finishing – Page 2 – Warped for Good

Warped for Good Ten Year Milestone!

April 11, 2023April 10, 2023 Karen

Warped for Good is ten years old today! To celebrate I offer you some stats and thoughts and thank you’s.

Number of years: 10

I started this blog when I was still new to weaving. This is a learning journey, and you have been learning with me. THANK YOU!

End of weaving *Figs and Coffee*. Must wait a bit to roll it out. First I am weaving off the remainder of the warp.

Number of email subscribers: 1000

I started with a handful of friends (about 8 or 10) and a few curious family members. I’m incredibly grateful to those first few who allowed me to test my writing skills on them! I am more than astonished that many, many people trust me to bring them news of what’s happening on my looms. I count all of you as friends, and I am so thankful to have you come sit in my studio with me!

End of this rosepath–threaded warp. This is a lovely way to use up surplus butterfiles that are left from weaving the tapestries. I arranged the butterflies to give a soft progression of value change.

Number of blog posts: 781

Some of you remember when I posted twice a week. When Steve retired four years ago, I slowed down to one post a week.

I am determined to keep weaving until the warp runs out, or I run out of butterflies, whichever comes first. The warp ran out first!

Number of floor looms: 5

Warped for Good started with one 120cm Glimåkra Standard Countermarch loom. I didn’t mean to end up with five floor looms. It just happened. (We’re not counting the band loom or rigid heddle looms.) A big thank you to my friend Joanne Hall who threw open the door to floor loom weaving when I first knocked on that door.

Warping slats separate the pieces on the warp. I leave at least 20cm between pieces so I have enough length to tie knots or braid ends in a tapestry edging.

Nickname: Miss Weave-a-lot

This is husband’s nickname for me because I weave a lot. Steve gets my heartfelt thanks for encouraging me every day.

Finishing includes several steps adding up to many hours. Braiding ends into a tapestry edging, clipping weft tails, stitching weft tails down near the sides, hand hemming the top and bottom. The three main pieces will have a backing that I will stitch on, and a means for hanging or mounting.

Number of months taken off: 6

I have taken a pause for the month of July the past six years.

Two smaller sample pieces have a thicker braided edge. I will leave the braid exposed and tack down the loose warp ends on the back of the pieces.

Number of missed posts (except for the July pauses): 0 (zero)

I started learning watercolor sketching a few months ago for the purpose of making tapestry cartoons from my own sketches. I used a slice of this sketch of my morning coffee and figs for my first attempt to “weave a watercolor sketch.” You can expect more watercolor sketch tapestries in the future as I gain more sketching skills.

Most common email request: Electric Bobbin Winder parts list from Tools Day: Electric Bobbin Winder.

Thank you to Steve for making things for me. Thank you to my Warped for Good friends for every email you send me. I’m especially thrilled when you show me pictures of what you are weaving!

Most visited post: More than Meets the Eye

Very first Warped for Good post: Hidden Strength

Number of delayed meals: Too many to count (according to Steve)

Needless to say, I am thankful to have married a very patient man.

Why the name Warped for Good?
Warped for Good is a metaphor for living a purposeful life as a believer in Jesus. God is the Grand Weaver who warps the loom. My life is the warp. Jesus Christ is the good. The weft is the daily living that aligns with the Master’s plan. Interacting with people, making friends, and sharing interests are all part of that plan. I’m truly grateful to my Grand Weaver for all the friends I’ve gained through this humble home of Warped for Good.

May you mark your milestones.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Warped for Good emails are ending today. Please bookmark this site so you can come right here and enjoy this weaving journey with me. Think about setting a reminder for yourself to come and see what’s happening on these looms. See you soon!

Warped for good,
Karen

Let it Snow! Drawloom Treasures

December 20, 2022December 17, 2022 Karen

Let it snow indoors! New Christmas snowflake banners are suspended up high, above our kitchen counter, facing our open living room. The three mostly-blue banners hang in mid-air so they can be viewed from either side. These are lasting treasures from the drawloom that I can bring out year after year. They’ll never get old.

Making loops from a handwoven band for hanging the banners. First, I zigzag to secure ends, and then cut the strips apart.

Handwoven linen band is cut into segments.

Loops are machine-stitched to back of banner hem with two rows of straight basting stitches (easy to remove later).

Christmas is new every year. There are new sights and sounds that add to the season. The message of Christmas is the same as always, though, that God loved us in this way—he sent his Son Jesus to be born into our world so that whoever believes in him may be born into God’s family. The newness is in God’s mercy, new every morning.

Raise banners of joy to celebrate. Glory to the newborn King.

May you celebrate from the heart.

Glad tidings of Christ’s birth,
Karen

Another Rug Unfurled

December 6, 2022December 5, 2022 Karen

I’ve been working on this spaced rep rag rug for a while. I should know what it looks like. So why does unrolling the cloth beam make me feel like a child on Christmas morning awaiting a surprise? It’s because I see only a small portion of the rug at any one time while I am weaving.

Middle section of rug has red fabric strips for weft.

Rows of stripes between sections of the rug.

Third section of rug has dark green fabric strips as weft.

Do you see the flaw in the warp thread (12/6 cotton)? Fortunately, I have already woven the hem and the 6 picks of the warp-thread header. How’s that for a perfect ending? I am cutting off this rug and will tie back on for the next rug. The flaw in the thread will be cut away.

Not until I cut it off and see the whole rug unfurled on the floor do I really grasp the story this rug is telling. The surprise is pleasant. Threads and fabric strips, and a weaver’s hands (mine), have turned written plans into a compelling story to beautify our surroundings.

It is easy to untie all the knots on the tie-on bar. That gives me plenty of length for tying warp ends into overhand knots in the finishng process.

Unfurled on the floor. First view is a pleasant surprise.

Our Grand Weaver excels at taking simple threads and odd pieces of cloth to create a lasting story. He weaves his plans into our lives to draw us nearer to himself. We see only short segments at a time. From beginning to end, though, our Lord’s skilled and scarred hands demonstrate his love to us. The finished work is more than we imagine.

Warp ends have been knotted, and hem turned under and hand stitched. This rug is ready to beautify the room.

May you experience the joy of pleasant surprises.

Happy Weaving,
Karen

One-Repetition Rag Rug

September 13, 2022September 2, 2022 Karen

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.

Hand hemming the rug with 12/6 cotton warp thread.

May you remove the guesswork where possible.

Happy Weaving,
Karen

Tie the Rug Warp Back On

September 6, 2022September 2, 2022 Karen

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.

Warp ends have been tied in knots and trimmed. Hand hemming fini\shes the rug.

After tying the warp back on, I start the third rug in the series.

May your progress be observable over a span of time.

Happy weaving,
Karen