Tag: Jesus

What the Shadow Reveals

Karen

Sometimes things do not go as you hope or expect. I thought this color-and-weave effect would be more distinct. Yes, I chose low-contrast colors. I wanted the pattern to be subtle. But this may be too subtle. I have to use my imagination to see anything other than a faint checked pattern. It’s not a complaint. It’s just not how I thought it was supposed to be.

Linen on the loom.
All 8/2 linen. Stripes in the warp and stripes in the weft. I intended more than a simple check pattern.

I am taking pictures from all different angles, thinking the camera lens might show more than I can see with my eye.

Warp and weft stripes in linen.
Detail of warp and weft stripes. A simple, yet pleasing pattern.
Weaving 8/2 linen upholstery fabric.
Crosswise view.
Linen upholstery fabric on the loom.
View at an angle. No significant difference.

And, to my great surprise, there it is! The pattern I am hoping for shows up when I snap a photo of the underside. What happened? It’s all in the lighting. In this case, I need shadows to reveal the pattern in the weave.

Color-and-weave effects in linen upholstery fabric.
Pattern shows up underneath.
Color-and-weave patterns in linen.
Same fabric, different look. This is what I intended all along. Hidden in the shadows.
Shadow reveals the pattern in this linen color and weave.
To test my hypothesis about the shadows, I cup my hand over the fabric. Where a shadow is formed the pattern is revealed.

Endure. When you walk through shadows of life, the patterns that are woven in you become evident. If you depend on the Lord’s might to walk through and endure day-by-day challenges, that same power will be with you when you walk into a major shadow and need endurance the most. In fact, it is in that shadow that the image of Christ is most clearly seen in you.

With you,
Karen

Colors on Trial

Karen

This color and weave is decorated plain weave. I have nine weft colors to put on trial. Which ones will pass the test? The winners will be used to weave colorful placemats for our Texas hill country home.

Nine colors on trial for cotton placemats.
All 8/2 cotton, with a small quill of each color waiting to be sampled. The two end tubes on the left are the same coral and camel as the stripes of the warp.

Eager to begin, I start weaving, despite knowing that evening is approaching. Even with good lighting at the loom, it is hard to judge the colors. I need daylight!

Weaving at dusk fails to show true impact of the colors.
Weaving at dusk does not give me a true indication of how the colors work, even though I have a good light at my loom.

The morning light does not disappoint. I find that the colors that are the most similar to the coral and camel in the warp showcase the color-and-weave pattern. The slate and apple green win, too, because they add welcome color contrast. The abundance of natural light in the room makes it easy to see the impact of each of these colors.

Color-and-weave effects with plain weave and 2 shuttles.
Natural light of the morning gives a true perspective of the colors. Even the subtle differences of weft colors can be seen. Keeping the camel color in one of the two shuttles helps bring out the color-and-weave effects. Which colors win? All nine of them!

We have been given a well-lit path. When we choose to go our own way, with our own artificial light, our perceptions can be off. There is a kingdom of light where Jesus is on the throne. To be one of his subjects is to be in a place where his light reveals true colors. He exchanges our colors with his own to make color-and-weave fabric that is heavenly!

May you be invigorated with color.

Happy weaving,
Karen

Anticipation Is Looming!

Karen

Everything starts on paper and in my mind. And then the action begins! Warps are ready now to dress two more looms. One in linen, and one in cotton. Linen for chair-seat upholstery, and cotton for kitchen towels.

Counting linen warp ends on the warping reel.
Counting thread goes over and under groups of warp ends (in this case, 40 ends) to help me keep track of the number of ends being wound on the warping reel. 8/2 linen, unbleached.
Cotton thread is measured out on the warping reel.
Solid color cotton is wound (measured out) on the warping reel.

These are part of the coordinating textiles I’ve been designing for our Texas hill country home. (See Awaken the Empty Looms)  I am looking forward to the moment these fabrics become visible! The anticipation is electric! I will know the success of my plans when I can see and feel the fabric. Every step, including getting these threads ready for the loom, gives me a preview glimpse of the actual fabric to come.

Two linen warp chains, ready for dressing the loom.
Two warp chains are prepared. This is a striped warp, and the chains will be spread separately, each with its own set of lease sticks.
Three warp chains of 8/2 cotton, ready to dress the loom!
Nothing like big, soft warp chains of 8/2 cotton!

Visible. Actual love is visible. It’s much more than kind thoughts and intentions. It is threads of kind thoughts that become touchable fabric in someone else’s life. Jesus Christ is the love of God made visible, in that God sent His Son so that we could fully live. How appropriate for us to make such a fabric visible for each other.

May you get a glimpse of the fabric to come.

Love,
Karen

Awaken the Empty Looms

Karen

The transformation of looms has begun! One by one, three empty looms are awakened from their rest. Two of three warps have been wound, and I have started dressing one of the looms. Soon, all three looms will be active as I weave coordinating textiles for our Texas hill country home.

Cotton and linen for planned coordinating textiles.
Cotton and linen threads for the planned coordinating textiles.
Stripes on the warp beam. So inviting!
Warp beam is clothed with a narrow-striped warp. A separate warp chain for each color and two sets of lease sticks make the beaming process a little tricky.

This loom at our hill country home has a warp designated for placemats. Color-and-weave effects will take the simple two-treadle plain weave up a notch, starting with the warp stripes. Is there anything as inviting as stripes on the warp beam? The loom that was bare now holds great promise.

Threading the loom in the best spot in the house!
Threading the loom happens in the brightest corner of the house.
Warp stripes form the base of interesting color-and-weave effects.
Warp stripes form the base of interesting color-and-weave effects.

Love transforms people. Someone who feels empty is given purpose and hope when they are loved. A reason for being. A start toward something meaningful. Real love is extreme. Love is defined by the ultimate giving up of self-centered motives, as demonstrated by Jesus Christ. This is the extreme love that we have been given, and have been called to give. We’ve known the joy of stripes on the warp beam becoming handwoven fabric before our eyes. And we relish the thought of sharing that joy with someone else.

May you awaken empty looms.

Happy weaving,
Karen

Amazing Five-Shaft Satin Dräll

Karen

Ten shafts and ten treadles. Isn’t it fascinating how all those parts synchronize and work together to turn threads into cloth? It’s a mystery unless you’ve been in the weaver’s seat. Even then, it’s a wonder. Especially when you see linen threads turn into this amazing five-shaft satin dräll!

All-linen 5-shaft satin dräll on a Glimåkra Standard loom.
Linen warp and weft in five-shaft satin dräll. A temple is a standard tool when I weave with linen. No draw-in means no broken selvedge warp ends…so far, at least.

There are three towels left on this warp, but I am weaving the remainder as one long piece. I will cut it into separate towels after it’s off the loom. Or, I might change my mind and leave it long as a table runner.

Linen 5-shaft satin dräll. Unbleached warp, ecru weft.
Warp is unbleached linen and the weft is ecru, also linen. The subtle difference in color highlights the dräll pattern in the fabric.

Mystery. The mystery of the ages is that Christ can dwell in us. Understand that? No, but I do understand a weaver sitting at the loom, managing the threads and throwing the shuttle to produce a specific fabric. What if I invite Jesus Christ to take control of everything being woven in my life? That is a mystery worth pursuing.

May you find your way into a good mystery.

Happy weaving new year,
Karen