One more Envelope pouch!

 July 10, 2011

Today I finished up my favorite of all time long band.  I made it into a wonderful envelope pouch.  Selfish as it is I am keeping this one for myself.  It is actually the largest so far and can be carried as a small purse.

It is made with cotton and silk.  The strap is removable if I need to also.  

It just has a string tie.  I couldn't find a button I thought would do it justice.  So I decided to let the bag speak for itself.

This is the last one for a while.  I am all out of bands that are suitable for making any more.  I am very happy to have found a purpose for all of the bands that started out intended for the failed poncho project.

Dana came by to show me the progress on my 'purse' that we are doing together.  It is going to be so awesome.  It makes me very sad to move away from her.  I have so loved having a 'like-minded' friend who understands my passion for the weaving/fiber arts.  Instead of always having to explain what I am doing, or watching someone's eyes glaze over as they pretend to be interested.

Dana you are the best.

I've been a very busy little girl!

July 5, 2011

I sat down and made 6 envelope pouch's out of my warp face bands, some were done on a Gilmore Wave, some on a backstrap.  I am ahead of the game when I need to give a gift!

This is the first batch.  the black and white one is my first pebble weave piece.  It was done on a backstrap using a circular warp and is on it's way to Las Vegas, Nevada to my daughter for a birthday gift.

The teal and brown piece was my first 'simple warp float' piece on the backstrap...I disliked this piece from the start, but my friend Carol wanted it.  Yesterday she said to me "I think I will make a pouch out of this for my cell phone accessories."  My response? "Well, I just happen to be getting out my sewing machine this evening anyway, so allow me."  I love the end result.  I especially like the buttons.  My friend Dana's fella sliced a tree limb for me and drilled holes to make them into buttons.  Very rustic, I sanded them a little and orange oiled them for good measure.  I like the way the orange oil made the wood grain show up more.  

The warp teal and bridal white piece with the Greek Key design, I am keeping for myself.  I absolutely love it!  My sewing skills are coming right along.  Thanks you Dana, for encouraging me to sew.

I really gotta work on getting my signature hearts to be right side up. :-(

The little red and white one works great for female...well you know...stuff!  It was the first successful double weft double weave.  The other two, they both started out as double weave.  I still hadn't yet gotten the hang of it yet and when I failed, I simply plain wove the double stranded warp.  It was a way to keep from throwing out the warp, and I think they even made pretty good little pouch's!

Just about the right size for important papers, or make up in your purse.  These three don't have homes yet, but will probably be gifted out to some of the folks who help me with my coming move.  shhhhhh!

And then I plied the wool/silk roving.
For "Tour de Fleece".

Dana is making a scarf out of her own hand spun wool and this isn't really enough for me to do anything with, so I gifted it to her to trim out the scarf with.  Or whatever else she can come up with.

Dana and Marsha's collaboration! A messenger bag!

July 17, 2011

My handwoven bands, Doni Delis bag/Tibetan bag as a starting point...Dana's choice of batik fabric and wonderful sewing skills.  I am going to be so proud to carry this wherever I go. 

It goes over one shoulder and hangs in the front of me.  The blue and yellow you see on the inside is another one of my weavings.  It is partitioned into pockets, glasses, sunglasses, cellphone and ink pen slot.  It measures 14 in. wide and 10 in. deep.  I chose the brass zipper and the little woman that you see on the inside of the strap is also a pocket, my keys will probably end up in there.

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.

Pink perle and silver silk warp.

April 11, 2011 Monday

Dana stopped in yesterday with the #3 100% mercerized cotton crochet thread that I will be using for a guitar strap she has commissioned.  

Her little nephew has taken up guitar, and his birthday, along with a talent show will be in May.  He is only, or will be 7 yrs. old.  So the length of the strap that came on the guitar's maximum is 48 in.  The width is 2 in.  This means that it has to be a little longer, actually quite a bit longer, than the strap I made for KraftyMax's camera.  The width and thread count will be the same though.   I will do a 40 thread wide and 6 to 7 ft. long warp for the strap.

He is into flames, so I will do his name and try for some flames in double weave.  Because he likes flames, I will be using orange, yellow, red and black for trim.  His favorite color is orange, so that is what one side will be.  The other side will have vertical stripes of color that will show inside the design factors on the front/orange side.  I really loved how Max's strap turned out and I learned a few things  during the process of weaving it.  I think this one will turn out equally as well.

In the meantime...for about the last week, I have been trying to do something with my pink/gray project.  Next time I won't do quite as many color changes in the striping...that, along with the sheen of the silk, is giving me design factor issues.  Nothing seems to 'pop' the way I thought it would.  As a result I have been doing an awful lot of 'pondering' the piece and even more un-weaving.  LOL  Haven't gotten very far, but here are some pictures.  

