band – Page 6 – Warped for Good

Skinny Inkle Band

May 6, 2016May 5, 2016 Karen

This is the narrowest inkle band I have ever made! With thirteen ends of fine 16/2 cotton, I get a very skinny ribbon. I brought my inkle loom with me to the Texas Woodcarvers Guild Spring Round-Up. This gives me something to do at the “Conversation Table” while Steve attends wood carving classes. Some ladies have their crochet, some have their knitting, and I have my inkle.

Skinny inkle band. — Inkle shuttle holds fine 16/2 cotton weft.

Farm scene relief carving. — Steve making progress with his farm scene relief carving.

The inkle loom is a conversation piece, to be sure. Inquiring people stop to look and ask questions. Many think it looks complicated. “It’s a lot simpler than carving a piece of wood,” I say with a smile.

Skinny inkle band, woven with 16/2 cotton. — Warp is close to the maximum length possible for this inkle loom. Off the loom, the band measures about 2 1/2 yards (2.25 meters).

Dime shows scale of narrow inkle band. — Finished skinny inkle band, with a dime for scale.

Seek the Lord; seek His strength. Walk in the Lord’s strength. When this is your habit, your continual mindset, life’s struggles seem less complicated. Down shed – shuttle – up shed – shuttle. Repeat. Keep going to the end.

May you have the strength you need.

Truly Yours,
Karen

Quiet Friday: Band Loom Warping and Weaving

April 22, 2016April 21, 2016 Karen

My two-treadle Glimåkra band loom is called into action. I don’t have to add hanging tabs for the towels that I am weaving on the Ideal loom. But I want to. A little band weaving here and there, and I will have this special detail ready for the towels when they come off the loom. (Watch me weave on the band loom in the video below.)

How I Warp the Band Loom:

Wind a narrow warp. Tie the lease cross. For a long warp, tie a choke tie about every meter.

Put the end loop of the warp on the warp beam tie-on bar. Insert lease sticks in the cross. Tie the sticks together; or tape them together with masking tape.

Remove tie around lease cross. Hold the warp taut with the left hand while winding on with the right hand. Insert warping slats around the beam the first time around, and then every other time around after that.

Wind on until the beginning of the warp is a few inches in front of the heddles.

Tie or tape the lease sticks to the back beam. Cut the loops at the front end of the warp.

Thread the heddles, alternating between the heddles on the right and on the left.

Hold the warp taut and depress each treadle to check for any crossed threads.

Tie the warp onto the front tie-on bar.

Tighten the tension; wind your shuttle; and weave to your heart’s content! (A short cardboard quill can be used as a shuttle.)

May you go the extra mile to add special little details.

Happy band weaving,
Karen

Almost Forgot the Hanging Tabs

January 26, 2016January 25, 2016 Karen

My band loom has been sitting idle for months with a partially-woven warp. As soon as I cut the black and white towels from the loom it occurred to me that I had not yet woven their hanging tabs. I am eager to put on a new black and white band warp to weave these towel loops; but first, I must weave off the existing band. (You originally saw this band in Weave the Portable Way.)

Glimakra two-treadle band loom. — Two treadles are used for changing the shed on this Glimåkra Band Loom. It takes practice to coordinate the actions of both hands and feet. What was awkward to learn becomes second nature through repetition.

Glimakra band loom with completed band. — This band is complete. It will go in the box I call my “band stash.” When I need a strap, ribbon, or trim for anything, I look in my band stash box to see what I can find.

What had been sitting for months is finished in a day. And the black and white warp is on the loom before day’s end. What made the difference? Why is it suddenly easy to finish something that had been lagging for months? One word. Decision. (Some of the towels on which these hanging tabs will adorn are in Quiet Friday: Thick and Thin and in Even Better After.)

Starting black and white band on band loom. — Starting the black and white band.

Simple narrow band for hanging tabs on handwoven towels. — Simple narrow band is made to coordinate with black and white handwoven towels. As with the towels, this is cottolin warp and weft.

Woven band for hanging tabs on handwoven black and white towels. Karen Isenhower — With enough woven to make hanging tabs for ten handtowels, the warp is cut and secured. The remainder of the warp will be woven off and added to the “band stash” box.

All our important actions derive from purposeful decisions. And my best decisions shape the course of my life in a positive way. You can choose the direction you travel. When you choose to walk the path of virtue, the path before you becomes more and more clear. Finding the motivation to do the right thing often comes down to making a firm decision. As a result, we are able to remove the old, and move on to weaving today’s important task.

May you make great decisions.

Motivated,
Karen

Weave the Portable Way

October 16, 2015October 15, 2015 Karen

What do you do when you are away from your looms for a week? Portable weaving, of course. I thought about bringing my band loom, but fitting the band loom in the car turned out to be more of a hassle than it is worth. So the band loom stayed home.

