I added one more letter to the Lucia Tapestry. The back of the tapestry is pretty messy. Since I weave from the back, I see the reverse image as I weave; and the scattered threads clutter the view. I am spelling my new granddaughter’s name. Each letter comes about slowly. I know what to expect on the other side even though I can’t see it while weaving.
Weaving from the back.
Baby Lucia is only a few days old. She does four things. Sleep, eat, cry, and have diaper changes. What she thinks or dreams or feels is a matter of speculation. My daughter and her husband are learning the hard way, as every new parent does. They only see messy threads right now, but they know Lucia has a special purpose.
Lucia in progress.
And they are trusting the Lord to show them the important things about parenting. Trust is the basis of faith. The Lord is searching everywhere to find those who trust Him completely so He can strengthen them in their faith. The tapestry He is weaving spells out the names of those who put their trust in Him.
It is not enough to be pretty; a good rag rug must also be sturdy. Four crucial steps give a rag rug the solid foundation it needs to get off to a great start, and to be ready for the strong beat required to make a rug that lasts.
How to Begin a Rag Rug
1 Space
leave enough warp to tie and finish ends after the rug is cut from the loom
Assuming there is a sample at the beginning of the warp, leave space after the sample. Leave about 4″ (10 cm) of empty warp. Then, using two warping slats, place one slat in each plain weaveshed. The slats act as a spacer, and as a firm backstop for beating in the waste rags. (Leave about 8″ / 20 cm of space between each rug, from header to header.)
Empty warp is followed by a pair of warping slats, scrap weft, warp yarn header, and beginning of hem. Measurements are marked on twill tape for reference while weaving.
Use warp yarn to weave a 3/8″ (1 cm) weft-faced header. Arrange the weft in small arcs across the width of the shed. Treadle the next shed and beat in the weft.
With temple in place, the header is woven with 12/6 cotton, the warp yarn. Forming small waves in the weft places more weft in the shed, which helps prevent draw-in.
4 Hem
thinner rag weave, to be turned under and stitched
Cut fabric into narrow strips, 1/4″ (.5 cm) wide. Weave hem to desired length, with enough to fold under itself for finishing.
–Repeat the four steps in reverse order at the end of the rug.–
Ready for the body of the rug! A good, strong beat will not disturb this layered foundation.
It takes courage to live by faith. Courage is the backbone against which life circumstances can push. Faith is knowing God has a higher purpose for the circumstances we find ourselves in. A rag rug with this firm starting point will not only look good, but be ready for a purpose. And so will we.
There is less than a yard of this lovely fabric. I want to use it for something. After weaving the baby wrap, I wove off the remainder of the warp in twill, using multiple weft colors. The colors seem even more vibrant in this twill weave. The fabric feels great in hand, as well. Is there enough to make a handbag? Just barely; but, yes, there is enough!
After ironing interfacing to the back of the fabric, I work the puzzle of fitting the pattern pieces onto the fabric. Some piecing is necessary.Lining pieces have pockets added.Topstitching goes all around the top perimeter of the handbag.
How do you feel about cutting into your handwoven fabric? Once you cut, there’s no turning back. You better be sure before you get out the scissors. Fear of ruining your precious fabric can keep you from ever making the first cut. You might be tempted to fold up your fabric and tuck it away in a drawer. “At least you didn’t ruin it,” your fear would tell you. However, if you know something good will come of it, and if you have a plan, you walk past the fear and do the cutting.
Finished handbag holds the rolled baby wrap.Handbag front is mostly twill, with five different weft colors. The warp length is crosswise in this piece.Back of the handbag. The lining fabric is cut from a remnant left from an Easter dress I made my daughter umpteen years ago.
The peace of Christ takes the power out of fear. Instead of looking at the status quo as the only option, internal peace enables us to walk past the fear. His peace enables us to do things that require faith. Fear fades when you know that the one who is truly good does have a plan. After all, handwoven fabric is made for such a use as this.
I can let my mind wander for this part. I am threading 664 warpends in a straight draw, one warp end at a time (1-2-3-4). This is repetitive and easy. Relaxing. Of course, I have safeguards to prevent mind-wandering errors. First, I count the ends into threading groups before I start threading. Second, I double-check each threaded group of heddles, one warp end at a time.
Two shades of blue are mixed with two shades of purple for transition between the blue and purple wide stripes in the warp.
In quiet moments like this, my mind drifts over recent events, and ponders plans for the near and distant future. I think about friends and family–dear ones going through struggles. I remember things I’m thankful for, and who I’m thankful to. I often wish threading could go on a little longer. I like to linger there.
Groups of 32 warp ends are tied into slip knots at the back beam. Each group is threaded and then checked for accuracy before tying the threaded ends into a slip knot.Sitting in my “playhouse” in the loom, threading from right to left, I slow down near the end so I can linger a while longer.
The wondrous thing is that I can turn all these thoughts into prayers. The Lord hears us when we pray. The Lord hears the sound of your voice. In our quiet moments we have the sweet assurance that when we call upon the Lord, he bends down and listens. Instead of wishful thinking or fruitless worrying, prayer turns thoughts into faith.
I almost kept going. But something was off. Maybe the tabby hadn’t been beaten in as tight between the lavender pattern picks. In that case, a few more rows would obscure the slight difference. I did not want to undo; and wishful thinking tempted me to avoid taking a closer look. Sensibility won, though. I did stop to examine the cloth.
Weft threads are carefully snipped back to the point of error. I did this very slowly, with a bright light shining on the area being snipped.
Even under close inspection, my eyes could not identify the error. I struggled to see the fine details. Magnifying glass to the rescue! Magnification revealed two extra tabby picks. Aha! Two fine threads out of place are enough to throw off the pattern. If not corrected, this errant line across the finished cloth would draw the attention of every eye. Knowing precisely where the error is gives me courage to face the necessary operation. Snip, snip, snip. Undo. Fresh start.
Magnifier reveals two extra tabbypicks (16/2 cotton) that must be removed.Weft threads are pulled out one by one, and then discarded.
An honest report tells it like it is. When we are trusting the Lord, we have courage to stop and examine errors, bypassing wishful thinking. Faith is like a magnifying glass that enables us to see clearly. Courage comes alive through the eyes of faith. The difficult and painful process of undoing errors and making corrections is worth it when you consider the high value of the finished fabric.
