Time Lapse: Windmill and Taildragger on the Drawloom
- By Karen
- September 22, 2020
- 18 Comments
Come, look over my shoulder as I weave a windmill and taildragger image on the drawloom. The central design is woven using 103 single-unit draw cords. I have a simple motif for the borders that uses only three pattern shafts. In the video below, watch as the three draw handles for those pattern shafts appear and disappear throughout the weaving.
I recorded my weaving in time-lapse form so you can watch three hours of effort compressed into three-and-a-half minutes. In the video you will see my hand pulling the draw cords, and then touching all the pulled cords from right to left to double check my work. That double checking saved me from dreaded do-overs.
When our good friends, Jerry and Jan, saw my drawloom they brought this picture to my attention. — Forty years ago Jerry discovered the silhouetted windmill and airplane tucked away on a back page in an old issue of Flying magazine. Because of his affinity for airplanes and windmills he cut out the tiny picture and saved it. Years later, Jan found the picture and had it enlarged and framed. — After learning about my loom’s pictorial capability, Jerry and Jan wondered aloud if this special image could be woven on a drawloom…
Enjoy the video, and hold on to your hat!
May you ride the wind.
Happy Weaving,
Karen
18 Comments
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Home in Texas on the Drawloom
- By Karen
- September 15, 2020
- 25 Comments
The sky is the limit! That is my conclusion after weaving a few designs using the Myrehed combination drawloom. The shaft draw and the single unit draw systems are combined on this ingenious apparatus that is attached to an otherwise ordinary loom. The shaft draw system enables me to weave repeated patterns. The single unit system enables non-repeat patterns. This narrow warp is my playground to do both.
I use the computer to create designs. ”Home in Texas” shows the back of our house, with its massive stone chimney. The tree in the scene is a tracing of the oak tree that I pass as I walk up the hill to my drawloom studio. The airplane is a copy of the Mooney that our pilot friend took us in to fly over Enchanted Rock. I am delighted to discover that I can use a drawloom to bring features of personal meaning such as these to life.
The words of the Creator have life in them. It’s as if he puts his thoughts on the loom and weaves them into being. Let there be light! He speaks; and it is so. Listen closely. Hear the Grand Weaver say, Peace to you. And it is woven so. You are his workmanship, bringing his design to life.
May your life reveal the Creator’s design.
Happy Weaving,
Karen
25 Comments
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Beth Mullins says:
Mind blown! Wow!
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Hi Beth, The drawloom attachment changes everything. At the root of it all, though, is normal weaving. The draw handles and cords turn it into a giant counted cross stitch machine. 🙂
Happy weaving,
Karen
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Wanda says:
Fabulous! I love seeing what you weave!
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Hi Wanda, Thanks for letting me know! It’s a treat for me to have someone like you to show it to.
Have a great day,
Karen
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Judy Goodwin says:
I took a drawloom class at Vavstuga Studios in MA. I loved being able to create the designs. Would love to do more of it. Your work is wonderful
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Hi Judy, That’s great that you had the drawloom experience at Vavstuga. I’m sure it was wonderful! Creating the designs on the computer has been quite a learning curve for me. I’m beginning to enjoy it. 🙂
Thank you,
Karen
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Kevin B says:
Ah, so much to learn! As always your weaving is beautiful and very inspirational! Thank you for sharing!
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Hi Kevin, The learning always stretches out in front of us, doesn’t it? Is your drawloom up and running?
Thank you,
Karen
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Betsy says:
Oh, wow!! Very cool.
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Hi Betsy, Your gal is doing very well over here. She’s all dressed up to give loads of enjoyment – a perfect loom for this!
Best to you,
Karen
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Charlene says:
There is a great deal more than the threads of fibre weaving through your blog posts and the story of your art. I catch a thread or two, sometimes in what you write; “May your life reveal the Creator’s design” and sometimes in the comments; “May I add, amen.”
Comparatively, I find my own weaving journey so intimidatingly small as I read about your journey, but then I remember the joy isn’t in comparison, the joy is in our created uniqueness.
It is fascinating – both in this created life God has given us and to share your unique contribution with you. Thank you for such detail in both photo and description. I thoroughly enjoy both.
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Hi Charlene, The underlying threads you insightfully detect are at the heart of all my intentions. I’m pleased to have you join me in this little corner of the created life God has given us.
Your friend,
Karen
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Shari says:
You have truly embraced weaving! So much to discover. When I was visiting my best friend Janet in Austin last October we went hiking at Enchanted Rock. Very special place. Be well.
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Hi Shari, I’m so happy to know that my little mention of Enchanted Rock meant something to you. Having had hiked Enchanted Rock a few times, it was very exciting to get to see it from the air!
Be well to you and yours,
Karen
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Linda Adamson says:
Lovely. How long does it take you to set up your loom? Where did you learn how?
Linda-
Hi Linda, This warp took me a good 12 hours to set up. I was determined to get it done, so I spent about 3 hours, 4 days in a row. I enjoyed the process – it all seems so amazing how the systems work together. But this is why most drawloom weavers put on looooong warps. This current warp is only about 5-6 yards long because this is for planning out designs to use on larger pieces in the future. Besides, I still need the practice of dressing this loom often enough so that I don’t have to start from scratch with my memory.
I took a drawloom class from Joanne Hall at her studio in Montana. It was excellent!
All the best,
Karen-
Thank you Karen.
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Linda Cornell says:
I enjoy your posts and weaving inspirations! I hardly know what a draw loom is but it’s cool to see what you produce in it! Most particularly, your intertwining of faith through your weaving is mist inspiring. God continue to bless you!
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Hi Linda, It wasn’t that long ago that I hardly knew what a drawloom was, either. It’s been an interesting learning journey.
I’m glad the intertwining of faith through my weaving experiences resonates with you.
Thank you,
Karen
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Connie says:
All I can say is, WOW! Thanks for sharing.
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Hi Connie, It’s great to share in this together! I’m pleased you like it.
All the best,
Karen
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Process Review: Drawloom Weaving without Errors
- By Karen
- June 23, 2020
- 16 Comments
I found a way to practically eliminate draw cord errors on the single-unit drawloom. After making one too many mistakes while weaving this rag rug, I resolved to find a solution. True, I will still make mistakes, but now I expect them to be few and far between. (To view the first rag rug on this warp, see Stony Creek Drawloom Rag Rug.)
My most frequent error is having a draw cord out of place, either pulled where it shouldn’t be, or not pulled where it should be. And then, I fail to see the mistake in the cloth until I have woven several rows beyond it. I determined to find a way to eliminate this kind of error. (For an example of this kind of error, see Handweaving Dilemma.)
Test 1. Double check my work. Pull all the needed draw cords for one row and then double check all the pulled cords.
Results: This bogs me down. And I still fail to catch errors.
Test 2. Double check my work little by little. Treat every twenty draw cords as a section—ten white cords and ten black cords. Pull the cords in the first section. Double check. Pull the cords in the next section. Double check. And so on all the way across…
Results: Easy to do. I quickly catch and correct errors.
Now, I am implementing this incremental method of double checking my work on the little bit of warp that remains. With a Happily-Ever-After ending, the short Lost Valley piece is completed with NO draw cord errors! (Lost Valley is the name we’ve given our Texas Hill Country home.)
Woven Rag Rug and Lost Valley process in pictures:
May you learn from experience.
Happy Weaving,
Karen
16 Comments
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Geri says:
Wow, more beautiful weaving and I love your new pieces!
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Hi Geri, Thanks so much! I’m glad you like them. It’s always fun to take things off the loom.
Happy weaving,
Karen
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Loyanne Cope says:
Your work as always is stunning. Forgive me if you have mentioned your weft material before. The materials look shiny. Could you share what you use for weft. Thank you
Loyanne-
Hi Loyanne,
The weft is 100% cotton fabric cut in 1 cm strips. It has some variance to it because of the way the strips turn in the shed, and because I alternated 2 different fabrics for each color block area.
Thanks!
Karen
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Joanna says:
Well worth all the suspense! The pieces are amazing.
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Hi Nannette, I don’t think any of us enjoy doing the rework. There’s usually a solution to a recurring problem if we take the time to think it through.
All the best,
Karen
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Barbara Mitchell says:
Oh, Karen, after seeing only a little bit at a time, how exciting to see your rugs off the loom and finished. Beautiful work.
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Hi Barbara, I’m with you. Even being the one at the loom, I have to wait to see the whole thing. It’s always an exciting moment to unroll it!
Thank you,
Karen
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I found that I made less errors by outlining the pattern areas with a dark black, thin marker. That line made all the difference for me.
Your rug is Gorgeous!-
Hi Karen, Thank you for that helpful tip. I will try it. I definitely found that my chart must be clearly in focus and have adequate contrast for the pattern areas. I reprinted my chart a couple times to make improvements. You have my wheels turning now. I may be able to add that outline on the computer in Affinity Photo where I make the chart. I will test that out!
Many thanks!
Karen
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Marie says:
Hi Karen
Love your work. I have woven and owned both a Glimarka Single and an Oxaback combination drawlooms. They both have overhead draw systems. When I designed repeat patterns for the single unit, I always wove a sample of the design first. At the same time, I would add leashes to the cords for pattern selection. If design was a complete repeat, I would just push the leashes back and start over. If the design was on a point, I would weave to the point then return reverse pulling the leashes. I don’t know if this is possible on a Myrehed draw system?
I also use a highlighter every ten squares on my design paper to correspond to the 10 dark thread in the draw warp.Have lots of fun
Marie
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Hi Marie, The overhead draw system sounds very useful. I have seen pictures of them. I don’t think the Myrehed system has the capability to save leashes, at least I am unaware of it.
That’s a great suggestion to use a highlighter to mark the design paper. Anything that makes the chart more readable is a great idea! Thanks so much.
All the best,
Karen
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Elisabeth says:
What a beautiful result, as always, it is so intriguing what you are able to create on your drawloom! And what a great idea for the short warp you had left.
Double checking your work little by little is a great idea! It is far from comparable to this, but I divide into “twenties” when casting on for knitting, placing markers as dividers. Like you said, it is so much easier to catch errors. I never thought about it for weaving, but now I know 🙂-
Hi Elisabeth, We use this concept of double checking many times in the weaving process–in winding the warp, threading, sleying, and even in making calculations for planning a warp. It only makes sense to use the same concept in other processes.
Thank you,
Karen
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Handweaving Dilemma
- By Karen
- June 2, 2020
- 14 Comments
I am making great progress on my drawloom rag rug, closing in on the final segment. And then, I take a picture and the camera reveals something I had failed to see. A mistake! Here is the dilemma that I’m sure other weavers face, too. It’s an internal dialogue. I can live with the error. Or, can I? No one will notice. Well, I certainly will notice. But I am sooo close to the end. I really don’t want to undo the last forty minutes of weaving. What would you do?
Back it up. Using the chart that I follow for pulling draw cords, unit by unit, I work my way back until I get to the error. On reflection, doing the task is easier than thinking about doing it.
My feelings can fool me. I don’t feel like going back and correcting my mistake. This is the time to pause and listen. Wisdom is at the door. Wisdom requires thinking, and listening, and time. Time is my friend, if I refrain from hurry. Wisdom is much like the skill of an experienced craftsman—one who understands precision and artistic expression and do-overs. Wisdom knows that patience is powerful. The easiest way to do something often forfeits the greatest rewards.
May you keep your ear at wisdom’s door.
Peace,
Karen
14 Comments
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Such a wonderfully wise decision and if anyone can do it – make that small mistake go away and result in a perfect weave – you can and DID! I am always so inspired by your work, and follow along with great joy! Thanks for sharing – inspiring as always!
Will you tell me what the blue cloth is? So beautifully bold and it looks like a hand dye or print. I am a fairly new weaver and love experimenting and making rag rugs.-
Hi Bethany, One of the best things about making rag rugs is getting to play with beautiful fabrics. There are two different blue fabrics here. They alternate. One is a solid blue with some variance in color, and the other is a small bright floral print. Both are 100% cotton quilting fabrics that I have left over from other rag rug weaving projects. Combining the two fabrics makes the blue very rich.
Thanks for your kind words!
Happy weaving,
Karen
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Charlotte says:
Wisdom and patience and un-weaving prevailed. 40 minutes of weaving taken out. Wise! You would have spent the lifetime of the rug with your eye going to the mistake. Wisdom…a wonderful gift to us! He perfects us only a daily basis, if we allow. Always, I seek His wisdom and ask that He bless the work of my hands. This oftentimes means…un-weaving due to my mistake. I began weaving my sheep, late yesterday. When I removed the temple, I realized one had only 3 legs. You know the rest of my story….
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Hi Charlotte, Yes, if I had kept going (and I came so close to doing that), I would always have seen that one spot on the rug.
Oh, yes, I know the rest of your story. Another lesson learned.
Love,
Karen
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I just faced the same dilemma. Something didn’t look right after several inches of weaving a project from Handwoven. So I stopped and googled “Handwoven corrections 2019” and sure enough there was a correction to the draft. I had to walk away and let it all sink in before I could unweave and then decide how to proceed. As I always tell myself, it’s only time.
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Hi Donns, Wise words – “it’s only time.” Time is something we all have. I’m glad you caught the mistake while you could still do something about it.
Happy weaving,
Karen
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Wisdom…. A blessing to take another look before proceeding. I’ve learned so much from walking away to clear my head… Then when I return, the mistake is obvious.
Is wisdom what happens between finishing and enjoying the journey?
Blessings upon your journey.
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Hi Nannette, Walking away is one of the wisest things we can do. It gives us a chance to think.