Glimakra band loom with cottolin warp. — Band loom stays home.

I have my inkle loom with me instead, as well as my small tapestry frame. Steve is taking a woodcarving class from Dylan Goodson this week at the Texas Woodcarvers Guild Seminar; and while he is in class I am keeping my hands busy with portable weaving.

Woodcarving class by Dylan Goodson. — Steve beginning to shape his relief carving, following the finished example by his instructor, Dylan Goodson.

Linen inkle band. — First inkle band of the week is linen.

Cottolin inkle band warp. — Cottolin warp for the second narrow inkle band.

Cottolin inkle band. — Second inkle band almost finished.

Small tapestry on portable frame loom. — Start of a small tapestry of a little girl, derived from a picture in a children’s book.

Cottolin inkle band. Karen Isenhower — Time to put on one more inkle warp!

Woodcarver doing relief carving. — Adding more details to the relief carving. Good carving takes time and patience. Like weaving.

May you enjoy passing the time away.

Happy portable weaving,
Karen

Quiet Friday: Custom Lining for a Handwoven Bag

September 25, 2015September 24, 2015 Karen

Every good bag deserves a good lining, with pockets inside and a zipper on top. This handwoven rag rug bag is no exception. The lining fabric is some of the same fabric that is woven in the bag. The polka dot pocket fabric is a cheery piece from a visit to The Philippines. The completed zippered tote is a perfect fit for my small tapestry frame, and goes with me when I travel. Quiet Friday: Weave a Bag with Handles shows how I made the bag.

How to Add a Custom Zippered Lining to a Bag

Tools

Sewing machine
Zipper foot
Walking foot (recommended, but not required)
Steam iron
Straight pins
Tool for pushing out corners
Needle and sewing thread
Disappearing ink fabric marker
Fabric scissors

Supplies

Fabric for lining. Lay bag on top of folded lining fabric, with bottom of bag aligned with the fold of the lining fabric. Cut the folded fabric a generous 1 1/2″ wider and 1 1/2″ taller than the bag.
Fabric for pocket. Mark two pieces of fabric (or use a folded piece of fabric) the desired pocket size. Add 1/4″ seam allowance. Cut along the marked lines. Stitch, right sides together, leaving an opening for turning. Turn right side out, pushing out corners. Press. Topstitch all four sides.
Fabric for zipper insert pieces. Cut two pieces of fabric 4 1/2″ wide by the length of the zipper plus 1″.
Tabs for ends of zipper tape. Cut from handwoven band or piece of fabric with sides folded under.
Zipper. Regular, non-separating zipper, as long as, or longer than, bag opening

Steps

Sew bottom three sides of pocket onto lining fabric. Stitch a dividing line on pocket.
Stitch sides of lining, right sides together. Fold and stitch box corners.
With lining seated in bag, fold down top edge of lining, so that folded edge fits just inside top edge of bag. Pin folded edge of lining and remove from bag. Set aside.
Bar tack top ends of zipper tape together. Bar tack over end of desired zipper length. Cut off excess. Cut a tab from a woven band, or from fabric with sides folded in, to fold over each end of zipper tape. Use zipper foot to stitch tabs over zipper tape ends.
For zipper insert, cut two pieces of complementary fabric 4 1/2″ wide by the length of the zipper, plus 1″.
Fold each zipper insert piece lengthwise in half, right sides together. Draw stitching line that matches length of zipper.
Stitch both short ends of zipper insert pieces. Clip corners and trim seams.
Turn zipper insert pieces right side out. Push corners out. Press.
Pin folded edge of zipper insert fabric to right side of zipper tape, centered lengthwise, 1/8″ away from zipper teeth. Open zipper partway. With zipper foot, starting at top end of zipper, topstitch close to folded edge. After stitching a third of the way, with needle down, close zipper, and then continue topstitching to bottom of zipper. Repeat for other side of zipper insert. Press.
With zipper opened, and zipper tab down (picture shows zipper tab up, after having pinned both sides), center and pin one side of zipper insert under one side of folded top edge of lining, so that lining overlaps insert 1/2″. Repeat with other side of zipper insert and lining.
Insert lining into bag, matching side seams and mid points on bag and lining, with top folded edge of lining 1/4″ below top edge of bag. (Edge of zipper insert is sandwiched between lining fold and bag.) Make sure bag handles are up and out of the way of stitching. From inside of bag, use walking foot to stitch 1/8″ from lining fold, all the way around top of lining, keeping zipper insert up and out of the way of stitching. (Walking foot helps ensure even feed of fabric layers.)
Fold zipper inserts down into bag. Press. Stitch across zipper inserts 1/2″ below top of lining on inside of bag. Press again.

Give your new bag a special purpose.

May your lining on the inside be as attractive as your handbag on the outside.

Happy Creating,
Karen