So, I am a day early but wated to get this thread started while I was still thinking about it. Looks like March is going to come in pretty lamb like around here. But that is the way our whole winter has been. A few cold days but mostly unseasonably warm. I am not ready for hot yet!

So what is on everyone's weaving plates for the upcoming month. I need to get started on some research and samples for a study group I will be starting in the next couple of months. Keep your eyes open for that one. I also need to get the dish towel warp off the loom. It's been on there way too long and I need to start something fresh and more inviting to get my weaving mojo reactiviated. I am looking forward to see what Sally comes up with for her new snow warp and Tien, your triple weave project sounds intriguing. Everyone in here keeps me inspired. Weave on!

Comments

Mon, 03/07/2016 - 15:13

theresasc

When you decided to start posting again, you really made a statement!  Love the rosepath towels - I really like that structure, you can get so much variety from one threading.  I like the band in your towels, really nice touch, and I am with Cathie, I just love the blanket, that is just beautiful.

UFO's - amazing how many of those end up around the house!  I moved some towels off the sewing machine just yesterday that have not been finished yet!

Erica - Kessenich looms have everything so accessible and easy to get to.  The breast beam comes off with 2 bolts, the beater assembly lays on the floor out of the way, and the warp beam turns clock-wise so that it is a piece of cake to feed in warp seperator material.  Once the warp is on, there is plenty of room to sit in front of the heddles and thread and sley.  For me it just goes 1-2-3 and done.

Mon, 03/07/2016 - 15:17

Queezle

Shawn - I've been experiencing the same with gifted scarves.  Last week I inventoried the wool in my cedar chest, and it brought back memories of making a scarf for each of my siblings and their kids (in the early 90s).  No photos.  Just the leftover yarn.  I do not have a scarf handmade by me.

That changes now - and I think (as Cathie said), its important to keep some of the weaving for yourself.

Thor - that is beautiful!  And I want to hear more about bringing large-ish looms to workshops.  Please - tell more - I keep thinking I need a workshop loom, but don't want something that is only used once or twice a year, or that requires fiddling with changing sheds by hand.

Mon, 03/07/2016 - 16:33

Erica J

I feel like we are all sitting down at the local coffee shop going over our progress each day! What fabulous conversation. You are all most welcome for the digital documentation. I have some upgrades planned as always, some are already in the works. :)

You all are weaving such gorgeous things as usual! Sally, if I didn't say so already I love the angle on your trapeze photo!

As for me, I finished my taquete pieces, these are based on a piece I studied at the V&A and will become coin purses/almenieres (no idea if I actually spelled that right). One each for Oli J and TJ and the rest I will give to other artisans in our medieval group!

I also got my next warp faced band ready to go and will get my wide warp repp on the loom this week! Between the band warp and the warp repp this should be the last of what I am required to weave for my Certificate of Achievement portfolio. I may only reweave my boundweave sample and my pile weave sample! Watch out for more weavings I can publicly share come April!!!

Mon, 03/07/2016 - 21:54

Joyce (not verified)

I'm threading a 53" warp that will be a plain weave throw for my mother.  A picture is posted on my project page because I'm a bit of a computer illiterate trying to post it here.  I sampled on my Dorothy:  the small sample on the right is the sett and epi I'll use for her throw.  The sample on the left was a try at double weave.  

Tue, 03/08/2016 - 04:24

Thor (not verified)

i had a ball tonight with 32 women at their interfaith guild meeting. I was their "guest speaker" and I shared my journey into weaving. They asked great questions and seemed to enjoy themselves. It was funny that NO ONE wanted to win the door prize of a private, in home "Intro To Weaving" class to weave their own scarf...all supplies included! They kept saying, "Who's got time for that?"  They loved getting to hold all the samples and hearing about how different patterns are created. So. Much. Fun.

Tue, 03/08/2016 - 10:04

ReedGuy

When putting my order together I decided I wanted a Fraser cutter. I have a few yarn discounts, but also free shipping this time. Two boxes of stuff I'm told. I like gifts to myself. hahaha! :)

Wow to everyone being busy on their looms. There are some great works of fiber art going on. I see everyone eventally finds a way to sort out any kinks they encounter. Sometimes it just helps to take a break from it all.

I got a chuckle from reading about the portable Glimakra. Of course it is, it's just a pile of sticks. Grin ;) Hey, we laugh, but there is a gentleman on youtube with a reaaly old barn bran loom, everything is pinned and pegged. He takes this monstrous thing to his fair/exhibits/booths all the time.

Happy weaving. :)

Tue, 03/08/2016 - 10:21

ReedGuy

Thor, if they are elderly women like my mother, weaving is an obsticle to going somewhere with their peers and spouses to reminisce and gossip. Often making up for lost time. LOL That's where the phrase you've quoted comes from. Besides that, weavers are scarce compared to knitters. But we know this anyway. :)

Tue, 03/08/2016 - 16:57

theresasc

the placemats.  Wow, talk about speed weaving!  They are in the washing machine right now.  I also had to run over to Jo-Ann's for some thread.  I am so glad that it is close to my house because this seems like a regular happening with me. 

It was so fun weaving on the floor loom.  All of February was spent on the tapestry loom, so to throw shuttles and weave cloth, and quickly, was fun.  I am enjoying the time at tapestry but it just takes so long to have something to show for the all the time at the loom.  These silly placemats wove up so fast and I ended up with a great finished product in a couple of days - a great feeling of satisfaction.

Tue, 03/08/2016 - 17:00

Queezle

Thor - what a great story.  And such good outreach. 

Last night my husband's guitar circle was at our house, and while I love hearing all the sound, it makes concentrating on work difficult.  So it was a great excuse to weave - for several hours!  I'm more than 1/2 way through my warp, one scarf on the cloth beam and the second one about 1/3 of the way in.  It was wonderful to sit at the loom and serve as their percussion ;)

Tue, 03/08/2016 - 18:35

laurafry

We are not weaving with thread today but words and images.  So nice to have someone else fight with computers while I sit and knit.  ;)

Wed, 03/09/2016 - 13:11

Artistry

Planned project inspiration beach

Busy, Busy, everyone :) Queezle , I really like the pattern and color of your scarf cloth! Isn't great you got so much done the other night. Here's to guitar circle!

theresac, I know exactly what you mean! I always have something fun to do on my floor loom after a tapestry. this summer , when we go to Michigan and I have to leave Patagonia ( this is one loom Ed will not transport for me!) at home, I 'm either going to weave a baby wrap or blanket. Plus I really want to play around with my Ik at shifting box which I made years ago. A more complicated  set up with dyeing, but something completely different than tapestry!

plus I have my fly fishing weekend with Flygirls of Michigan, YAY! I tell people , I'm a weaver with a hobby, they think it's really funny, lol, I don't :)

so, here is my UFO for the exhibit in mid April, if I get around to doing it with the tapestry HEADING still being woven, man , it's taking forever. The inspiration is the Michigan beach, dune grass, sand, rocks. The multi strands are the warp, 8/2 cottons, wool, stainless steel( plus something can't remember)16/2 linen; I know tension! The small card is the weft, maybe not all the colors, I've already lost the grey! This UFO I think is 5 years old ! I think it will be a small wall hanging. I have very cryptic notes about the cells and outlining, was I thinking honeycomb, in which case, what was I thinking? I will not wet finish this. So maybe I will take a break at the end of the month and do this, entries are due April 7 th.

 

 

Wed, 03/09/2016 - 14:49

sally orgren

I have a color (blue) and structure (M&Os) challenge due in early June for two different guilds, and I would like to complete my samples for the Complex Weavers Early Weaving Books & Manuscripts study group before mid-May. I decided to fold all three obligations into one handwoven cloth, and if I want to add a few dishtowels onto the warp for the fall guild sale too, I am looking at a 5.5-7 yard warp.

The hard part is coming up with a pattern and treadling that will hold my interest for more than a yard!

Wed, 03/09/2016 - 17:25

theresasc

has been to finish up the placemats.  They are now all hemmed, starched, and ready to go to mom's - except for one.  That one will be for show and tell at our weaving gathering tonight and then it will go to mom's.  Have to show something for all that speed weaving!  Whew - 3 days from start to finish and now I have a naked loom again.  The colors are a bit outside my wheelhouse, it looks like an Easter basket exploded:-)  I am not normally a pastel kind of gal but I had the yarns in my stash and they worked for this project.  I really do not remember why I bought those particular colors but they came in handy.

spring rag placemats

Cathie - I like your UFO.  I am really impressed with the detail of your preparation for the project.  I am really a "fly by the seat of my pants" kind of weaver.  I look in my stash, grab yarn, decide what and how and go.  To actually lay out color wraps is not something that I have ever done.

Sally - I am with you on long warps.  I read about weavers putting these long, long warps on and I do not know how it keeps their interest.  I have put a few warps on where I ended up with 4 or more towels and it was a hard slog to get through it, even changing tie-ups. 

