Tag: rag rug

Bright Yellow Rug Warp?

Karen

Finally, one bright yellow tube of rug warp is coming off the shelf! Bright yellow is subdued by pairing it with tan, making a creamy neutral warp for my next set of rag rugs. I bought the tube of yellow 12/6 cotton for half price on a clearance sale a few years ago. What was I thinking? I haven’t used yellow in a rug warp before, but it looks like this is going to work.

Winding a warp on the warping reel is my kind of fun. This warp chain is ready to take to the loom.
Warp is brought to the loom in three bouts. This series of rag rugs will be an exploration of Jamtlandsdräll.

Keep an ongoing conversation with the Lord. Sometimes it takes a while for us to understand the direction he has for us. It’s like looking at that yellow tube of thread, until finally you gain the courage to take it off the shelf. Right then, you notice the tan thread. The answer has been there all along.

May you enjoy a good long conversation.

With you,
Karen

Is it a Rug or Is it Art?

Karen

Spaced rep rag rugs are off the loom! Follow the pictures to see how they came out, and the surprising thing I am doing with one of them. (It was Steve’s idea.)

Short piece at end of warp gives opportunity for exploring design ideas. Specifically, I am changing weft colors separately from changes of treadling pattern.
Cloth beam satisfaction.
Reverse side is always seen first.
Fascinated with how new fabric folds like ribbons on the floor, and how the warping slats look like a game of Pick-up Sticks.
Still looking at the reverse side. Loom cleanup begins.
After cutting off, the piece undergoes finishing. First, I tie warp ends into knots, which takes me about 2 hours per rug. Then I hand hem the rug using 12/6 cotton rug warp. And finally, I give the rug a good steam pressing, which helps even things out, shrink things together a bit, and makes the rug lay flat.
One warp, four rugs. First small rug (not seen) went to my friend Nancy at a Christmas gift exchange. Last small rug (from the end of the warp) has an irregular repeating pattern. The two longer rugs have a place in our home. Did I say “rug?”
If you hang a rag rug on the wall it becomes art. If you hang it on the massive stone fireplace it makes a house a home.

Be different in a good way. Be set apart from things that entertain the world. Find your pleasure in things that please the Lord—like creativity, beauty, and love poured into your home.

May you express yourself in positive ways.

God bless your home,
Karen

My Favorite Handwovens on Display

Karen

Five of my favorite handwoven works are on display in a local exhibit. The Southwest Gourd and Fiber Fine Art Show is the current exhibit (through July 1) at the Kerr Arts and Cultural Center in Kerrville, Texas. This is a competitive show featuring artists from across the US. Steve made beautiful wooden hanging and mounting devices for my pieces. Winter Window is a double-binding rag rug that is displayed as a wall hanging. I thoroughly enjoyed the design process for this rag rug, so I am happy that Winter Window received a Judge’s Special Award.

Southwest Gourd and Fiber Fine Art Show at Kerr Arts and Cultural Center in Kerrville, Texas.
Light as Air Lace
Draped Lace in Three-Shaft Lace Weave
Warp: Linen
Weft: Linen
Christmas Snowflakes Triptych
Banners in Six-Shaft Irregular Satin, Drawloom 30 pattern shafts, 148 single units
Warp: Linen/Cotton blend
Weft: Linen
Joseph’s Coat
Wall Hanging in Four-Shaft Swedish Monksbelt
Warp: Cotton
Weft: Wool and Cotton
Winter Window
Rag Rug in Four-Shaft Double Binding
Warp: Cotton
Weft: Cotton fabric strips
Eye of the Beholder
Pictorial Tapestry in Four-Shaft Rosepath
Warp: Linen
Weft: Wool and Linen
Artist Reception and Awards evening. Winter Window receives a Judge’s Special Award.

If you hang a rag rug on the wall it becomes fine art. And I’m ok with that.

May others enjoy seeing what you enjoy making.

Happy Weaving,
Karen

End of Warp Is for Unencumbered Play

Karen

I made this rug longer than I had planned. Midway, I decided to increase the number of repeats in the design. This means I don’t know exactly how long this rug will be, so there is a bit of suspense as I wait to see the outcome.

Rug is completed with woven hem, warp thread header, and scrap weft. A few warping slats are inserted as spacers before starting the final stretch. The warping slats highlight the graphic nature of the overall pattern in the rug.
Spacing is needed between rugs so that I have adequate length to tie warp ends into knots. After knotting the ends, the hems of the rug will be folded under and hand-stitched.
End of warp is on the back tie-on bar, seen just above the warp beam. This is enough warp left to get a nice small rug. I have ideas for designing on the fly that are getting me excited about finishing this off!

I have a bit of warp left. It’s a good way to use up some of my cut fabric strips. This is my chance to play around, designing on the fly. That’s an exciting way to end a satisfying set of spaced rep rag rugs. Leave room for unencumbered play. And when you can go no further, end the suspense and see what you’ve got!

May you make room for unencumbered play.

Happy weaving,
Karen

Glimåkra Standard by the Front Door

Karen

When guests come through our front door, this stately 120cm Glimåkra Standard Countermarch loom is the first thing they see. Many folks have never seen a weaving loom. “That looks so complicated,” they say.

Welcome to my weaving studio, which doubles as our home.

The appeal of a Swedish countermarch loom is its simplicity. Pieces of wood, held together with a few wedges, form the frame for an efficient system of synchronized moving parts. “Step on a treadle and see what happens,” I tell them. When you move one part, something else moves, which then causes other parts to move. Now you can send a shuttle through an opening in the threads and weave cloth. “Wow! That’s amazing,” they say. I smile and think, “Yes, it is.” It may be complex, but it’s not complicated.

Glimåkra Standard has a prominent position in our home, with a view of our front yard from the loom bench.
Spaced rep rag rug on the loom. This one will be a long runner.

The world looks complicated. What does God in heaven see when he looks on us? Does he see a complicated mess? God sees us through his eyes of love. We’ve all gone our own messy ways. He loved us anyway and gave his son Jesus to save us from our selfish ways. He appeals to us with this simplicity: say yes to Jesus and no to self. This one move sets things in motion and changes everything! God’s world may be complex, but it doesn’t need to be complicated.

May you be drawn to simplicity.

Happy weaving,
Karen