION, FRUSTRATION!  They are too short for belts, too long for bracelets, too narrow for dresser scarves...they might be good for the top of a toilet tank.  LOL  How many people will use it for that though.  Most of the color schemes wouldn't work for that either. 

So I warped up the Mini with a plain red band.  Just for some mindless weaving.  I am indeed getting better at the edges, and consistency.  Yeah!  Tried to do some brocade/inlay, another dismal failure. 

Still, I think you should see the new band.  So here it is.  Please remember I am new to this.  The warp was perfect this time.  No saggy spots, not much waste.  YEAH!  I used mini blind slats this time and the last, I also used ONLY mercerized cotton.  Much easier. 

I will be glad when I can weave something without as many angles!  

Here are the pics!  Feedback welcome.

Another practice band on the Mini Wave!

This one is done with #10 mercerized in ecru and a mystery yarn from the Art Center.  I think, from the smell of it that it is Hemp.  Very grabby, making it difficult to weave.  This one is 42 in. long before the fringe and 3 1/2 in. wide.  I played around with the design with no particular plan in mind.  I like the flower!  And this is the longest one so far!

Next I think I will try one weft double weave.  If I can accomplish it.  Kind of difficult to explain but it will allow me one color on the front and another on the back.  It also will have motif's in opposit colors.  Wish me luck!  Of course I will post pictures.  Then again you will probably be able to hear me squeal all the way across the country if I succeed.  I am a little tired of the striped background.

The final pink and green band!

I finished the NEVER ENDING pink, green and white warp at last!  I know that you guys have seen lots of pictures of the other two pieces, but this one I gave to my roommate.  I did one design that looks like its Peruvian, or Bolivian or something.  I got it off of the backstrap blog by Laverne Waddington.  The other, I call that one a "  Pandula".  It is my version of a flower which lives only in my imagination.

As you know that is the very definition of a Pandula.  I got the term from an article in Rug Hooking magazine.  There was a woman who had hooked her entire life and all of her creations were Pandula's.  This where I got the name for all of my sites. 

A Pandula is a flower which lives only in one's imagination.

Today is Saturday and I spent the ENTIRE day yesterday warping various looms.  As you know I have been really struggling with the warp board style of warping necessary for my new Gilmore Mini Wave.  I have also learned that it is hard to translate warping instructions from Inkle weaving patterns to the warp board.

I ended up with a green and white stripe background.  After first annihilating a beautiful white on white warp for an idea I had in my head.  Then when I went to do the green and white one, because I wanted high contrast, I discovered that the green I chose was hemp.  If you know anything about hemp, you know that it is very 'sticky' to work with.  Needless to say I had a very frustrating day at the warping board.

Most people are not aware of how many hours it takes to do these things.  Since everything I have done before now has been weftfaced, where the warp is completely covered, figuring all of this out with noone to help me has been difficult to say the least.  Each warp is another adventure.  Sometimes pleasant, sometimes not so much.  But I will persevere!

Anyway I digress, I just wanted to post a couple more pictures for you.  So here they are.

I was going for a flower in the one below!

This is what is on the loom right now!  Not really sure if I like this one yet.  Might have to do some frogging!