Tag: Texas hill country

Armadillo Leads Critter Parade on the Drawloom

Karen

My husband and I coined the word “lapkin” when our children were young. Lap + napkin = lapkin. We wanted our children to learn the courtesy of placing a napkin on their lap when they were seated for a meal. “Lapkin check!” was a fun game we made of it. The armadillo on the drawloom is a lapkin, if I ever saw one. This thirsty cloth will soak up any drips and spills, smeary hands, or messy mouths that come in contact with it.

Napkin starts with a dark blue hem and gold checkerboard border. I like this view which makes it look like the armadillo feet have really long legs. Single unit draw cords are pulled (drawn) to raise warp ends that form the pattern in the cloth.
Armadillo reaches into one border with its snout, and into the other border with its tail.

Armadillo is the first of a dozen critters that will parade across this loom. Armadillo napkin is the only one of its kind. I’m certain of that. (Fox is up next.)

Simple checkerboard side borders give a fun outline to every napkin.
Just a few pattern shafts (six draw handles) are needed for making the horizontal checkerboard border across the width of the napkins.
Six-shaft broken twill makes an interesting all-over pattern in the cloth.
Teal blue hem ends the Armadillo napkin. Red picks serve as a dividing/cutting line. Fox is next!

Lapkins give us a discreet way to stay tidy at the table. Armadillo, however, doesn’t intend to stay discreet. I’m pretty certain of that, too.

May your courtesy lessons be fun.

Happy weaving.
Karen

Handwoven Monksbelt Receives Favorite Award!

Karen

I decided to make another visit this week to the Kerr Arts and Cultural Center gallery in Kerrville, Texas that is exhibiting some of my fiber fine art. And I am greeted by a pleasant surprise:

Joseph’s Coat receives “People’s Choice” Award for Fiber Fine Art.

When you want people to enjoy seeing what you enjoy making, there’s nothing better than being awarded “People’s Choice!”

Humbly grateful,
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

Weaving a Few Critters

Karen

I am imagining Texas hill country critters (and birds) that will make their way onto the family napkins I’m getting ready to weave. I am thinking of an armadillo, a jack rabbit, a gray fox, a roadrunner, a Texas longhorn, a Texas spiny lizard, a black-chinned hummingbird, and a few more. Designing each image for the drawloom is fun. Just wait till you see the armadillo!

All the pattern heddles have been threaded.

Preparation makes way for imaginative creativity. This is why I enjoy all the drawloom prep.

Six ground shafts hang in front of the pattern heddles for threading. Heddles on the ground shafts are long-eye heddles, which make threading a breeze.
Threading ground shafts is almost complete. I will move the six shafts to the front of the loom to hang from the countermarch. After that, I can start positioning the pattern shafts. And then…weaving those critters!

Everything we do today is preparing for something tomorrow. Enjoy today. Look forward to tomorrow.

What critters (or birds) would you include if you were designing these napkins? Tell us in the comments!

May your creativity soar in relation to your diligent preparations.

Happy weaving,
Karen

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