The warp is really pretty, I just wish that the camera picked it up better.

There is a set of hearts, 3 in fact, small, large and small again, below this geometric design.  I have tried so many designs that didn't work.

It is a 7ft. long warp, 74 heddles/threads per shed = 148 thread count total.  It is 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 in wide and has a 50 thread pattern area.

Notice that each horizontal stripe has 3 color changes...this gives 6 colors to the design area...VERY busy to the eye.  I won't do it this way again.  I also only have 50 threads wide for the design area, which is making it even more difficult.  I am used to a much larger pallet. This band will be added to the poncho project.  

After the guitar strap I have to do a pebble weave (my 1st attempt) hat band for Mr. cphilip, then I need to do a purple piece for the poncho.  It seems that since I do so much purple for so many other people, I don't think to do purple for myself.  I get kind of tired of it at times.  ;o]

My 1st weaving commission!

Friday, April 1, 2011 APRIL FOOLS DAY

I had a pleasant surprise today!  I got a phone call from my friend Dana to do a commission guitar strap for her nephew's birthday.  Now I have to admit he is only going to be 7 years old...but a commission is a commission. 

She told me his name and that he likes flames...so I will probably do double weave.  As a matter of fact my favorite yarn, #3 mercerized cotton crochet thread in the appropriate colors has already been ordered and will be sent via USPS.  I am going to use orange, yellow and red.

He already has a 'cheap' strap so we have the measurements at hand and Aunt Dana said she will design the hardware/fasteners herself.  I have to have it done by May 10th in time for a talent show.  Woohooooo!!!

Doing what I am passionate about and getting paid.  What more can a body ask?

Another failed double weave warp!

March 27, 2011

I have a goal.  It is to do warp weave pick ups with a solid background.  OF course there are MANY ways and techniques to achieve, one of which is double weave.

I find double weave a bit tedious.  It makes a reversible band that is double thick.  I have a hard time seeing #10 threads and the #3 is heavier than I would like...I haven't quite figured out some of the other techniques.  Some I have even disregarded due to the intricate warping process.  I just haven't quite figured out which technique will meet my needs without stressing/taxing me.  In other words will satisfy my weaving creativity without thoroughly aggravating me.

Keep in mind that I want to be able to do my own designs also, narrowing the field even further.  So in my question to meet this goal, I have discovered that peyote bead weaving designs/charts are kind of like basket weave.  As is double weave charts.  

Thus, I am working on applying the peyote pattern to a double weave piece.  I have it figured out, but unfortunately when I warped up this time I chose a sticky/hairy cotton.  Mistake #1.  I also figured out that the chart will make a reverse image.  No problem, as the reverse is on the under side of a double weave.  Then I figured out that I had to read left to right, then right to left in the written verbiage as peyote bead work is flipped over every other row.  Then I realized that to make a 32 bead wide pattern, I don't need 32 warp revolutions...Mistake #2...I only needed 16.  This means I need to double my counts.

Lots of converting, icky warp.  SOOOOO, I decided not to fight with it.  I cut off the VERY small portion of double weave and decided to finish it in plain weave so as not to waste the cotton 4 ft. warp.  By time I retied to the cloth beam I knew the warp was at least 18 in. shorter.  So as I was weaving I was also thinking...what can I do with this band.

Here is what I came up with.  A back scrubber.

I actually needed one as quite some time ago my daughter re-claimed hers.  I like it and it was easy peasy.  And even better, I didn't waste the warp.  I hate waste.  Check it out.

2nd Attempt at one weft double weave.

#10 Mercerized cotton ‘Espresso’

#10 Copper mist

#3 Gold metallic

#3 Silver metallic

This is another attempt at one weft double weave. There will be a design, but as of now I am not sure what it will be. Wish me luck.

First we wind the warp!

Then we wind it onto the loom!

Getting ready to thread the heddles.

Getting started with the actual weaving.  Notice how we have copper with silver on one layer and Espresso with gold on the other layer.

 

Had some trouble with the warp, so I had to cut off the beginning, re-establish the cross, re-thread the heddles, re-tie onto the front beam and start over.  I thought you might like to see the little samples.

UPDATE:    

As for this weave along, I am stepping away from my current project. It is on the largest wave loom (borrowed from my friend in Jacksonville, who’s parents own Gilmore Looms), and I am not sure that my living situation, as in where I weave, is conducive to this larger one. I just can’t get comfortable with it.

