handstitch – Warped for Good

Handwoven Cape in Grand Canyon Colors

September 1, 2024August 29, 2024 Karen

Steve and I plan to return to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon this autumn. When we were there two years ago we were amazed at the rich colors everywhere. Those colors are the inspiration for this wool goose-eye twill cape. It was a joy to weave these colors on my Glimåkra Julia loom, using four shafts. The process video slideshow below will show you the project from start to finish, with a few Grand Canyon views thrown in. I made a prototype cape from dark gray felt before settling on the pattern details for my handwoven material. You will see the felt cape at the end of the film. Enjoy!

My book House of Prayer: The Compelling Argument for Unified Prayer is now available on Amazon.

Sunset brings a hush over those who witness it. Colors, textures, and a dramatic ending to the day.

Hand-stitched lines follow the edges of the pattern pieces. This alleviates the difficulty of putting chalk or other marks on this fabric.

All the pieces are outlined with thread. I was able to match stripes in the front and on one side by carefully laying out the pattern pieces.

Machine zigzag stitches inside the thread outlines. After this, I can cut the pieces along the outline, knowing the edges are secure.

I saved this measuring ribbon for the babywrap I wove when my daughter was pregnant. The baby for whom I wove the wrap just turned 8 years old. I found the ribbon when I was looking for some twill tape to sew into the shoulder seams for stability. Perfect! Now I have some of this memorable twill tape sewn into my cape!

Blanket stitch around all the edges helps hide the zigzag stitching, as well as provide a decorative edge that gives the fabric a finished look.

Ready for autumn. And ready for the fun of wearing this Grand Canyon cape at the Grand Canyon!

May you honor the Grand Weaver who designed the Grand Canyon in all its colors and gave it to us to enjoy.

Happy Weaving, Karen

Process Review: Eye of the Beholder Tapestry and Video

May 25, 2021May 24, 2021 Karen

I started planning this tapestry portrait of my mother one year ago. As I was concluding her portrait on my loom, it became evident that her real-life tapestry was also coming to a conclusion. I arrived at Mom’s bedside with the portrait in hand, warp ends dangling. Her smile in that cherished moment is one I will never forget. In the days that followed, she quietly slept. I silently braided the warp-end edging, trimmed the tails on the back, stabilized the tapestry through the lining, and stitched the lining in place. I carefully secured the last stitch. In the wee hours of the next morning, while she was asleep, the Lord Jesus called my mother home. Tapestry complete. Beautiful.

Weaving a pictorial tapestry. Making butterflies. — Making butterflies gets messy. Balls of yarn are everywhere as I combine strands of wool to get just the right blends of color. And then I rubber band every label back on its yarn, and every ball of yarn goes back in its proper bin.

Tapestry portrait. Eye of the Beholder. — I was overjoyed when I was able to see her eyes in the tapestry.

Eye of the Beholder is about my mother who taught me to appreciate beauty. This is a portrait of a woman with an eye for beauty, with beauty in her eyes.

I humbly share my process of weaving Eye of the Beholder in this video:

May you seek beauty that never ends.

Her daughter,
Karen

Handwoven Applique for Christmas

December 15, 2020December 13, 2020 Karen

Our family celebrated a birth-day last week. Meet baby Isaac, our ninth grandchild! Also, this week, I am finishing up the pictorial scene of another celebrated birth-day. Each appliqué piece is stitched to the background, using various threads, needles, and simple embroidery stitches to help convey the details of this humble historical event.

Newborn baby — Welcome to our family, baby Isaac.

Handwoven remnants for Christmas tree skirt.

Many firsts are represented in these handwoven scraps. My first floor loom project, first handwoven curtains, first 8-shaft weave, first linen warp, first drawloom piece, etc. There are some special family memories here, too—wedding gifts, baby wrap, housewarming… Humble beginnings and handwoven treasures generated by love.

Reverse side of handwoven Nativity project.

Birth is a picture of the fullness of God’s grace. The birth of our ninth grandchild is as glorious as the birth of the first. Each new child brings yet-unwrapped gifts. The birth of baby Jesus is a picture of the fullness of God’s grace brought within reach of all. His humble beginnings, with manger bed and young parents, animals and stars watching—all so wondrous to ponder. Christ Jesus came into the world, to be wrapped in scraps of cloth! We are still unwrapping the gifts he brought to us from heaven—forgiveness, peace, and enduring joy. God with us, Immanuel.

Christmas tree skirt Nativity. All handwoven!

May your home be filled with heavenly treasures.

