Tag: band loom

Is Wet Finishing Really Necessary?

Karen

Oh, how I wish you could feel these hand towels! They are soft. When I take a run of towels off the loom, I first cut them apart and serge the ends; and then I throw them in the washer and dryer for wet finishing. This cottolin and linen fabric went in stiff and scratchy… (Click HERE to see how it looked before wet finishing.) But after the rigor of agitation, spinning, and heat, the towels are perfectly soft and absorbent! Our own hearts can be stiff and scratchy, and not very soft, can’t they?

Handwoven towels in classic M's and O's weave structure. Soft and durable. Tabs are linen, woven on band loom.
Cottolin warp and weft, with some 6/1 tow linen weft stripes. These durable hand towels will stand the test of time, getting softer and softer with use. I wove the hanging tabs, 100% linen, on my band loom.

It’s hard to admit I need help sometimes, because I would rather think I am good enough to make it on my own. Admitting need is a first step toward a softened heart. Maybe a little turmoil in life is like being thrown in the washer and dryer–we come out softer because we realize how needy we are.

Classic towels almost too pretty to be used; but oh, they must be used!
Soft and pliable towels, neatly folded. Almost too pretty to use; but oh, they must be used to be truly appreciated.

My purpose for these towels is to use them as towels (or, more specifically, for gift recipients to use them). The towels became useful when they became soft and pliable. That’s how I want to be in the master weaver’s hands. How about you?

May you receive delightful gifts that are soft to the touch.

Softly and tenderly,
Karen

Always in Reach

Karen

A long strap on this thread cutter enables me to wear it around my neck. I used a long inkle band for the strap and a short narrow woven band for a connecting loop. This makes the thread cutter very handy; it is always in reach. I can’t drop it or misplace it.

Inkle and band loom woven bands put to use as strap for thread cutter.
Inkle band, woven with variegated crochet cotton thread. Narrow band woven on band loom forms the connecting loop.

Today I’m thinking about what it takes to be truly satisfied. If I am thirsty, a drink of water will satisfy me. But do I pay attention to the thirst that is deeper within? Inner thirst is satisfied with living water. Our creator is the source of living water and invites us to drink freely. Available, near by, accessible.

May you enjoy a nice, cool drink of refreshing water.

Satisfied,
Karen

A Different Kind of Band Music

Karen

The musician in me sees this band loom as another stringed instrument! My left hand passes the shuttle back and forth. My feet change the sheds by stepping on the treadles. My right hand beats in the weft with the band knife. Pass—Tug—Step— whack-Whack. One—Two—Three— and-Four. The two treadles operate with a simple pulley system, so they are always in sync with each other, keeping this instrument moving. Like the treadles, grace and peace are two elements that operate together to create harmony in our lives.

Colorful band woven on two-treadle band loom.
Doubled thick threads make a raised pink dot down the center of the band. Variegated threads combined with solid colors create a gradually changing color palette in the background threads.

We all long for grace and peace, don’t we? Grace, meaning forgiveness when we mess up; and peace, meaning freedom from anxiety. Why, then, do we avoid grace, thinking we should just try harder not to mess up? And we attempt to create peace by filling our longing with things that will not satisfy.

When grace and peace from our creator have their place in our lives, we experience the sweet harmony of the soul. Satisfied, with his grace and peace wrapped around us like an exquisite shawl, we stand ready for the music of the day.

May grace and peace from our creator envelop you.

Making music,
Karen

This Is What Makes You Beautiful

Karen

A piece of woven sampling becomes a purse. I started creating this little purse months ago, but got frustrated in my design-as-you-go process and put it back in the box.

Twill pattern cottolin towel warp
Sampling at the beginning of the warp, trying out different weft colors and treadling patterns. Most of this warp was made into kitchen towels.

Determined to find solutions, last week I brought the unfinished project back out. After redesigning, ripping out, adding, and sewing… Voila! A finished purse! Finding wisdom is like searching for a solution to something you feel like giving up on. When you press through with determination, though, breakthrough comes.

Handwoven purse being created
Trying out options for adding a zipper inside the purse. Also adding a strap I wove on the band loom.

Beauty is only skin deep. Really? If it is only surface, do you still call it beauty? The outside of a person makes a first impression, but it is the inner person that leaves a lasting impact. What good is a purse that is nice only on the outside? A great purse should make you say, ooh, ahh… when you peer inside.

Inside of handwoven bag
Lined, inner divider with complimentary fabrics, zipper with braided zipper pull, and matching woven strap finishes the bag.

Wisdom that guides everyday decisions creates beauty inside and out. Wisdom must be sought out. Like digging for buried treasure, it is worth the struggle. Wisdom brings extraordinary value to your thoughts, words, and actions; and then presents you as the beauty you were created to be.

Handwoven cottolin purse
One-of-a-kind small handwoven bag, woven and designed with gentle persistence. Handwoven Fabric: Cotton/Linen blend; Lining: Cotton

May wisdom guide all your decisions.

Searching for buried treasure,
Karen

How to Fix a Listening Problem

Karen

I maneuver this tiny band loom shuttle entirely with my left hand. Winding the shuttle properly is essential. If the thread is not wound tightly, loops of thread start slipping off the ends of the shuttle, which messes up everything. Good listening is like a well-wound shuttle, and is essential for the health of any relationship. Even when we want to listen better, it’s easy to fall into bad habits.

Glimakra Band Loom with hand-carved shuttle
Three sizes of linen thread are combined to weave a simple band on the band loom. Shuttle, hand-carved by my husband, is modeled after an old Swedish band loom shuttle.

Mrs. Isenhower, your son does not have a hearing problem, the audiologist informed me. Apparently, what he has is a listening problem. Ha ha! That seems funny now, years later. When it comes to listening, though, eight-year-old boys aren’t the only ones with a problem. My own viewpoint often stands in the way of hearing another. And in defense mode, I miss what another person says entirely.

If I listen with a humble heart, I am more interested in what you have to say than I am in my own opinions. Humility prepares the heart before a conversation, like carefully preparing that shuttle for the band loom, and smooths the way to truly hear.

May you hear something new as you practice listening today.

Learning to listen,
Karen