Blessings to you,
Karen
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Isn’t that always the way? It’s soooo difficult in our minds, but easy once we actually do it. Happens over and over to me.
Can’t wait to see this off the loom!
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Hi Betsy, I don’t know why I have to learn the same lesson over and over. Oh, for wisdom and patience to sink in.
It will be a few more days, now, but I’m near the end of the rug.
Happy weaving,
Karen
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Allison says:
You are right, taking it out actually takes less time than thinking about taking it out!
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Hi Allison, Next time, maybe I will just do it instead of thinking about not wanting to do it. It sounds like you’ve been there, too.
Happy weaving,
Karen
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Yvonne Taylor says:
Well I would just take a large darning needle anf go over the mistake and hide the ends. You will be more careful from now on Im sure. Ha ha. Who hasn’t done something like this?
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Hi Yvonne, Trust me, I considered doing just that. And I will probably need to darn other mistakes that I’ve missed. But I’m glad I went back to fix the error now. Easier, really, than covering it up later.
I think we’ll all done something like this, haven’t we?
Happy weaving,
Karen
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Charted Territory on the Drawloom
- By Karen
- May 19, 2020
- 20 Comments
The chart that hangs at the left side of the beater gives a glimpse of the overall design of this rag rug. It’s the second page of a three-page chart. It’s not easy to make sense of the design on the loom, seeing only a small slice of the big picture. I am eager to see the whole project woven, to see how it aligns with the design I’ve imagined.
I drew the design in MacStitch, a cross-stitch design program. Then, I imported the gridded image into Photo Affinity to add vertical shaded stripes to match the 10 white-/10 black-cord arrangement of single-unit draw cords on the loom. Lastly, I printed the enlarged chart to use as my guide at the loom.
How does our present slice of life fit into the overall plan? Only God knows. But one thing is certain. The Grand Weaver has a purpose for your life. It’s a purpose that he will fulfill. You and I are the work of his hands, work that he will not abandon. Yes, we make our plans. The truth is, our best plan is that which aligns with the design he has imagined.
May you get a glimpse of your life’s design.
On purpose,
Karen
20 Comments
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Oh my goodness!!!
Just when I think I’ve seen it all, there is more. God is great!
How are you getting such even widths on your rag warps?
Kind regards,
Nannette-
Hi Nannette, I like the way you notice detail.
I’m not sure if you’re asking about the rag wefts, or about the width of the warp overall…
For the rag wefts –
I fold the fabric yardage and put it on my cutting mat. I use a clear quilting ruler to measure off 1 cm (3/8”), and slice it off with my large-blade rotary cutter. It takes a lot of cutting for a rug this size with strips this thin. I usually cut 40 strips, then weave them, then cut 40 more, then weave them, and so on.For the width of the warp –
I use a temple, and I bubble the weft. Both factors help keep the warp width uniform size.Thanks for asking,
Karen-
Curious about the 3/8″ strips. It appears you are using only one strip at a time so the front and back will be different colors. Is that correct?
What set are you using? Wondering how thick it will be when finished.-
Hi Linda, I am using only one fabric strip at a time. The back is the reverse of the front. In other words, where you see the red on front, you will see the predominant warp threads on the back, and vice versa.
The sett is 7 doubled ends per centimeter (I think that’s about 18 doubled ends per inch), which makes the warp very dense. The first rug from this warp is about the same thickness as my “regular” rag rugs, but I would say the rug is stiffer and feels more densely packed.
Thanks for asking,
Karen
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Joanne Hall says:
I look forward to seeing the completed rug. This is a very interesting desigtn.
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Hi Joanne, It will be gratifying to see the whole rug at once. I tried to come up with a design that is simple enough to work with the scale of this rug.
Thank you,
Karen
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Fascinated by the drawloom. Could I contact you to talk more about it?
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Hi Linda, Absolutely, you can contact me any time! The best way to reach me is through this contact form: Get in Touch.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Karen
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That’s impressive, and the design is quite dramatic. Now I am curious to see it finished 🙂
I like the possibilities a draw loom offers, but I am afraid it would be too complex for me.
It is a challenge to be content with only seeing today, but to be able to focus on the present day and the task at hand, that’s where I find the beauty of life-
Hi Elisabeth, It helps to know one’s purpose. The drawloom isn’t for everyone. But when you come out to see me, I’d like to give you a swing at mine. 🙂
I agree with you, that it is so important to focus on the present day we have–a gift that’s been given to us.
Happy weaving,
Karen
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Anna Zinsmeister says:
It looks really interesting. It’s so good to see a rug being woven using the drawloom. It shows that it can be a very versatile loom. I like your work!