However, that is just the tip of the iceberg.  What is really happening is that this #10 I am using is simply too hard to see for doing a design. At the moment I can’t seem to find a reason to torture myself with continuing. After, what? 5 days or more, I have woven and unwoven so many times that I am still in the 1st 2 inches of the weave. ;-( Also, I can’t for the life of me imagine what I would do with another long thin band, as this warp is 11 foot long.


So I am going to sit this one aside, my frustration level is just toooooooo much. I will think of another project and put it on my mini, using number 3 like I did with the black, white and red piece I completed earlier in this WAL.


So for now I will be lurking for a while, thinking, thinking, thinking. I might try warp floats galore from Laverne's blog/tutorials!  Maybe I will draw for a while.

Dana's Cell Phone pouch!

Not only is the cell phone pouch completely assembled, but lined as well.  I can't believe that she just happened to have batik fabric that matched it so well.  I feel like I learn as much or more from her as she does from me in the tapestry workshop...I think it is very cute!

This is the front side.

This is the back side.

Here I just thought that you might like to see how great the fabric matched!

I guess I am going to have to start inverting some of my design work.  That way when folded it will not be upside down like the backs of my pieces are at this point.

Gotta say though, that is the only thing I don't like about them.  Yep, I am just a leeeeeetle bit proud!

Nice work Dana, we make a good team! ;-}

Keep watching I am almost done with my double weave piece.

Just a little update!

So here we go with an update!  There are weavings that I couldn't show before Christmas because certain people were not supposed to see them.  There are also pics of yarn gifting.  Just scroll down and you will get the picture.

First, it's Wiggles, ever watchful and eternally cute!

This is the largest Gilmore Wave loom that I borrowed from KraftyMax.  Here you see it with my roommate's Christmas present on it.  She wanted a band to hang pictures of her dogs!  This one was verrrrrry long.

Here we have the first panel for a '1 skein project bag' for my weave workshop buddy.  I will make 5 of these panels, 4 for the body and 1 for the flap.  Each will be different and she wants it to open on the long side.  We decided mutually that she will assemble it so it is the way she wants it.  She is a graduate of Florida State University is how I decided on garnet with a little bit of gold.  I will post completed pics when it is indeed complete.

Now for the Christmas presents of yarn!  Here we have #10 Bamboo crochet thread.

I also received alot of cotton.  Here you see # 3 mercerized cotton crochet thread!  Lots of yummy colors.

Here we have a combination of #10 mercerized cotton crochet thread along with the #3's.  These are the best yarns for warpface weaving.  I don't have it in me to fight with hairy yarns that stick to each other and make the weaving ALOT less than enjoyable.

 

I think I am set for yarn for a little while!  I am soooooo looking forward to weaving just for the fun of it and experimenting with some new techniques.

Now for the best ever!  Here you see Crystal Pistal's custom made cotton warpface scarf.  She wanted it long and since she is in FL cotton works fabulously!  


She loves hearts and I threw in the X's and O's.  If you look close enough you might be able to see that one of the X's is made up of little x's and o's!  You might also notice that the design is only on one side!  Plain stripes on the other.  You can read more about how I discovered how to do this here!  It is my absolute best piece yet and she LOVED it!

I, unfortunately didn't take pictures of all of my completed pictures.  Somehow I simply forgot to do it. ;-{  But I am told that everything reached everyone on time and all of my family loved their gifts.  Seems to big talk was how much my weaving has changed and improved.  Merry Christmas to me.


I hope that you and yours had a lovely holiday!  Me I am actually just glad it has come and gone.  Lots of fun...lots of work and stress.  


NOW ON TO THE NEW YEAR!

Creative glitches...hate 'em!!!

Well here it is December 21st...I only have 2 small things left to weave, everything else is packaged and out the door.  Seems, as usual, that I have been thinking about Christmas for months.  Oh yeah...thaaaats right I have.  Takes a pretty long time to do all of these gifts by hand.  Not a single thing was bought for my Christmas, except the yarn to produce the pieces of course.

Just a little bit of update...since I haven't posted in over a week.

Carol went to Jacksonville about a week and a half ago...got broke down.  So I have been on my own for ten days (makes for alot of conversations with my dogs) LOL.  At that point I guess I decided mentally to take a break for all of the hub ub about Christmas.  At that point the GLITCH set in.  I should never have stopped long enough to take that breath, because since then I couldn't seem to weave anything...until yesterday. 

