Custom Handwoven Curtains and Process Video

When we renovated our master bathroom last year, I told Steve I would look for some curtains to hang on the windows that would complement the room. He said, “Why don’t you make some handwoven curtains?” So, I did.

We are using white Swedish lace curtains as temporary window coverings. I made these curtains for different sized windows of our previous home. The panels are folded over simple tension rods in the windows.

This is a beautiful way to close out the year. New handwoven curtains custom-made for these windows! 24/2 cotton warp and weft, with 16/2 cotton accent stripes. M’s and O’s in four shafts. I wish I had counted how many quills I wound. It seems like thousands. Steve did a rough calculation of how many times I stretched my arms a very wide stretch to send the shuttle back and forth. Something like 7,000+ times.

I have designed a distinct geometric pattern with uneven stripes to fit the style of our renovated master bathroom.
I am leaving the curtains unpressed, except for hems, to accentuate the interesting texture in the cloth from the M’s and O’s structure.

I hope you are getting ready for Christmas like we are. Christmas reminds me that there is a bigger story than my twelve-month curtains. I get immersed in a project and look ahead to the joy of seeing it come off the loom. The Christmas story is that God’s Son Jesus Christ humbled Himself to come to us as a baby, to grow into a man who would give His life away. Jesus was looking ahead to the joy of seeing us come into harmony with God. Merry Christ-mas to all.

Here is a short slide show video of the process of weaving these curtains, from start to finish. Enjoy!

God’s blessings to you,
Karen

The lyrics to the background music in the video:

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
by Charles Wesley (1744)

1. Come, Thou long expected Jesus,
born to set Thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth Thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

2. Born Thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine own eternal Spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by Thine all-sufficient merit,
raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Seasonal Weaving

The last few months have been a season for me to put my focus on writing a book about prayer. This has been a season of less weaving than usual. Still, I find a way to get to the looms–a little here, a little there. It adds up. The nice thing about handweaving is that you have something to show for your efforts. Every little weft thread counts. Every day is a gift from the Lord, and every season is an opportunity to acknowledge Him. Thank you, Lord, for every season!

Here’s what I’ve been up to in this weaving season:

Eight different weft colors for this goose-eye twill. 7/2 Brage Wool.
Cloth beam filling up.
Standing back and enjoying the colors.
Roadrunner on the drawloom. Cottolin and linen. Six ground shafts.
Beginning the top half of the roadrunner pattern. Chart hangs for handy reference as I move up the chart, row by row.
Roadrunner complete. Next chart to design is the Texas Longhorn. And three more critters after that.
Curtain fabric, 24/2 cotton M’s and O’s.
Cloth beam filling up.
Take a step back and enjoy the process.

Happy Weaving, Karen

New Wash Cloths Out of Handwoven Remnant

My looms are all occupied, so it will be a while before I can weave some new wash cloths. In the meantime, I am making “new” wash cloths to replace the ones that we have used so much that we’ve worn holes in them. The pictures tell the rest of the story.

Linen wash cloths have been well loved and well used. Evidently, it is past time to make replacements. These will go in my remnants box and one day I’ll find a use for the parts that haven’t frayed.
Cotton warp, linen weft. This two-block twill was one of the first projects I ever wove on my beloved Glimåkra Standard first floor loom. I designed this fabric to make a Roman shade for our previous home. Parts of it are faded, but it is still beautiful, useable fabric. Perfect for a set of “new” washcloths.
For simplicity, I am using another washcloth to measure the size to cut for the “new” washcloths.
Cutting to size, taking into account seams on all four sides.
I probably should have pressed before cutting, but I didn’t think of it until now. The long narrow woven band was used for the pull cord on the Roman shades in our previous home. Perfect to pair with these washcloths for the hanging tabs.
First step for the mitered corners is to fold in the corner twice, and pin into place.
Second step for the mitered corners is to fold in the side hems twice and use quilters clips to hold in place.
Approximately 4 inches for each hanging tab. I zigzag the ends and then cut them apart.
Then I plan where the hanging tabs will go, testing how the cloth will hang.
Clip the hanging tabs into place.
Stitch the seams. At the mitered corner, I would like to have about four hands as I remove clips and hold things in place while I walk the presser foot around the corner. Whew!
Nearly perfect! Nobody needs to know these are secondhand Roman-shade wash cloths.
The new wash cloths are right at home between the other handwoven goods hanging on the bathroom wall.

