Tag: rosepath

Where the Weft Is Vulnerable

Karen

The outside rows of a rag rug are vulnerable. Twining secures the weft, making it a good way to begin and end a rag rug. I cut a length of rug warp thread two and a half times the width of the rug. Starting on the left side, with the length of thread folded in half, the top half goes under, and the lower half goes over each successive warp end.

Twining at the end of a rag rug on the loom.
Twining separates the warp ends evenly and secures the weft. At the end of the row I weave in the ends, and then, beat twice with the beater to push the row of twining firmly into place.

Is it really necessary to secure the weft? When the rug is under tension on the loom it seems like everything is holding together just fine. It is tightly woven, with the weft firmly packed in. Yes. It is necessary. The rug will start falling apart the minute it is cut from the loom. Twining keeps the most vulnerable place of the weaving intact.

Faith is the vulnerable spot where you allow yourself to be loved by God. Wrapped in his mercy and his grace, our weakest point is no longer our entry into failure, but where we are kept in his security. Your faith is the point of access, the opening, for your maker to show his strength to make you complete.

May you rest secure.

Etsy Announcement!
My new Etsy WarpedforGood Shop  is open! I would love for you to come and browse. As my tried and true blog friends, your feedback means a lot to me. Please let me know what you think!

You may remember seeing the progress on some of the items in the shop, like the Warp Rep Rug, the Rosepath Rugs, and the Cutest Little Loom Rugs. The rugs you see on the loom now will be posted in my Etsy shop when they are finished!

Your Friend,
Karen

Get Back to Your Sweet Spot

Karen

My feet follow an eight-step sequence on four treadles for this rosepath pattern. Even one step out of sequence makes a glaring error. I start out conscious of the order, repeating the numbers aloud while moving my feet. 3-2-1-4-1-2-3-4. After a while, my feet find a motor memory and I don’t need to concentrate as much. Now I’m in my sweet spot, throwing the shuttle back and forth, making cloth. (This flat cloth will be the back of a cushion with THIS rya weaving on the front.) I would like my attitudes to stay in their sweet spot, too.

Doubled Mora wool in antique Swedish shuttle, weaving rosepath
If I always stop at the same spot in the eight-step sequence, when I do need to stop, I am much less likely to get confused about where I left off. I like to have a filled quill ready so I can keep moving, even when I need to replace an empty quill.

There are normal interruptions in weaving, like stopping to replace the quill in the shuttle. Most of my treadling errors happen after those interruptions. With my attitudes, the disruption that knocks me out of my sweet spot is an encounter with someone who is disagreeable, rude, or unkind.

When we give a blessing, though, even to the undeserving, we come out ahead. If I show empathy, kindness, and humility to someone who does not show it in return, I end up with the blessing. If I return evil for evil or insult for insult, however, I throw that blessing away and my misstep makes a glaring error in my own fabric. Giving a blessing is the best way to get back to that sweet spot.

May you be ready for your next blessing.

As Always,
Karen

Good Idea!

Karen

It is never an easy decision to call it quits and start over. Should I try to make it work and hope for the best? How do you know when to walk away? A good idea shapes the planning of a design, including color choices, materials, and weave structure. That same good idea forms an ideal that guides and critiques the choices along the way. When I saw that the rug on the loom (THIS one) was not lining up with that ideal, I knew it was time to start over. (This new start is much closer to my original idea.)

Rosepath Rag Rug on the loom. Karen Isenhower
Brown rosepath design stands out because of contrasting light background. The print and teal pattern that borders the rosepath design brings in some of the color from the plain weave hem area.

Hold on to good. Let the virtue of goodness be a guiding star for decisions, behavior, and interactions with people. When our actions do not match that good ideal, it’s time to walk away from poor behavior and start over. We become zealous about other things, like good color combinations and perfect selvedges. (HERE is one of the best ways to improve selvedges.) Why not be zealous for good? I don’t mean pointing fingers at others. My own life is the only one I can inspect to see how it aligns with the ideal. The good idea is confirmed as the colors of gentleness and respect are noticeably woven into the fabric.

May you have a good day.

Warped for good,
Karen

Not What I Had in Mind

Karen

This rag rug is not coming out how I expected. The color balance is off. The green and brown do not have enough contrast in the central rosepath design. There is too much red, and it’s overpowering the neutral colors. It is time to call it quits on this one, and get a fresh start on a new rug. If I am going to put my name on something, I want the item to match what is in my mind’s eye. And this is not it!

Rosepath rag rug on the loom.
Start of rosepath rag rug. Camera lens helps view the balance of design and color. This short sample will be used to make a bag instead of a floor rug.

I like to let my personality show in the items I produce. It would be nice if someone would see one of my rag rug creations and say, “That’s a Karen Isenhower rug!” Not to be famous, mind you, but just to have an identifiable style. A name carries promise. Consistency in the weaving extends the promise and identifies the maker. I’d like my life to be a weaving like that, too, making the fair name of Jesus recognizable.

May your creations show what you are like.

As Always,
Karen

Romance and Whimsy

Karen

Our Melody was princess of the day. You could see the white chairs from a distance that told the world, “Wedding!” It was a romantic outdoor setting, under a canopy of majestic old oak trees, appropriate for wedding vows spoken with lifetime integrity. Lights in the trees, mason jars with flowers, and popsicles brought whimsy and laughter to the celebration. (There was an evening breeze that made the air surprisingly cool. I was thankful for the warmth of my handwoven huck lace bamboo shawl.) Everything beckoned guests to come closer. And if you were close enough, you could smell the fragrance of the purple larkspur in Melody’s bridal bouquet!

Bride's wedding dress and bouquet is displayed on bound rosepath by her mother and hope chest built by her father.
Melody’s bridal bouquet in her grandmother’s Fostoria vase, rests on my handwoven bound rosepath piece that is laying on the hope chest built by her father. Melody’s memorable wedding dress completes the scene.

Our heavenly Father is like that, beckoning us to come take a closer look. Close enough to enjoy warmth in the breeze, smell the flowers, and wonder at the mystery of true love.

Bride and Mom just before the wedding.
Bride and Mom sharing laughter and smiles just before the wedding!

May you come close enough to enjoy the details prepared for you.

With Romance in the Air,
Karen