Tag: search

Second Half of the Rug

Karen

I have five yards of the blue fabric, and no more. I’m in a pickle if the blue runs out. The pile of blue is dwindling fast. No worries. Two simple habits resolve the issue. I don’t have to wonder if I will have enough blue to finish the rug.

Double binding rag rug on Glimakra Standard loom.
Almost out of blue fabric for the first half of the rug.

My secret?
1. Mark the halfway point on the measuring ribbon. This gives a point of reference.
2. When cutting fabric strips, divide the strips into two piles. Put one pile aside, reserving it for the second half of the rug.

Fabric strips ready for second half of rag rug.
Bottom drawer of the Elfa cart next to the loom holds the fabric strips that have been set aside.

This practice enables me to adjust the rug design, if needed, before it’s too late. On the current rug, the wide stripe across the middle just became a little wider.

Double binding rag rug. Karen Isenhower
Two shuttles carry the same fabric. This puts continuous weft color across the width of the warp.
Double binding rag rug in the making.
Marked measuring ribbon shows I have passed the halfway point of the weaving. The rest is all downhill!

What point of reference is there for leading a fulfilling life? Can we know if we have what’s needed to finish well? Our hearts search for truth. We know we need a reliable point of reference. Search for the Lord; seek him. He is the reference point of truth that brings coherence to our existence. We can trust our Grand Weaver to put aside for us everything we need to live a fulfilled life, all the way to the end.

May you have what you need when you need it.

Happy weaving,
Karen

True Treasure

Karen

I already own a plentiful selection of handwoven towels. I am weaving the fifth towel on this warp, and there will be at least three more towels after that. So, you might think I am storing up towels. Even so, whatever I am weaving at the moment becomes my favorite thing, like a precious treasure. The intricacies of the goose-eye twill and the color interaction seem special, with fancy treadling footwork and several colors of 16/2 cotton to play with. It is a journey of discovery–of learning and being delighted with the visual and physical impact of it all. In the end, though, it’s just a towel–a thing. (I will keep one towel for my collection. The rest will go in Etsy and/or become gifts.)

Goose-eye twill towels on the loom. Karen Isenhower
Temple in place, weaving goose-eye towels progresses. Viewing the cloth as it comes over the breast beam.

The greatest treasures are intangible; and the most valuable ones are hidden, to be discovered by those who are seeking. Beware of false treasures. When we make things we hold in our hands more important than they should be, we risk overlooking the true treasures. Uncovering and collecting those timeless treasures becomes life’s most exciting adventure.

May your treasure hunt make you rich (on the inside).

Happy Discovering,
Karen

(~As a thank-you for coming here, I have a discount coupon for you on my About Page to use in my Etsy Shop during the month of August, 2014.~)

Not Your Usual Search Engine

Karen

As I see it, this woven piece is a series of bordered ribbons laying side-by-side across the warp. I like to weave functional pieces, so it concerns me that I do not know how this will be used when it is finished. As I weave, then, there’s a quiet, ongoing mental search for a worthy function for this cloth.

Decorative bound rosepath progressing on the loom.
Bound Rosepath structure, with the linen warp entirely covered by the wool weft, is a thick, one-sided decorative cloth. It could be used as a wall hanging; or made into an article like a cushion cover, a table mat, or a bag, for example.

You can find many answers with a Google search; and I might even find ideas for this cloth by searching Pinterest (you can follow me on Pinterest). There are some things, however, that you will never find until you search a different way. Your heart is your search engine to find what cannot be seen with your eyes or touched with your hands.

Have you thought about the Christmas story? Baby Jesus, wrapped up lovingly in cloth (handwoven, no doubt), was sleeping in a makeshift cradle in Bethlehem. Simple shepherds were told of the special delivery and were sent to find the new baby, which they eagerly did. That is the kind of eager searching, with heart and soul, that will lead you and I to the ultimate gift! In our time, as it was then, God is the gift waiting to be discovered by those who are searching for Him.

May your quiet, ongoing search be rewarded.

Good Christmas to you and yours,
Karen