Happy Weaving!

Karen

Why I Always Put on Extra Warp

I always put on more warp than I need for a project. That end of the warp is where I play, experiment, and try out crazy ideas, not to mention try to use up the thread from as many quills as possible. Or, for rag rugs, I try to use up as much of the weft fabric strips as I can. I have containers for those odd pieces (remnants). That is where I look when I want to make something.

Rag rug “scrap” became a seat cushion last year for me to use in the car.
Two cut-to-fit kneeling pads go in the cushion cover. I added handwoven bands for ties. The ties don’t stay tied, and they aren’t really needed. I let them hang as if they are chunky fringe.

The seat cushion I made for myself last year works great. Now I want to make a seat cushion for me to use in the other car. Time to get out that container of “scraps.”

I find four potential “scraps” to use for another cushion cover. The rag rug pieces aren’t quite big enough, but would work if I added some fabric to them. The colorful magenta and stripes piece would work as a top, with some other fabric for the bottom.
Blue striped eight-shaft twill in 8/2 cotton is just right! This is fabric I wove a few years ago for chair covers for my mother-in-law. It has a good weight to it, with quite a bit of give. And the blues are very pretty!
I am folding the piece in half lengthwise. This fabric has a pretty strong bias pull, so it makes sense to pin the seam before sewing.
Walking foot on my sewing machine makes all the difference, especially with this bias-strong fabric. The walking foot helps keep the two layers of fabric together, instead of the top layer stretching ahead of the bottom layer.
Two simple seams, and I’m finished with sewing! I am leaving the end open so it is super easy to add or subtract the fillers for the cushion. No ties this time.
Press the seams open.
Press the seams from the right side. Nothing matches at the seams because this long piece was made with intentionally irregular stripes.
Two kneeling pads are cut to fit. They will go inside the cushion cover. This gives me a good firm cushion to elevate my sitting position in the car. There is enough room in the cusion cover that I can add a little more height, or I can remove one of the kneeling pads for a lower sitting position.
Two kneeling pads go in.
Ready to Go!

Less than thirty minutes for this project, from selecting the fabric to inserting the pads. That’s exactly why I always put on extra warp! You never know when you will need an odd piece of handwoven something…

Happy Weaving, Karen

Two Pictorial Tapestries Finished

The Glimåkra Standard is where I am most comfortable, even though the reach of the full width is stretching me. The curtains for the bathroom are progressing. No new news, just continuation of adding cloth to the cloth beam.

Still weaving this M’s and O’s curtain yardage. Looking forward to the day the curtains will hang in our remodeled bathroom.
Fabric is adding up on the cloth beam.

The Glimåkra Ideal is patiently waiting for a new tapestry warp. I have a bit more design work to do on the cartoon, and then I’ll be winding the warp with the 16/2 linen I have set aside just for this project. I’m eager to show the new tapestry idea to you! Soon!!

I am finishing up the next critter napkin design for the drawloom. This one is a roadrunner, and it is just…about…ready…to weave.

The Glimåkra Julia is getting filled up on the cloth beam, too. This wool goose-eye fabric is going to be fun to sew into a winter cape when it comes off the loom!

I like to check on the cloth beam to see how it is filling up. You can see there is still more warp on the warp beam.
Julia with four shafts. Ribbon pinned on the side has marks that help me keep the diamond pattern square.

And finally. Drumroll. After a year of sitting on the sidelines after having been cut from the loom, two small tapestries are now hanging on our walls. I did the finishing work of adding a slat for hanging, stitching a backing in place, including some zigzag quilting stitches for support, and stitching up the sides and the hem.

Beginning to mount the tapestry by adding a wood slat at the top.
Backing is added to the back of the tapestries. Zigzag stitching at the top helps secure the tapestry so it will not sag. One small nail will hold the tapestry to the wall.
Heaven and Earth
Intricately Created: Delicate Wing of a Monarch Butterfly.

It is good to finish, even if you do it a year later. Now I am really ready to start the next tapestry.

Happy Weaving, Karen