Christmas blessings,
Karen

One More Swedish Art Weaves Bag

September 1, 2020August 31, 2020 Karen

A warp is finished when the woven cloth has been taken to completion. At that point, the loom is free for a new warp. That is the rule I’ve given myself. If I ignore the rule and put on a new warp before its time, the unfinished cloth has a way of staying unfinished for too long.

Joanne Hall's Swedish Art Weaves workshop in San Antonio, Texas. — Ready to pack up after the Swedish Art Weaves workshop and take my loom back home. The Joanne Hall workshop was sponsored by the enthusiastic San Antonio Handweavers Guild a few months ago.

Monksbelt woven with pick-up. — Monksbelt pattern continued at home.

Swedish art weaves - dukagång. — Woven from the back, this dukagång pattern came from a Swedish publication I borrowed from the San Antonio Handweavers Guild library.

Weaving krabbasnår and other Swedish art weaves. — Krabbasnår, just behind the fell line, is from a pattern in *Heirlooms of Skåne, Weaving Techniques*, by Gunvor Johansson.

Thanks to that completion rule, I have a new bag. This fabric includes the various patterns that I wove in Joanne Hall’s workshop on Swedish Art Weaves several months ago. You will also see that I explored some patterns on my own at home. I gained two excellent outcomes from this finishing pursuit—a new bag to use, and a loom that is free for the next warp! (See the first bag here: Monksbelt Flowers on a Shoulder Bag)

Making a bag from Swedish art weaves. — Side piece, krabbasnår, is hand-stitched in place. From the top of the bag to the bottom – krabbasnår (krabba), rölakan, halvkrabba, dukagång, munkabälte (monksbelt), each section separated by plain weave stripe variations.

Handwoven bag made from Swedish art weaves. — On this side of the finished bag, from top to bottom – halvkrabba, dukagång, munkabälte. I made the hard decision to take out a section of rölakan I had woven in order to be able to put the knots from the linen warp at the top of the bag.

Handwoven Swedish art weaves bag just finished. Now, on to the next warp! — Now, on to the next warp!

Left to myself, I’d rather do what I want. I’d rather start a new project than bring an “old” one to completion. I’m glad my Lord is faithful with me. He completes the work that he began. The Good Shepherd tends his sheep. He leads us to the still waters of peaceful perseverance, saving us from the regret of going our own way. And we have his perfect outcome to look forward to.

May you resist doing what you’d rather do.

With you,
Karen

Monksbelt Flowers on a Shoulder Bag

June 30, 2020June 29, 2020 Karen

Remember Joanne Hall’s Swedish Art Weaves workshop that I took a few months ago? With the warp that was left, I explored some of the art weaves in more depth.

Monksbelt (Munkabälte), Dukagång, and Halvkrabba can be seen below the warp.

I finished off the linen warp by making a front and back panel for a small shoulder bag. A monksbelt pattern is scattered like flowers on the front. The back has various stripe patterns in weft-faced plain weave. I wove a shoulder strap on my band loom using 6/2 Tuna wool for warp and 12/6 cotton for weft.

Weaving Monksbelt with half heddle sticks. — Half-heddle sticks and batten in front of the back beam, for weaving monksbelt patterns.

Pick up for monksbelt. — Pick-up stick in front of the reed is being used to weave a monksbelt flower “petal.”

Handwoven shoulder bag in progress. — Back panel has varying stripe patterns.

Glimakra band loom. Narrow wool band. — Narrow wool band for the bag shoulder strap.

The bag has simple construction, mostly hand-stitched. In one of my remnant bins I found a piece of wool fabric that I wove several years ago. It’s perfect for the sides and bottom of the bag. The lining uses pieces from fabric that went into my latest rag rugs, and has pockets, of course.

Making a handwoven wool bag. — Overhand knots secure the warp ends.

Construction of a wool shoulder bag. — Ready to assemble all the parts.

Constructing a small handwoven wool bag. — Handwoven wool pieces are hand-stitched together.

Handwoven wool bag construction. — Bag construction continues with stitching the back in place.

Magnet closure on a handwoven bag. — Magnet closure is added to the lining before stitching the lining in place. Knots and fringe outline the top of the bag.

This bag with Monksbelt Flowers is for carrying sweet memories, happy moments, and heavenly dreams.

Inside of handwoven wool bag. — Pockets in the lining.

Monksbelt Flowers handwoven shoulder bag.

Resources: Swedish Art Weaves workshop with Joanne Hall; Heirlooms of Skåne Weaving Techniques, by Gunvor Johansson; Väv Scandinavian Weaving Magazine, 2/2013.

This is the time for my annual pause for the month of July. I appreciate you joining me in this weaving journey!

I look forward to being back with you again Tuesday, August 4. In the meantime, joyfully draw living water from the source, Jesus Christ.

May you carry no more than necessary.

With love,
Karen