Update on projects.

July 7, 2011

First you see my new lace weight spindle.  I am spinning this commercially prepared cotton roving, (I can't remember where I got it as I have had it for years) and it is indeed turning out to be my best spun cotton to date.  Either I am getting the hang of it or the roving is better, or maybe it is the little spindle.  Maybe all of the above.  But this is what I have for Tour de Fleece right now.  Remember I already finished the wool/silk on the phang last couple of days.

Since I couldn't turn the bands into a poncho as I originally planned, if you remember they were too heavy, I have decided to develop a tote out of them.  I really love the Tibetan bag, also known as Doni Delis bag. The one you see if you click is made of re-purposed commercial fabric.

The first bands I chose just wouldn't come together in a design that Dana (she will be doing the assembly) and I liked.  So I played around with some of the others and came up with something I really liked.  Below you see the piece that will be used for the closure flap and some interior pockets.  This also gives you an idea of the color scheme.  Can't wait to see the end result.  She picked out some batik fabric for the lining that I will get to see in class tonight.  Stay tuned to see the completed bag...soon I hope!

Tonight Dana wants to learn Double weave on the backstrap.  I gotta go wind the warp!  TTYL

KraftyMax's camera tote!

April 5, 2011

Max's tote is as complete as it will be until she receives it.

She wants to install her own magnetic closure and the strap will be put on the camera.  When the bag is closed the camera strap will also serve as a strap for the bag.  I have left it to her as to where she would like to place the dragon flies that Ms Carol did for her also.  Just a few pictures before I pack it up.

Unfortunately it turned out waaaayyyyyy too big.  But that is okay.  It will be used to keep it save when it is on her desk where she creates her beautiful beaded jewelry pieces. ;o}

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.

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.

Camera Tote for KraftyMax!

Monday, Feb 5th, 2011

I have decided to start dating these posts as sometimes they are written way in advance and then posted later.  

Here is a picture of the first part of KraftyMax's Camera tote.  Now for the second band which will comprise the two sides of the bag.  

Then I need to do yet a third for a strap.  But this is the main body of the bag.  Hope you like it.

The colors are so rich and vibrant!  I even used some of the nylon that she sent and it just shimmers.  I think this piece is going to be quite awesome for my mentor and friend.

What's on the Loom????

I have started KraftyMax's camera tote.

The first thing I did was try using the nylon!  What a nightmare!  No give, toooooo slippery and very tangely (is that even a word?).  So even though the colors were beautiful, I can't weave with it.  

So I went to plan B.  She said I love blue and yellow together, purple and green together....So I gathered up all of my purples and greens, blues and yellows and just started warping.  I double and triple stranded throughout, and this is what I got.

The tote will be a cube shape and I will lay them in a t shape, sew them together and maybe add a strap.  Actually Dana will do the construction this time.  Love you Dana.

This piece will be the front, bottom and back sides.  

The side pieces will have the same outter edges as the main body piece, but the center will be double stranded 2 tones of green.