Category: bags

Last Little Bit of Warp

Karen

All the rugs in the set are woven, and there is a little bit of warp left on the loom. Not enough for another rug. Now what? This is where the fun begins! I have some ideas to play out on the loom. End-of-Warp experiments yield fantastic results.

I arrange remaining weft fabric strips into piles of blue, green, red, and yellow/white. Double binding uses a sequence of dark and light wefts. So, I work through the color piles in order, starting with the blues for one pick, and then, going in reverse order, the yellows/whites for the next pick. The result is vertical columns of adjacent blocks that have the color order going in opposite directions, with the reds converging in the middle.

Cushion cover: Off the loom, I fold this attractive rag weave rectangle in half, short sides together, and machine-stitch the two long sides closed. The remaining open end has handwoven bands, from my ever-ready band stash, for tie closures. Voila! With a cushion inserted, I have a new seat cushion for driving the truck. It’s perfect!

Ink and watercolor sketch as part of my new sketchbook practice.

May you use every last bit of your warp.

Happy experimenting,
Karen

Looms Have Personality and Year in Review Video

Karen

How do you keep five floor looms busy? You sit at them, one loom at a time. Each loom has its own personality. Or, just maybe, the personality of the loom is more about how the loom makes me feel when I’m active with the loom to turn threads into cloth.

The 120cm Glimåkra Standard Vertical Countermarch is my Queen of Looms.
Now: Spaced Rep rag rugs. Two more rugs on this warp.
Next: Jämtlandsdräll (Crackle) rag rugs

The 100cm Glimåkra Ideal Horizontal Countermarch is my Workhorse of Looms.
Now: Empty
Next: Pictorial Tapestry (subject matter to be determined)

The 70cm Isenhower Little Horizontal Countermarch is my Princess of Looms.
Now: Pictorial Tapestry sampler. Currently, “Figs and Coffee.”
Next: unknown

The 120cm Glimåkra Standard Horizontal Countermarch with Myrehed Combination Drawloom Attachment is my Gentle Giant of Looms.
Now: Being dressed for cottolin/linen napkins in 6-shaft broken twill
Next: unknown

The 70cm Glimåkra Julia Horizontal Countermarch is my Cinderella of Looms.
Now: Two-block broken twill cottolin/linen placemats
Next: Fabric for a stylish cape, using a vintage sewing pattern

Let’s take a look back to see how these looms showed their personalities in 2022!

What personality does your loom(s) have?

May your heart and soul flourish in the new year.

Happy Weaving New Year,
Karen

Process Review: Small Zippered Bags

Karen

On the Road Again was a special challenge issued to members of the San Antonio Handweavers Guild last fall: Pair up (by random selection) with another guild member. Learn where that individual would like to travel and make a handwoven bag that suits her or his needs. I learned that my On-the-Road-Again partner, Donna, is a world traveler and uses small makeup bags to organize her carry-ons. Likewise, I informed Donna that I like small bags that I can use to hold my travel weaving when Steve and I go camping in our Casita travel trailer. Our guild met last week and we got to unveil our special gifts to each other. I had the smart idea to present the bags nested inside each other. Imagine my surprise when I found that Donna had the same smart idea. What fun!

My contribution for Donna is three small zippered bags, and a linen washcloth to take with her on her travels.

Donna’s thoughtful exchange couldn’t be more perfect – three small zippered bags, and a drawstring bag to hold them all together. I have my band-weaving supplies in the bags, ready for my camping trip with Steve in a few days!

Give away your best as an expression of love.

May you be blessed to give and to receive.

Love,
Karen

Happy New Warp – Year in Review Video

Karen

The 2021 cloth is cut from the loom. Let’s unroll the year to see how it looks. I see cherished moments. Treasured memories. New friendships. Family relationships enjoyed. Mistakes made. A few heartbreaks. Sorrow and rejoicing are intertwined at times. Besides the finished fabric, there are a few odd remnants worth keeping in my heart. And, like most thrums, there are some things I am not going to hold on to.

Cloth beam on the Glimakra Julia. Linen dish cloths.
Final project of 2021. Linen dish cloths, with warp made from what was left on several tubes of linen. Glimåkra Julia, using 8 shafts, 8 treadles.
Glimakra Julia - linen dish cloths!
Good-bye, 2021. Nine linen dish cloths, plus one large blue rectangle at the end. Washing dishes has never looked so good!

Three weaving highlights: 1. Eye of the Beholder—tapestry of my mom. The Lord used the making and finishing of this woven portrait to reiterate His nearness when I needed it most. 2. Siblings, tapestry from the previous year, earned the HGA (Handweavers Guild of America) Award at the Contemporary Handweavers of Texas Conference last summer. 3. The yellow huckaback three-tiered skirt, Tiers of Joy, ought to earn an achievement award. However, the real reward is a genuine sense of accomplishment through perseverance.

Rag rugs up next!
First warp of 2022. Glimåkra Ideal. Double-binding rag rugs coming up. Hooray!

Know when to let go. 2022 is a new warp on the loom. Some things from last year don’t belong. We have a fresh start with no room for complaints. Threads on the loom are rich with hope, ready for the intersection of thoughtful wonder and exploration. Look for results of tangible beauty.

Please enjoy looking back at the weaving journey of 2021 with me. I’m grateful to have you here, and look forward to more good times together!

The three highlights: Process Review: Eye of the Beholder, Siblings Tapestry and Process Video, Process Review: Tiers of Joy!

May you know what to hold, and what to let go.

Happy New Warp (Year),
Karen

Process Review: Rosepath and Butterflies

Karen

I allowed the remaining warp to sit on the loom for a little while after cutting off the Eye of the Beholder tapestry. It crossed my mind to be completely done with it. Go ahead, discard the bit of warp that is left, I told myself. But this is linen. I have a hard time discarding linen.

New tapestry, just cut off the loom.
Cutting off Eye of the Beholder tapestry.

The warp on the loom is threaded in rosepath, with a coarse sett of 3 ends per centimeter (7.5 ends per inch). The potential weaving length is no more than 20-30 centimeters. Then, the “what if” happens. What if…I use leftover butterflies from the tapestry as weft for a short rosepath design? One thing leads to another. Now, I have a new favorite purse. The tapestry memories live on!

Linen warp and wool weft in rosepath.
Stick shuttle works to carry various lengths of wool butterflies across the linen warp.
Tapestry butterflies put to use.
Tapestry butterflies are put to use. (Butterflies accumulate with every tapestry.)
Rosepath garden.
Butterflies in the rosepath garden.
Rosepath with leftover tapestry wool butterflies.
Cutting off beautiful linen and wool rosepath!
Cutting off.
Finishing the ends.
Finishing the ends.
Rosepath and Butterflies Purse.
Rosepath and Butterflies Purse.
Handwoven purse, with lining and pocket.
Inside of purse is lined, with a pocket added, of course.
Handwoven strap made from 12/6 cotton rug warp.
Strap is 4.5cm wide and was woven with 12/6 cotton rug warp on the Glimåkra 2-treadle band loom. I sewed the strap to the bag, keeping the warp edging of the rosepath fabric visible, with the braids at the ends as embellishments.
Rosepath and Butterflies Purse. Handwoven.

May you know when to ask, “What if?”

Be blessed,
Karen