Tag: virtue

Tapestry Diary Mistake and Remedy

Karen

If you must be in a hurry, then you probably won’t enjoy handweaving. Your hurry up condition will be put to the test even more so with tapestry weaving. And when you make mistakes, the errors can usually be remedied, but it always takes more time. Have patience.

Back of finished small tapestry.
Small tapestry is finished when close inspection reveals a critical omission–there is no twining at the bottom edge of the weaving.

I meant to have this piece finished two months ago, but that’s another story. Now that I have finally woven the last pick I am so eager to take the tapestry off the frame. Wait a minute. What? I forgot to do the twining at the beginning of the tapestry? The twining is essential; it keeps the weft in place when the warp tension is relaxed. Okay, have patience, Karen. Do what needs to be done. Add the twining.

Twining added at bottom of small tapestry.
With little space in which to manipulate threads, the accidentally omitted twining is added in.
Twining added at bottom of small tapestry.
Added twining is pushed into place at the bottom of the small tapestry.
Small tapestry diary. Karen Isenhower
Finished view. Now that the added twining makes a pleasant oultine, I like how the tapestry looks on the frame loom. I may leave it on the frame one more day.

Patience is a virtue. What do you do when your patience is put to the test? Especially with important life issues. Trust in the Lord and be still. Waiting patiently is better than fretting. Is it possible the Lord has some finishing work to do in us, requiring patience, before we move on to the next assignment?

May you find errors while they are still fixable.

Love,
Karen

My Wide Little Warp

Karen

I wanted to make a video for you, showing how I weave on the band loom. Unfortunately, I put on a wider warp than usual. My small hands can barely weave this wider band, putting me to the test. It is slow and sloppy as I struggle to make progress. Finally, though, the end is in sight! So much for pointing out common errors in band weaving. Ha.

Glimakra band loom weaving, using 12/6 cotton rug warp.
Band loom shuttle is carried through the warp with the left hand, and the right hand uses a tool, called a band knife, to beat in the weft. 1 3/4 inches / 5.5 cm is just wide enough that sending the shuttle through with one (small) hand is pretty tricky.

My difficulty in weaving this will show up in the finished piece. The main problem is lack of consistency. Some stretches are embarrassingly uneven and may not be usable. If I want to show someone else how to weave a wider band, I need to work on my own technique. I better get it right before I try to demo this for anyone else.

It is a virtue to correct your own mistakes before pointing out the faults of others. How easy it is to notice someone else’s “blind spot.” I wonder if sometimes we are seeing our own flaw, but we don’t recognize it until we see it on someone else. The next time I am tempted to highlight someone else’s mistake, I want to remember what it took to weave this band, errors and all.

May you always give, and receive, the benefit of the doubt.

P.S. I do have another video in the making. I’ll show you next week.
P.P.S. I will do a video on band weaving. Eventually.

Love,
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

Linen and Beads

Karen

After threading nearly 200 beads on a length of linen thread, and then winding it oh so carefully on a stick shuttle… I had a clumsy mess! The beads were too big (these pretty blue beads), and there were too many to manage at once. Time to start over. Smaller and fewer beads on the strand of linen was the solution. Now I can successfully weave them in. Smaller and fewer. You cannot measure success by size and quantity. You cannot measure generosity that way, either.

Glass beads lined up to place in a row of weaving.
Small glass beads arranged in a row before taking them to the loom.
Weaving small glass beads into the linen textile.
I found success when I threaded the beads on the linen thread at the loom. one row at a time.

We usually measure generosity by how much someone gives, but I’m not sure that is a true measure. When I give from my surplus, that is easy giving, no matter how much I give away. Most of us can do that. What about giving money, time, or resources from my personal supply? Now, that’s another story. A heart of generosity shows when I give what I would prefer to keep for myself.

Authentic generosity is a rare virtue. I am not completely there yet, but if I start with just a few beads, being intentional about selfless giving, I’ll be able to look back and smile at the results.

May you find something meaningful to give away.

With love,
Karen