Tag: hope

Invisible Zipper

Karen

 

Remember this linen dice weave fabric? The brown checks are sets of weft floats over the deep blue warp. I created two throw pillows with this striking linen fabric, and filled them with down and feather inserts. An invisible zipper makes a classy closure for a pillow like this. If you do it just right the little zipper pull is the only clue that there is a zipper in the seam. Fabric this special deserves a classy closure.

All linen dice weave pillows being made. Handwoven cloth.
Three different weft colors–deep blue (same as warp), royal blue, and teal blue– produce three similar, yet slightly different colors of cloth. The brown linen floats create an interesting checked texture.

If you know the zipper is there, it is not hard to find. But if you are not looking for it, you could miss the invisible zipper, especially if it is inserted by an expert seamstress. Have you thought about noticing other things that are not immediately visible?

Handwoven linen dice weave pillows.
Invisible zipper placed in bottom seam of linen pillow cover.
Handwoven linen dice weave down-filled pillows. Karen Isenhower
Linen dice weave pillows take their place on the sofa.

Faith is seeing the invisible. Faith is assurance that our hope is sound, and conviction that the unseen is true reality. As with the zipper, when you know the invisible is there, it is not hard to find.

May you notice details that are easily overlooked.

Hopeful,
Karen

Puckered Sample

Karen

Will these long floats do what I hope they will do? I have puckered scarves in mind. Soft 8/2 cotton in shades of green. We do not often know, really know, how things will turn out. With weaving, I can sample first. That little piece of trial and error is not wasted threads. It enables me to weave the remainder with confidence. Without a sample, especially with a new technique, or an untested idea, my hope for a good outcome is guesswork, with no real substance.

Sample of lace weave with warp floats - before washing and drying.
How will this sample behave through the washer and dryer? Will I get the results I’m after?
Sample for weaving a puckered scarf.
Yes, looks like a puckered scarf to me. It feels soft, too.

In some ways, my faith is like that sample. Faith is strength through storms; and I’m facing one of those storms today. I don’t know how things will turn out, but because of the One who has gone before me, my hope has substance. It’s as if my Lord has woven a sample for me to see, to trust in His care.

Wet finished sample compared with lace weave scarf on the loom.
Sample piece gives a preview of what the end result will be like. The cloth on the loom looks and feels rigid and unbending, but the finished sample cloth reveals a surprising texture that has the feel of movement and freedom.

My soul is preserved through faith, taking me to the front line in the battle, with courage. And so, I continue weaving with hope, having an imperfect glimpse of what the finished fabric will be.

May you see hope as you weather the storms.

With faith,
Karen

This Takes Effort

Karen

The cloth beam is filling up with rugs. The fuller the cloth beam gets, the more muscle it takes for me to crank up the warp tension. I put all my weight into it. Literally. First, I agressively turn the wheel at the back beam to tighten the ratchet. Then, I grab two spokes of the breast beam‘s wheel, put a knee or foot on another spoke, and pull back with all my might, adding an appropriate grunt!

Simple block design for patterned rag rug. Karen Isenhower
Because of tight warp tension, it is possible to firmly pull the weft around the selvedge ends, creating snug edges on the sides of the rug.

Why keep the tension so extremely tight? Because of the outcome–good rugs. Rugs that are sturdy, have snug selvedges, and lay completely flat. Hopefully, my effort will outlast me, as the rugs continue to serve people long after I’m gone.

It takes tremendous effort to hold on to courage when hope is slipping. After cranking up the tension for so long, the thought of keeping it up becomes overwhelming. One word of en-courage-ment from a friend breaks through hopelessness: God will see you through. Hope is restored, not based on feelings or positive thoughts, but based on believing God.

Keep up your courage. Only a few more turns and you’ll be there. The rugs will be finished; and you will know you did what you were called to do. Keep up your courage, friend.

May your good efforts outlast you.

Pulling for you,
Karen

Rya, Rya, How Does Your Garden Grow?

Karen

Lay the groundwork; add a row of rya knots. Because of the coarser sett, and the thickness of this doubled linen weft, this rya weaving is progressing faster than the previous one. Tying all 36 knots across the warp is still the slowest part. But I can see progress. I like to see something happening, don’t you?

Rya knots (wool and linen) covering coarse linen cloth.
Green strands of thick Åsborya wool, fine Mora wool, and 16/1 linen, sit in a cluster, ready to be separated. Each rya knot is made of three strands, one of each type of yarn/thread.

I weave about an inch / 2.5 cm of point twill linen background first. It provides a framework to hold the mixed wool and linen rya knots. This means throwing the shuttle at a good pace for a short distance, and then stopping to add another row of rya. Through this moving – stopping – moving – stopping, progress is made. A little green and beige garden is growing on the surface of the linen structure. It is during the slow part that the “growing” happens.

Are you troubled about anything today? Don’t lose hope. If progress seems slow, you may be in a growing season. The Lord rebuilds ruined places and replants desolate fields. It feels slow now, but in time, you will look back and see a garden covering what once was ruins. Keep going, you’re going to make it.

May your garden grow.

(I did finish the previous slow rya project and turned it into three fun pillows. You can find two of them in the Warped for Good Etsy Shop!)

Making progress,
Karen

How I Make a Bound Hem

Karen

I intended simple woven turned hems. When this rug came off the loom, however, the white ends of the rug didn’t look as I expected. I was frustrated trying to make these hems work. Was there another way to finish the rug? Yes. A compatible cotton duck print was just what I needed to sew bound hems!

When circumstances don’t go our way, we can get stuck in frustration. I cannot control my circumstances, but I can control my own behavior and attitudes. Give up control to gain control. Isn’t it interesting that options become apparent when we let go of how we thought it should be?

How I make a bound hem:

1. Cut hem fabric the width of the rug plus 2 inches /5 cm by hem depth plus 1 inch / 2.5 cm. Serge all edges of hem fabric to eliminate fraying. With right sides facing, center hem fabric from side to side on rug, with fabric seam allowance toward the end of the rug. Stitch along hem line, 1/2 inch / 1 cm from edge of hem fabric.

How to make bound hem for rag rug.

 

2. Fold hem fabric over, and press flat.

Steps for making bound hems on rag rugs.

 

3. Fold the hem fabric back on itself, right sides together. Fold remaining long edge outward, adjusting to match the width of the hem. Stitch through folded hem fabric 1/8 inch / 3 mm away from side of rug.

Stitching bound hem on rug. Tutorial.

 

4. Turn the corner right side out, straightening out the point with a straight pin, if necessary. Press corner. Fold long edge under 1/2 inch / 1 cm across the width of the rug. Press.

5 Steps to make bound hems on rag rugs.

 

5. Use doubled sewing thread to stitch the folded edge to the rug. Use a whip stitch, catching a warp end in each stitch. End with final pressing of top and underside of hem.

Last step in tutorial for making bound hem on rug.

 

To see this rug on the loom, view this post, Made to Be Noticed. To see the finished rug, view “Made to Be Noticed” Rag Rug in my Etsy Shop. Or, simply visit my Etsy Shop to see all my new rugs. (You saw them on this blog first!)

May you see all your options.

Making things,
Karen