I want to make a cell phone pouch, (she just got a new Droid) and a one skein project bag ( she says she needs a 'small' project bag) for my weave workshop student, Dana.  So I warped up after looking at empty looms for a week...double threaded (meaning two threads in each heddle) and 75 warp ends.  On another project, which must remain a mystery due to the holiday thing, this became exactly 4 in wide.  Keep in mind alot of my yarns do not have tags on the cones.  So I have no way, most of the time, to know what size my thread is.  I think one of the ones I am currently looking at on the loom is a 20.  Very fine!  Much finer that I would choose.  Thus I only got 3 in. on this project, instead of the 4 in. I got on the other project that I warped the same way.  Bummer.  Droid won't fit in a 3 in. wide pouch, especially after the sides are stitched up.

So ALL I could do was stare at it and rethink my ideas.

SOOOOOOOOOO I loaned her one of my own pouches for her phone while I figure out what to do.  Then I warped up the small tapestry loom and thought I would make her a bag of each technique.  A weftface phone pouch and a warpface project bag.  Even though I would use my own homespun for the tapestry bag.  Turns out the roving is prettier than the yarn it produces.  First time that ever happened...not feeling the tapestry weave (weftface).  So I benched that one too.

After several days I thought that since I need to piece the warpface together to produce something larger...because it is too narrow as it stands... I would make her one project bag in panels.  Each panel will be different.  Dana only wants it to be about 6 to 8 in. wide and 12 in. long.  I figure I need at least 6, 12 in. x 3 in. wide panels.  Once they are sewn together that will produce a bag the size I need. She wants the long side to be the one that opens so we even discussed her sewing the bag together herself so that she gets exactly what she wants.

She is a huge Florida Seminoles fan as she went to college in Tallahassee, FL.  She also likes jewel tones.  I had her some over and we chose garnet and kind of a coral with gold trim.  Unfortunately the coral looks much pinker next to the garnet...hope she still likes it.  This project is definitely challenging me. 

I completed the first 12 in. band yesterday.  I did the 3d effect and it is stunning.  I think this is going to work.

I was also loaned the largest of the Gilmore Wave looms.  There is a picture of it here on the blog, it is the loom with the blue/purple warp on it.  Mine is the smaller Mini loom by the same company.  This way I can do a few larger pieces of warpface before I return it to my friend KraftyMax whose parents own Gilmore Looms.

Since we have no art stores here in Moultrie I asked Ms. Carol to also visit Joann's ETC. (much larger than a normal Joann Fabric store) in Jacksonville, FL.  I have a hard time finding mercerized cotton here so I had her spend about $40.00 there for me.  Lots of new colors to play with now.  After I complete my last 2 Christmas projects of course!  I promised Carol 2 red, white, and blue inkle bands to hang her dogs' pictures with.  She has these cut out mat boards that spell their names and the boards are red/white and blue.  Behind each letter she can place a picture of the appropriate dog, cute.  Piece of cake. 

Then I want to concentrate on trying double weave...or at least somehow figure out how to have a solid background on my warpface lifts.  No stripes or specs...it is possible that double weave is the only way to achieve this - that I have been able to understand anyway.  Remember all of the info I get is via books and internet.  The only weaving instructor around is me.  Also keep in mind that my loom is just as much table loom as inkle loom.  Not all inkle information works exactly the same way with a cloth and warp beam on the loom.  Lots of translating going on.

So No all I have to do is post pictures of these various activities.  Most of those will be posted through out the up-coming days...I realize that reading my blog is not of the UTMOST importance during the holidays.  So I will only post occasionally during the next couple of weeks.  Things will go back more to the norm after the New Year.

Hope you and yours are happy and enjoying the holidays to the fullest and in the safest ways possible. 

What's on the Loom????

I am soooooo proud!  Wait till you see what I did.  Today is Thursday, Nov. 18th.  For six hours today I measured a warp and mounted it on the Gilmore Mini Wave.  I did 9 1/2 feet and all 100 threads wide.  That means 100 threads in each of the two sheds.  I MAXED out the loom.  The piece is going to be horizontal stripe pick up technique and I had to do a little yarn husbanding.  I really wanted to try doing a piece entirely in #3 cotton crochet thread, but the cones are so small I had to supplement and place some #10 in two shades of red in the center of the warp.  I warped with a double cross the way I learned to do it on Laverne Waddington's blog.

The colors have a beautiful sheen and it is just so pretty I had to share.  So far I have only woven 30 passes to set the weave.  I will have an 80 thread wide area for pattern.  The colors are #3 natural, #3 copper, #3 coffee, #10 red, #10 burgundy.  I wasn't sure I would like it being so many colors but it is AWESOME!  I also seem to have my tension well under control at this point.  Woohoo!!!!!

Here are some pictures!  I am so excited I can't even decide on a pattern yet.........

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.