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Hi Anna, I am touched by your words of affirmation. Thank you!
I have always been interested in rag rug weaving, so when I got a drawloom, I knew this was something I wanted to try. Yes, indeed, this is a very versatile loom. I will never run out of things to learn and try on it.
Happy Weaving,
Karen
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LJ Arndt says:
Beautiful work. I’m really new to draw loom and have a question from the photo. Are you using a shaft and individual draw on your loom. The shafts being pulled and on the pegs below the draw attachment. In the photo, right now, there are no individual warp ends selected. Am I interpreting the photo correctly. Thank you, looking forward to seeing the finished rug.
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Hi LJ, You are asking pertinent questions. I do have the Myrehed combination draw frame; however, this project is not using the shaft draw system at all. This is completely woven with the single unit draw. In the second picture you can see the shaft draw handles near the top of the draw frame. They are not being used on this project. The single unit draw cords are the black cords and white cords that you see, some of which are pulled and held in place by the pegs on the hook bar. In other words, these draw cords that are pulled are lifting individual units of threads. Whereas, if any of the shaft draw handles were pulled, they would be lifting pattern shafts holding certain units of threads.
Does that clarify?
My next “death-defying feat” will be to use the combination–both shaft draw and single-unit draw on the same project. I’m still wrapping my mind about how that will work. Coming soon…!
Thank you!
Karen-
It does. I have a shaft draw system that I’ve only used a couple of times and so interested in learning it’s possibilities. Thank you for the great explanation.
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Super neat!
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Martha says:
Karen, this rug is so pretty. I can hardly wait to see it when it is finished.
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Hi Martha, I’m glad you like it! It’s a fascinating project to work on. Like you, I am eager to see it rolled out.
Thanks so much!
Karen
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Copyright © 2020
What I loved most was your DH appearing and disappearing at speed!
Hi Ruth, I like that part, too. He didn’t realize I was filming at the time.
Have a great day,
Karen
Very, very beautiful! And yes, the time lapse is great, but leaves out all the time and tedious work of creating such a work of art! Thanks for sharing! Happy Weaving! 🙂
Hi Joyce, I know what you mean. The time lapse doesn’t show all the effort. Hopefully, it gives a snapshot of how much fun it is to weave on a drawloom.
Thank you,
Karen
That is stunning!
Hi Anneloes, I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thank you!
All the best,
Karen
Wow! That was so interesting to watch.Thanks for filming it. Your drawloom adventures are amazing!
Hi Cindy, The drawloom is a fascinating contraption. In some ways it is very complex, but all the parts are actually pretty simple. It’s a fun learning journey. Thanks for joining in!
Happy weaving,
Karen
It just amazes me how you do this. Have you ever thought about weaving Navajo style?
Hi Cynthia, I admire Navajo-style weaving, and have done a tiny bit of that type of weft-faced weaving. My main focus is on Swedish-style weaving and Swedish techniques. There are so many intriguing forms of weaving!
Thanks,
Karen
Amazing!!
Hi Marian, It’s great to hear from you!
Thank you!
Karen
I am gobsmacked!Airplanes and windmills are also my favorite things, as well as my husband’s. When we bought our home in the panhandle, we specifically looked for land with a windmill. Greg flies remote control planes and I joined the Air Force due to my fascination.
If you are up to making a second one of these weavings, I would love to purchase it from you.
As always, I cannot express enough my admiration for your creativity and talent.
Hi Annie, I am thrilled to learn that airplanes and windmills are your favorite things! How fun to see how this woven image suits you and Greg.
I will send you an email to answer your question about weaving another one.
Hugs and well wishes, and THANK YOU for your service to our nation in the Air Force!
Karen
Amazing! I am curious as to your decision to weave the image sideways instead of vertically. How did you choose to do that?
Hi Kim, I like your question! To tell the truth, I wasn’t sure which direction would give best results. I wove this one from the side only because the width of the picture is shorter than the length. I plan to weave another one straight on, so I can see if one way is better than the other. That fits the purpose of this warp – experimental and sampling.
Thanks,
Karen
Hi Karen,
Watching you weave at the draw down loom brought back memories of my Aunt practicing for Sunday service at the church organ. Both artists.
Thanks for the long forgotten memory in the format of your 20th century subject..
Nannette
Hi Nannette, I have church organists in my extended family, too. I have often thought of my loom bench as an organ bench, and with the drawloom, even more so, as if I’m pulling stops, playing the keys, and working the pedals with my feet.
How sweet that my weaving at the drawloom related to you in that way.
Hold the memories,
Karen