It’s an ordinarydouble-binding rag rag in many ways. Standard draft, normal 12/6 cotton rug warp, weaving with two shuttles. Honestly, though, I’m thinking of it as art for the floor. With that in mind, I have a yellow stripe going across the rug. It’s a line of contrast to draw the eye. As the brief glimpse of yellow weaves under the intermittent blocks of red I am satisfied. My plans on paper have revealed themselves on the loom. Something unexpected draws the eye. And I get excited all over again!
Design element at the 1/3 mark.Yellow stripe makes its way across the rug “under” the red blocks.Double binding lets me play with design. By changing the color of weft on the shuttles at strategic times, I can create an eye-catching element in the rug. Art for the floor.
Expect the unexpected.
May you find satisfying ways to express creativity.
Repeat good practices to form good habits. Since weaving is filled with repetition I try to be attentive to the effects of my techniques. With every touch of my hand – picking up a shuttle, straightening a line of weft, tightening the ratchet just so after advancing the warp – I have the end in mind. Quality is the goal. Consistency is the key. And, consistency emerges from good habits.
Tied back on after cutting offsample rug.Midway on the first section of the rug. Two more full pattern repeats will follow.Tidy selvedges. The fabric weft is turned under twice and pulled snugly against the outer warpends.After a series of weft stripes the second pattern repeat is being woven with red fabric strips for weft.
With every touch of our Grand Weaver’s hand, he has the end in mind. Little children were brought to Jesus for him to lay his hands on them and pray. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” And he placed his hands on them… Consistency is the key. Jesus welcomes all who come to him with childlike faith. His consistency emerges out of his goodness.
I want to weave two floor runners for a specific location in our home. I could do some figuring and guessing. Instead, I am weaving one repetition of this spaced rep rag rug. Now, I have a reference point. All I have to do is measure and see how many repetitions to weave for the length I need. Measuring removes the guesswork. Let the runners begin!
Spaced rep rug warp, right before cutting off the preliminary sample.Rug is ready to be hemmed.Hand hemming the rug with 12/6 cotton warp thread.Finished!
I’m at fresh starting place. After finishing another double binding rag rug, I have tied the rug warp back on. I’m ready for a new variation in this rag rug series of block designs. Rug warp lets me stop and start. Cut off and tie back on. It’s as simple as that.
Hem at the end of the second rug is woven in plain weave with narrow fabric strips for weft.Off the loom for a first glance.Warp ends have been tied in knots and trimmed. Hand hemming fini\shes the rug.Second rug of the series.After tying the warp back on, I start the third rug in the series.
May your progress be observable over a span of time.
I reached the end of the drawloomwarp on Tuesday evening. Wednesday morning, before Steve and I finished loading up the Casita travel trailer, I cut the warp off the loom. I grabbed a handful of thrums, chained them so they wouldn’t tangle, and threw the bundle into a small bag along with my cowgirl band heddle. And off we went for a short little getaway!
Relaxing under shade trees at the campground, I weave what I need for the four towels’ hanging tabs.
Steve is doing some wood carving. I tied my bandwarp to his chair. I doubled the 16/2 cotton warp threads in the cowgirl band heddle to make the band wide enough for towel hanging tabs.
Back home, after the towels are wet finished and hemmed, I have an “a-ha!” moment: Only one of these cloths shall be used as a towel. The other three cloths will serve as Christmas Snowflake banners.
There is some irony in the fact that I wove hanging tabs for these three cloths that have since been given an alternate purpose as celebratory Christmas banners.
Christmas Snowflake banners. Revisit the process with me, start to finish:
