I have been experimenting with weft twining for a couple of weeks now as an off-loom technique...a fun take-along project which requires no tools. This week I wove a piece inspired by Bedouin weaving on my backstrap loom which will be wall hanging and incorporated some weft twined bands in the piece as the Bedouin weavers often do. It was interesting having this on-loom weft twining experience and seeing how the weft twined bands can be used within a piece. I don't think the weft twined bands on the Bedouin pieces serve any particular purpose apart from being decorative or that anything determines exactly where they are placed within a piece. They often leave the weft ends hanging and I will do so too. I will add some ends so that both sides are balanced and maybe braid them or make a tassel.

The wider weft twined band is the center of the piece. I want to twine a much wider band at the end. The warp faced weaving is warp substitution. More about this on my blog.

Comments

Fri, 10/08/2010 - 13:43

bolivian warmi

Here is an off loom piece that I am twining at the moment using Montagnard designs.

Fri, 10/08/2010 - 13:58

Aunt Janet (not verified)

Good morning, Laverne.  Nice patterns.  That twining technique looks interesting.

 

 

Sat, 10/09/2010 - 01:51

jordanj (not verified)

Lovely! I tried twining a while ago, but my efforts did not look nearly as nice as yours! I'm all about take-along projects these days! Do you have info on techniques on your blog?

 

Sat, 10/09/2010 - 03:43

bolivian warmi

So far, I have been learning it all from books Jennifer. There are a few book recommendations on my blog. You could download the Collingwood book for free from handweaving.net as that has chapter on it. The book that I found most helpful was the one on Taaniko Maori twining. Hopefully I will be able to study it with the Montagnard weavers and will be able to describe their technique.

Sat, 10/09/2010 - 04:45

jordanj (not verified)

It was the Collingwood book I was learning from. The directions were very clear, so I think it was just the materials I was using that made it look so awkward. You have inspired me to give it another go! 

Sat, 10/09/2010 - 22:10

Caroline (not verified)

We have a Maori weaver here in Adelaide who has offered to give our Guild a Taaniko workshop. She is self taught; she is not a weaver and learned her craft from the elders of her family. I think this will happen sometime next year as the Guild only has a couple more meetings this year, but I will remember to take photos when it happens.

Fri, 10/22/2010 - 15:04

bolivian warmi

I finished the above wall hanging and put a broad band of weft twining on its edge and "S" wrapped the warp ends. I covered the ends of the other weft twined bands within the warp faced weaving by attaching two narrow black bands to the edges. I think I will leave the weft ends of the broader twined band there as a decorative feature.

I am going to experiment and see if I can twine within a warp faced piece and not twine all the way to the edge. Maybe I can use the weft ends from the twining as weft to weave the edge warps in regular warp faced weave. The problem is that I would have two weft ends instead of one but I think that this could work. 


Sat, 10/23/2010 - 04:04

graciela (not verified)

Laverne, this is spectacular!. Next summer I will experiment with this technique.Graciela.

Sat, 10/23/2010 - 05:02

francorios (not verified)

That is so cool! The twining is righteously excellent and I've never seen S wrap before. So you just wrap the warps in an S shape? It looks great!

Have a good day!

Thu, 12/16/2010 - 15:58

bolivian warmi

Thank you Alaa, those designs in black and white are very striking and I will keep them in my ideas file.