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 tapestrywarp. 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 EarthIntricately 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.
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.
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!
Number of delayed meals:Too many to count (according to Steve)
Needless to say, I am thankful to have married a very patient man.
Figs and Coffee
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.
Monarch Wing
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!
When you see that you are near the end of the tapestry, the temptation is to hurry up and finish. I have done that before, unfortunately. When I rush, the first thing to go is adequate bubbling of the weft. The consequence is distortion because of draw-in. It is most noticeable after the tapestry is off the loom and looks more like a trapezoid than a rectangle.
Pictorial tapestry based on a simple watercolor and ink sketch.I can see the end of the cartoon under the warp. There is still plenty to weave, but there is less detail in the image going forward.
Ending well is as important as beginning well. So, even though I can see the end of the Figs and Coffeecartoon under the warp, I am deliberately slowing my pace to stay attentive to the sweetly-satisfying technicalities that make a good tapestry. When this cloth beam is unrolled, I will be able to say, “I gave it my best.” And I enjoyed every minute of it!
I call it Figs and Coffee, but the figs and the coffee are barely recognizable at this point. The image will make sense when it is complete. In the meantime, I am continually intrigued by the fascinating interplay of colors. You can expect me to keep adding to the tapestry until it is complete. It’s nice to not be in a hurry.
Warping slat hangs from the ends of the beater and sits below the warp. The suspended slat keeps the cartoon right under the warp. I use a quilter’s clip on each side to hold the cartoon in exact position.Every time I advance the warp I examine the positioning of the cartoon to make sure it matches up with marks I have made on the warp in key places.Regular stops to step back and see if I need to make color or contrast adjustments keeps me on track. Thus, the need to backtrack and undo rows of weaving is infrequent.Corner window setting for this hand-built loom reinforces my intention to not be in a hurry.
I don’t want to tell you how many different colors I have of wool yarn. Most of it is 6/2 Tuna and 6/1 Fårö, but I have a good collection of other wool yarns, too. If it’s wool, I include it in my tapestry weaving. I have all of it arranged according to a 5-step value scale.
Yarn butterfly is equivalent to about 4 strands of 6/2 Tuna. I’m composing a color in the medium-dark value range.
If I combine the colors of wool just right, I can make the exact color I need for a tapestry detail. This is the challenge on which I thrive. There are never enough colors. Or, so it seems. The truth is, I have more than enough color options. Besides, for tapestry, the exact hue of a color is not nearly as important as the value of a color in relation to the colors around it.
Tapestry in progress. I carefully select yarns, mostly according to color value.The cart beside the loom holds all the possible colors I may need for this Figs and Coffee small tapestry. I stop frequently to evaluate the colors and the value contrasts in the weaving.
The Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, Creator of color, makes himself known. Take a look outside. Everywhere we look there is more color than we know how to express. So, in our humble attempts to make yarn butterflies in exact colors, we are showing that we are indeed made in our Creator’s image.