 

 

Wed, 03/09/2016 - 20:31

Erica J

I'm putting on a warp repp sample for my certificate portfolio. I got it wound onto the back beam and not quite a third of it threaded. Going from weft faced to warp repp is a big shock in terms of warping time, though I am sure that the weaving time will also be drastically different, but in the other direction.

From the looks of your placements Teresa, I believe that this will weave up much faster than weft faced weaving. I am still having sevearl aha moments from all that weft faced weaving and looking forward to being able to share more of that.

Wed, 03/09/2016 - 21:09

sally orgren

A question for all of our Canadian weavers: what are "hocks"?

Wed, 03/09/2016 - 23:38

theresasc

Erica, you are right, the repp weave will go much faster than all your weft faced weaves.  It was really fun to go from tapestry, which feels like a billion picks per inch to the placemats that were 5-6 picks per inch.  It is just fast, fast weaving - especially since I had a number of rug shuttles loaded and ready to go.  I am really looking forward to when we will be able to see all the samples you have been weaving.  Have a good time with the repp weave.

Thu, 03/10/2016 - 03:14

Artistry

Sally, are you talking music ,( the blues,from a fellow in Toronto , though it would be a stretch)  Or pork hocks? 

Thu, 03/10/2016 - 14:31

sally orgren

It could be a typo, that is why I asked! In this phrase, what would "hocks" refer to?

"... shuttles, bobbins, hocks, and ..."

Fri, 03/11/2016 - 21:12

ReedGuy

I warped this scarf this morning and tied it up and began weaving after lunch. It's an advancing twill that reminds me of waves. I'll put up a project page in a couple days. It's cotton.

Thu, 03/10/2016 - 19:55

Erica J

Thanks Theresa, I really can't wait until I can unleash the awesomeness which is the last 2 years of my weaving!

The goodness is that after about 6 more samples and maybe fabric for a shrug, anything else I weave until June, I can share!!!

I should be weaving on the warp repp tomorrow! Yeah!!!

Fri, 03/11/2016 - 01:22

Artistry

Erica, can't wait to see those awesome samples!

ReedGuy, very nice scarf, good colors :)

tapestry study group at the guild today:) I worked on color combos for the foreground of Patagonia .

Fri, 03/11/2016 - 01:29

laurafry

Just checked the Olds college website and it looks like there are six people (so far - registration just opened on the 8th!) signed up for the level one weaving class.

 

Fri, 03/11/2016 - 11:47

Artistry

Great,Laura! I saw one of my friends, of the trio, who are taking the Olds program in the States. She's pretty excited!

You'll be an awesome teacher in the program, the students are SO lucky to have you:)

Sat, 03/12/2016 - 17:34

Erica J

I went to the Cambridgeshire WSD Come and Weave day today. It was a great day with my "other" guildmates. :)

I got about a yard woven on Oli J's new leg wraps. I will be able to share photos of these, but as it is wool and needs to be fulled to make it warp emphasis, it doesn't look very good on the loom. :)

Sat, 03/12/2016 - 21:30

theresasc

a towel warp that I started playing with before work yesterday morning.  It is just going to be a simple Rosepath on 6-shafts since that is the naked loom:-)  I so enjoyed weaving those placemats last week in spring colors that I am doing the towels in a similar colorway.  Just starting to wind the warp now, it will take a bit longer than the placemat warp since it is 554 ends.  I really should be getting back to my African Violet tapestry but I an being side-tracked by my 6-shaft loom - LOL!

Sat, 03/12/2016 - 22:32

endorph

today at the Spring Break Roundup at the museum I work at. Two of my spinning buddies joined me. We have tons of visitors. It was fun but I am exhausted! I really need to get a more portable wheel!

Sun, 03/13/2016 - 00:02

Queezle

Mostly, but I'm also 80% of the way through my scarf warp, and my double weave tube (tiny) warp is standing by - this is a lot of momentum for me.

Sun, 03/13/2016 - 07:12

Erica J

I ended up half way through one leg wrap yesterday!!! Yeah!!!

Cross your fingers that the new sett on my warp rep works out next week!

Sun, 03/13/2016 - 12:14

Erica J

So here's what about 4.5 yards woven looks like. :)

Sun, 03/13/2016 - 15:03

Artistry

Good going Queezle, you're on a roll ! What are you going to do with your small double weave tube?

