Handwoven baby blankets are for cuddling babies. It is a pleasure to weave a baby blanket for a dear friend’s first grandchild. As long as I’m dressing the loom, it makes sense to weave more than one. So the second baby blanket is for cuddling my own grand-babies when they come to visit.
Double weave baby blankets unrolled from the cloth beam, ready to be cut off.Double weave top and bottom layers are stitched together by hand at the hems. Contrasting thread is used for a decorative embroidered look.Whipstitch in contrasting thread.Blankets are triple washed for softness. Ready to touch baby’s skin.Double weave has reverse pattern on the back.Same warp, different weft.Meet Julian, my friend’s new grandson, wrapped in love.Meet Benjamin, our newest grandson, wrapped in love. (Resting on his great-great-grandmother’s quilt.)
A resting baby is a picture of hope. Hope for the next feeding, hope in the mother’s tender love, hope in the father’s secure arms. No arrogance, no illusion of grandeur. Just quiet rest. Hope in the Lord looks like this. Hope for today, the future, and forever. My soul is at rest—in complete rest and trust. Like a resting baby in his mother’s arms. Like a baby wrapped in a blanket woven especially for him.
Another magical experience at the loom! Double weave lets you weave two separate layers of fabric simultaneously. And then, the top and bottom layers can switch places in defined blocks. I don’t know who thought this up, but they were brilliant!
Cotton baby blanket for a dear friend’s first grandchild. This friend is amazed at the weaving process, and says that this woven fabric looks calming. Careful arrangement of the two shuttles ensures that the double-weaveselvedges are woven closed.
The hard part was tying up the treadles. For a countermarch, working with eight shafts requires a more delicate balance under the loom. For a while, I was concerned that I might not get more than two decent sheds on this. But after several adjustments, I finally got a great shed with every treadle! Someone who looks at the final cloth will never know the effort that took place behind the scenes. But they may wonder at the amazement of handwoven cloth. Or not. (You’ve probably met someone who is not duly impressed with handwoven goods.)
Long stripes in the middle of the baby blanket. I added dashed lines at the ends of the stripes for added detail interest.Beginning sample reaches the cloth beam. Sample area at the beginning of the warp was used to test weft colors and to practice getting the appropriate weft density.
What do we see as ordinary that, truth be known, is full of wonder? One person may interpret an unusual event as an amazing sign from God. Another person experiences the same event and considers it nothing more than happenstance. If I say I won’t believe until I see evidence, I will never find evidence that satisfies me …even if I come face-to-face with a miracle. Keep the wonder. When you see handwoven cloth, let the work of the Maker’s hands bring wonder and awe. And know there are significant hidden details that are beyond our grasp.
Here is a glimpse of the front-side of the transparency weaving. The cactus is beginning to come around the breast beam. I can’t see the cactus clearly yet, but so far, it looks good! I only have a couple inches of cactus left to weave. Soon, the whole picture will be visible!
Smooth surface of the woven pattern area is in contrast to the textured density that is seen on the back.
The back of the weaving that faces me as I weave, with all its weft turns, weft splices, and woven-in tails, is an accurate picture of what I am weaving. But it is incomplete. It doesn’t tell the whole story. I get used to this bumpy side sometimes and forget that there is something better on the other side.
Transparency woven from the back means that all the weft turns are seen on the back. The front side of the weaving will have an appearance that is truer to the clean lines of the picture drawn on the cartoon.With the end in sight, anticipation of seeing the whole picture from the front grows!
Getting a glimpse of the true cactus picture made me want to see more. Looking for, and eagerly waiting to see the finished front-side of the transparency is like seeking truth. The lines in the design are obscured from the back, so we are compelled to keep going, keep advancing the warp, and actively look for the truth to appear. Love truth. The beginning of the cactus coming into view is a welcome sight that reminds me why I’m at the loom.
May you love what is true.
We welcomed a new grandson into the world a few days ago!Big brother loving his new baby brother. Truth matters because of these precious little guys.
Steve thought I should have another loom, so he used his carpentry skills to build a 27-inch Swedish-style four-shaftcountermarch loom! It’s beautiful. It’s incredible! In preparation for retirement in a few years, we found a place in beautiful Texas hill country to call (our future) home. For now, it’s a place to gather with children and grandchildren on occasional weekends. And a place to put a sweet little loom.
Making weaving loom parts.Six treadles ready.Final Touch. Tightening the cradles for the top of the hanging beater.Putting on the maiden warp of 12/9 cotton seine twine.Loom is ready to be disassembled. Warp is wrapped up on the warp beam. Blue duffel bags will hold all the loom parts except for the side frames and the beater, to be transported to the new location.
And it only gets better. We situated the petite loom by the corner windows in the living room. At the loom, I have the best seat in the house, with an amazing view of God’s creation. The loom tells me my husband knows me very well. And the view tells me the Lord knows me, too.
Threadingheddles while enjoying the hill country view!Can there be a better setting? Grandchildren playing, loom, view…Sweet little loom with a view! Heavenly!
None of us can come to God on our own terms. Not by our wisdom. Not by our strength. Only through humility do we find God. Humility opens our heart to God. That’s when we see how much He has done to get our attention to tell us He knows us and loves us. My special loom with a view is an example of what it’s like to be known and deeply loved.
It’s this kind of detail that takes a handcrafted item up a notch. A hanging tab made from a handwoven band is more than an accent for a handwoven hand towel. The small hanging tab, mostly unnoticed, adds a statement: This towel has a purpose. It is meant to be placed where it will be used.
How to Make Hanging Tabs for Towels from a Handwoven Band:
Mark cutting lines on the woven band. My lines are 4 1/4″ apart.
Zigzag forward and back on both sides of the marked lines, leaving room for cutting apart.
Cut the band apart at the marked lines, between the zigzag rows.
Decide where and how to place the hanging tab.
Position the tab, and push the zigzagged ends to the fold inside the pressed and folded towel hem. Pin or clip in place.
Stitch the towel hem, securely catching the ends of the hanging tab.
Use the towel. Enjoy!
Your prayers matter. Pray a blessing on your children and grandchildren. Your prayers add a detail to their lives that sets them apart. The blessing we ask is that they know the Lord. That they will call on the Lord. That they will say they belong to the Lord. Ultimately, our prayer is for the Lord to place them where they live out the purpose for which he has designed them.
