Tag: wool

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

Warped for Good Ten Year Milestone!

Karen

Warped for Good is ten years old today! To celebrate I offer you some stats and thoughts and thank you’s.

Number of years: 10

I started this blog when I was still new to weaving. This is a learning journey, and you have been learning with me. THANK YOU!

End of weaving Figs and Coffee. Must wait a bit to roll it out. First I am weaving off the remainder of the warp.


Number of email subscribers: 1000

I started with a handful of friends (about 8 or 10) and a few curious family members. I’m incredibly grateful to those first few who allowed me to test my writing skills on them! I am more than astonished that many, many people trust me to bring them news of what’s happening on my looms. I count all of you as friends, and I am so thankful to have you come sit in my studio with me!

End of this rosepath–threaded warp. This is a lovely way to use up surplus butterfiles that are left from weaving the tapestries. I arranged the butterflies to give a soft progression of value change.

Number of blog posts: 781

Some of you remember when I posted twice a week. When Steve retired four years ago, I slowed down to one post a week.

I am determined to keep weaving until the warp runs out, or I run out of butterflies, whichever comes first. The warp ran out first!


Number of floor looms: 5

Warped for Good started with one 120cm Glimåkra Standard Countermarch loom. I didn’t mean to end up with five floor looms. It just happened. (We’re not counting the band loom or rigid heddle looms.) A big thank you to my friend Joanne Hall who threw open the door to floor loom weaving when I first knocked on that door.

Warping slats separate the pieces on the warp. I leave at least 20cm between pieces so I have enough length to tie knots or braid ends in a tapestry edging.


Nickname: Miss Weave-a-lot

This is husband’s nickname for me because I weave a lot. Steve gets my heartfelt thanks for encouraging me every day.

Finishing includes several steps adding up to many hours. Braiding ends into a tapestry edging, clipping weft tails, stitching weft tails down near the sides, hand hemming the top and bottom. The three main pieces will have a backing that I will stitch on, and a means for hanging or mounting.


Number of months taken off: 6

I have taken a pause for the month of July the past six years.

Two smaller sample pieces have a thicker braided edge. I will leave the braid exposed and tack down the loose warp ends on the back of the pieces.


Number of missed posts (except for the July pauses): 0 (zero)

I started learning watercolor sketching a few months ago for the purpose of making tapestry cartoons from my own sketches. I used a slice of this sketch of my morning coffee and figs for my first attempt to “weave a watercolor sketch.” You can expect more watercolor sketch tapestries in the future as I gain more sketching skills.


Most common email request: Electric Bobbin Winder parts list from Tools Day: Electric Bobbin Winder.

Thank you to Steve for making things for me. Thank you to my Warped for Good friends for every email you send me. I’m especially thrilled when you show me pictures of what you are weaving!

Most visited post: More than Meets the Eye

Very first Warped for Good post: Hidden Strength

Heaven and Earth

Number of delayed meals: Too many to count (according to Steve)

Needless to say, I am thankful to have married a very patient man.

Figs and Coffee

Why the name Warped for Good?
Warped for Good is a metaphor for living a purposeful life as a believer in Jesus. God is the Grand Weaver who warps the loom. My life is the warp. Jesus Christ is the good. The weft is the daily living that aligns with the Master’s plan. Interacting with people, making friends, and sharing interests are all part of that plan. I’m truly grateful to my Grand Weaver for all the friends I’ve gained through this humble home of Warped for Good.

Monarch Wing

May you mark your milestones.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Warped for Good emails are ending today. Please bookmark this site so you can come right here and enjoy this weaving journey with me. Think about setting a reminder for yourself to come and see what’s happening on these looms. See you soon!

Warped for good,
Karen

Revive those Handwoven Scraps

Karen

Handwoven remnants (aka scraps) do not get thrown away. Every scrap is good for something. Some scraps are so unusual it takes an extra dose of creativity to find a use for them.

Simple rectangular handbag made from weft-cord handwoven fabric. The cording produces ridges. Ruffled gathers form in between the rows of ridges. 6/2 Tuna wool for warp and plain weave weft. I used a bulky single-ply wool for the cording.

This remnant of blue wool fabric is something I wove a few years ago during my Big Book of Weaving adventure. This structure uses a weft-cord technique, which creates interesting ridges in the fabric. The original project is a simple handbag. The remaining fabric has been buried in a box of remnants. Until now.

Handwoven remnants from previous projects are used for the lining and pocket in the handbag.

I had a great idea to make a bench cushion for my Julia loom from this unusual remnant. Guess what? All those ridges are not so comfortable to sit on (fortunately, I tested it first). My next idea, though, is a success! The blue bumpy scrap makes a nice lumbar pillow, adding special comfort to the rocking chair that belonged to my great grandmother.

Remnant is folded over and hand-stitched, leaving an opening in the center for a muslin pillow insert that I made to fit. The weft-cord weaving produces natural loops at the selvedges, which I am using to my advantage here. Three buttons from my button box are used for closure in conjunction with the selvedge loops.
Buttons to the back, the wide and narrow pillow works beautifully for lumbar support in my great grandmother’s rocking chair.

May you find uses for all your fabric scraps.

Your friend,
Karen

Tapestry with No Intention to Hurry

Karen

I call it Figs and Coffee, but the figs and the coffee are barely recognizable at this point. The image will make sense when it is complete. In the meantime, I am continually intrigued by the fascinating interplay of colors. You can expect me to keep adding to the tapestry until it is complete. It’s nice to not be in a hurry.

Warping slat hangs from the ends of the beater and sits below the warp. The suspended slat keeps the cartoon right under the warp. I use a quilter’s clip on each side to hold the cartoon in exact position.
Every time I advance the warp I examine the positioning of the cartoon to make sure it matches up with marks I have made on the warp in key places.
Regular stops to step back and see if I need to make color or contrast adjustments keeps me on track. Thus, the need to backtrack and undo rows of weaving is infrequent.
Corner window setting for this hand-built loom reinforces my intention to not be in a hurry.

May you keep moving toward completion.

Happy weaving,
Karen