Erica, I like the color of tj's cloth! Did you say that gets fulled before you make the leggings( or what are they called?). on occasion I see a reenactment around here, always think of you guys:)

my guildmate Sarah comes over tomorrow, she'll most likely be warping , then we'll be dressing the AVL. There will be lots of opportunity for tapestry in there while she does other stuff ( threading heddles.....) she's doing a 7 shaft satin and plain weave shawl, it's from a book , I 'll find out which one. We're adding color in the samples. It may be a solid warp and weft as they have in the book may be best, however if ........so we're trying a bunch of stuff, fun!

I remember now, that everything at the beginning ( well every part) of a big tapestry takes soooo much longer than on a small tapestry, well Silly me for not thinking that one through! i know I said this last week, but this week, I really think I'll be to the tapestry part!

tapestry study group on Thursday was fun, I used my yarns from The Australian Tapestry Workshop, superfine wool, which I plan to use for the tapestry. Working out color combos for the foreground. Awesome, Awesome.

that's all from me:) Cathie

Sun, 03/13/2016 - 15:22

Erica J

These will be leg wraps (or wickelbander). They will literally be wrapped around Oli J's feet and lower legs. :) I think these are really going to bling out his reenactment kit! I would guess the reenactors you see in your area are probably the same group, the Society for Creative Anachronism. Our group is probably the most international group, as we have branches all over North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

Cathie, did I mention I "accidentally" bought an AVL Little Weaver? I'm curious if AVL's are easier to warp back to front, front to back, or really doesn't make a difference. I take it they have a fair few quirks, which I'm happy to take on board. :)

Mon, 03/14/2016 - 14:43

Queezle

Thanks Cathie - and yes - my scarves are off the loom (at midnight last night).  The tubes are for my land-based guild, which has a christmas ornament exchange in June.  I am hoping to weave colorful tubes to try making ornaments.  I figure I will leave unwoven warp between maybe 2-inch tubes, then stuff the tubes with something (cotton balls?), and maybe braid or twist the fringe on each end to close them up.  Do you think that will work??  My tiny warp has yellow and blue stripes, punctuated by a gold-colored thread. 

Erica - I am so excited for you, getting The Little Weaver.  I've been pining for a good workshop loom that is also useful outside a workshop environment.  And after thinking baby mac or gilmore gemII for quite a while, I recently decided the little weaver might actually be exactly what I need/want.  I hear the shed is pretty small, but maybe that is OK.  I look forward to hearing your opinion.  When will you get it, and how many harnesses did you select?

Cathie - it must be nice to have your guild made come weave with you.  I can imagine a happy peaceful environment...

 

(edited for spelling)

 

Sun, 03/13/2016 - 20:49

Erica J

Queezle,

I'm glad to head others think this is a good loom. It was really an impulse buy, one came up on weave tech 24 shaft (they call them harnesses, I can't quite decide if that is correct in this sense or not). It was a great price, so I went for it!

I talked to a guild mate this weekend who has a compudobby and she pointed out it is great to be able to weave something with 100+ treadle repeat with ease! :) Since I recently started working with double two tie twill, this sounds quite appealing. :)

Mon, 03/14/2016 - 08:21

Artistry

Hi Erica,  I warp my AVL back to front per instructions. I haven't warped a loom front to back in a very, very long time ,I'm just thinking about it. I don't really see any need to. did you get a raddle that attaches to the back of your loom? If you use the raddle, and warp that way, there really is no advantage( in my mind) of going through the reed, through the raddle  ( which on mine you would have to, because the distance is so far between the reed and back beam) while beaming on the AVL, then when you're done beaming, threading the heddles. ( F to B)On mine I think wRping back to front is ideal, AVL does talk about increasing the width of the warp an inch or two to get a good angle for weaving which, needs to be  done from a raddle placed on the back of the loom than a reed on the front. When I warp the AVL, the raddle is placed in the back of the loom. Instead of holding the warp in front of the loom and having someone beam it for you, you wrap the warp around a separate metal beam, so the warp is coming towards you from the back of the loom.I hope that isn't all muddled:)

Queezle, your ornaments sound great! You're right, it is so nice to have Sarah come over! Working in my studio is most times engrossing sometimes isolating. It's good company, and as you say " a happy ,peaceful environment ".

 

 

Mon, 03/14/2016 - 16:15

Erica J

Thanks for the advice Cathie! I usually warp back to front, so that works out for me. I am competent and comfortable with both methods now, but rarely warp front to back.

