Category: rugs

Sing with Me

Karen

When you finish weaving a rug, you are not quite finished. It is exciting to cut it off the loom, but the new handwoven rug isn’t ready for use until you do something to secure the cut ends.

warp rep rug hem
Trimmed, folded, and pressed hems are stitched securely, and then pressed again, making a tidy, completely flat finished edge.

I stitched the hems on this rug with my trusty old Bernina, making this a rug that will last. Music is like that–it helps us stitch down important thoughts. Putting words to music makes the words last. A song preserves meaningful ideas the same way stitching secures this carefully prepared hem.

You probably have a melody in your own heart just waiting to be heard. Maybe you have an old childhood song or hymn from the past (pause right now and take a moment to remember…), or maybe it’s a song you just made up for the fun of it. Either way, let those stitched-down words come to life with singing! (Sometimes news of current events is hard to bear. It’s in times like these that we need the continuity of a true song more than ever.)

May your heart find its song today.

Neon Green Measuring Ribbon

Karen

Halfway there. Okay, is that good news (wow, already halfway there…) or discouraging news (ugh, only halfway there…)?  Where we are on the journey is important, but what matters even more is our outlook along the way.

Ribbon measures advancing warp
Measuring ribbon is pinned into place and re-pinned each time warp is advanced.

I like to mark the mid point on my measuring ribbon. The ribbon for this piece measures 72 inches, so I’m halfway at this mark. (As you can see, I’m not into boring white ribbons.) I don’t stop at the mid point, though, it’s just a marker along the way. Is there a good way to measure how far we’ve come in personal growth in our lives?

How am I doing with forgiveness? That may seem an odd ribbon to measure with, but it’s an outlook that can shape the way we live. Forgiveness means being quick to let people have do-overs. Remember when so-and-so wronged you? Forgiveness means you don’t stay in the remembering. You keep going, keep weaving, and stay on track to finish your journey well. Forgiveness is your choice.

May you find clouds disappear as you forgive someone today.

Hidden Strength

Karen

There are some things people don’t know about me. In fact, there are some things I don’t know about myself. Is that true about you, too? When we come unraveled a bit we find out what’s in the hidden places in our hearts.

warp rep rug selvedges
Alternating thick and thin wefts are covered by 2,760 warp threads. View is from the side to show turned weft threads at the edge.

The weft in this warp rep rug is mostly hidden in between the warp threads, and is only revealed at the selvedges. If we think of our hearts as a weaving like this, we could say the selvedges are the parts we let others see. But the hidden part of this weft is the part that makes the cloth strong enough to be a rug. A rug that will be walked on!

There’s a sense of security in knowing that someone bigger than myself sees what is hidden in the fabric of my life. When I do come unraveled, My creator takes those inner threads and weaves them perfectly back into place.

May your hidden beauty be your strength today.

Safely hidden,

Karen