I wove off my entire warp repp warp today! I learned a lot about what not to do when weaving warp rep! :) Out of 2 yards of warp, I think I have a useable 8" sample. I find real value in learning what not to do, so I don't see this as a waste or a disappointment. I'm going to let my ideas about what to do on my next attempt steep while I go back to some weft faced weaving, twill, soumak, chaining and pile.

I also may well weave off that other leg wrap this week. I seriously thought about taking my Dryad loom to our guild day this weekend, but then again maybe not. :)

Twining is one of the texture options for my CoA samples. The CoA is not as prescriptive as the CoE. So I have one whole sample that is just twining, but I've also seen weaving that uses twining as an accent. I'm thinking about doing that for my next sample. Suggestions/thoughts welcome!

Tue, 03/15/2016 - 15:34

theresasc

Spring exploded on my loom!  It is a pretty little warp of 8/2 cotton for towels in Rosepath.  I really should be at my tapestry loom, but shuttle throwing is calling my name.  This is why I have so many looms - LOL

Spring Rosepath warp

Sorry about the blurry picture - the ceiling fan is moving the warp around:-)

Tue, 03/15/2016 - 21:03

ShawnC

I love how that project looks, Cathie! You all are so inspiring. You keep me going. I have moved the pattern units with lingos back to the heddling bar on the back of the loom to thread, soon. Yay!

Tue, 03/15/2016 - 21:23

sally orgren

Suddenly I feel like Weavolutionaries have morphed into WeaveTechies!

Wed, 03/16/2016 - 00:29

Queezle

Well, maybe not so serious.  But my planning failed on the edges - 2 stripes across from each other on the selvedge means one really fat yellow stripe on the left, and a two blue stripes separated by a line of gold on the right.  Lessons learned!  And this was a really fast and easy thing to get onto the loom.  Oh - and by uploading a sideways photo, weavo turns it the correct orientation.

tube in double weave

Wed, 03/16/2016 - 15:55

tommye scanlin

The exhibit of my work that's at Moon Gallery, Berry College, Mt. Berry, Georgia, USA opened on Monday night, March 14.  It was quite a nice opening and lots of people came.  I'm very happy to be showing over twenty tapestries and quite a few drawings & paintings at the gallery.  I'll be going back to work with some of the students next week.  I posted about the opening and some photos of the installation at my blog:  http://tapestry13.blogspot.com/2016/03/time-woven-exhibit-opening.html

The exhibit is up until mid-day on April 8.  Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. M-F (no weekend hours).

Tommye

Thu, 03/17/2016 - 01:49

Joyce (not verified)

after being sick for a over a week.  Even missed 3 days of work!  The heddles are threaded and I even started sleying the reed.  The throw I'm working on will be my 3rd "gifted" project. I so enjoy seeing pictures of everyone's projects.  

Thu, 03/17/2016 - 02:04

Queezle

Tommye, thank you so much for posting the pictures of your show.  Congratulations - it is nice to see the right people being recognized.  I was wondering about the two stone wall images.  One is clearly in tapestry, is the other a painting?   And I do so love your trees.  I am a botanist who was trained in Georgia, and oh but are there ever big beautiful trees there.  You gave me a wonderful break in the middle of a hectic and stressful day - thank you so much.

Thu, 03/17/2016 - 02:48

LindaHahn

Beautiful work in a beautiful setting. Congratulations.

Thu, 03/17/2016 - 11:18

tommye scanlin

I appreciate your taking a look... yes, I love the trees of north Georgia where I live and hope to celebrate them, and all nature, in my tapestries.  The stone images--yes, one is tapestry and the other is the painting I based the tapestry cartoon on.  There are several of my design drawings and paintings in the exhibit, as well as a demo loom.  Since the show is in a gallery in the art department the curator wanted to install some examples of the process - and I'm happy to do that.  Tapestry is sort of a mystery to many people and anything one can do to help explain how it comes about is good, I think.

Thu, 03/17/2016 - 11:24

tommye scanlin

I like this gallery very much.  And I also like that it's sort of central in the art department--students walk through it a lot.  I'll be talking to some of them on Tuesday about their art work.  I'm looking forward to seeing what they're creating.

Thu, 03/17/2016 - 11:30

endorph

the exhibit looks wonderful. And what a great open space. Like you said it allows the viewer to step away from the tapestry and see it from a distance or close up. Wish I could see it in person!

Thu, 03/17/2016 - 11:49

tommye scanlin

Thanks for taking an online gallery visit instead!

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