Weaving Cloth with Wavy Wefts, close up
Weaving Cloth with Wavy wefts, warp tensions, #2
The photos show tight and loose tension on the warps. this is what makes the wavy wefts. I show the mechanism we put on my 4-shaft loom in a previous post. Search for wavy wefts to see the loom and other posts on wavy wefts. It’s been fun experimenting!
Weaving Cloth with Wavy Wefts, detail
Weaving Cloth with Wavy Wefts (click to enlarge)
I finished the wavy weft warp this week. Here are photos showing the waves in the cloth. I still have my idea of what to do with the cloth. More when I see if it works or not.
linen ruffle weaving
Just after I sat down to weave the cloth for my new ruffle, another good idea came. The scrap of paper with the idea is on the top of my desk now–on top of many previous idea-scraps. This one is for a ruffle, too. But I’m thinking if I use a soft, supple weft, I can “ruffle it up” warp-wise and weft-wise. I tried it on my last wavy weft sample and think it definitely has possibilities. The warp is linen but I think it will still bunch up nicely.
Woven Cloth for Ruffle, 2nd view
I’m weaving another in my Ruffles series now on the sewing thread warp. I’m pleased that it is sheer–you can see the treadles through it. It’s slow going because the weft is very fine–like hair. Weaving double cloth is also slow. I maybe did 3 or 4 inches today in 45 minutes. It’s easy and meditative. I’m loving just weaving and weaving–it will take many sessions before it is long enough.
Woven Cloth for Ruffle
My new woven cloth is as sheer as I’d hoped. You can see the treadles through the cloth.With each of my recent warps, there is something different. This is my second sewing thread warp and I increased the sett a bit so the wefts won’t pack down when I beat on an open shed. (See “Weaving for Beginners” and Book #3, “Weaving & Drafting Your Own Cloth”.)
I’ve mentioned my fiber optics weaving project and the work on the blog and web site. These are just two things on my mind besides trying to weave the sewing thread warp and the wavy wefts warp. Another major item is making ebooks. Yet another is making an art book or a portfolio in book form. The keynote speech and seminars in Collapse Weaving and Supplementary Warp for our conference (CNCH) in May are also on my mind. I feel pregnant with at least 9 babies!
I have my weavings mounted in plexi shadow boxes. The front and back are clear and the sides, top and bottom are white. the boxes are unobtrusive and I like the way the pieces have their own space with this system.
Weaving with more than one warp is something I really like to do. We call it a “supplementary warp” when in theory, it could be removed and an intact cloth would remain.
“Red Square” was woven on 10 shafts–2 for the foundation warp and 8 for the red warp.
The sewing thread warp I’m weaving on now has a supplementary warp, too. In this case these warps aren’t threaded in heddles, but between them. See more in previous posts.
I weight my supplementary warps with washers that are hanging from shower curtain hooks.
The knot to use (because it is easy to undo and redo as needed) is described in 3 of my books because I think it is so useful. “Weaving for Beginners”, Book #2: “Warping Your Loom & Tying On New Warps”, and Book #3: “Weaving and Drafting Your Own Cloth”. See the chapter, Two or More Warps in Book #2 for details.
Orchid No. One
I’m working yet again on a fiber optics project. I’ve woven two new pieces to take care of the glitches (I dearly hope) in the one shown here. the glitch is that it didn’t light up enough. My collaborator, Rob Suttman, and I went to visit a geek last week. We decided we need stronger LEDs and will go to an electronics shop this week. That’s the next step. It’s just step-by-step at this point. I hope to have it working for our weaving conference (CNCH) in May. The topic is tradition/innovation. I have my fingers crossed that we can make something wonderful that will light up in interesting ways.
I’ve had my work photographed recently and over the years and am working now on a book like a portfolio–sort of like a retrospective. Organizing the photos was the job for today–a big one. It will be hard to cull them because they are all my “babies”. The photographs look wonderful and I’d love to be able to include them all. The next job: titles. My thinking is to make a few copies that I will sell at cost. It’s really a way to see what I’ve done over time.
I got a good “stash” story on my Facebook page. Reminded me of my own. I hid a warping reel in the guestroom shower. When we had overnight guests, I had to sneak it over to my neighbor’s garage.
I’m looking for weaving jokes or good stories to punch up the keynote speech I’ll be giving to The Northern California Handweaving Conference–CNCH–. It’s not until May, and I’m not panicking but if you have some good jokes, stories, or words of wisdom, please, please remember me and send them along.
I’ve been moving 97 weaving tips over from my old web site which will go “off” sometime soon. I’m proud of them, and glad to make them available again. I clicked and clicked, cutting and pasting over the weekend so much that I felt twinges in my mouse wrist. I’m giving it a rest then will add them a bunch at a time. They aren’t “live” yet, except that you can search for words and they will come up. I’d love to know if they are helpful.
My blog designer has really been working overtime–do you like the look of the new images?
Three new things:I began weaving again on the sewing thread warp. After being away from the loom awhile, it really feels good to be throwing the shuttle–even to weave samples. The blog is being redesigned and I’m thrilled with the new images. Better yet, the button to order my books is working. So, with a click you can now add to cart! Go to the Book and DVD section on the home page.
New Weaving (click to enlarge)
Here’s the first piece of cloth that I wove on Sunday. The warp is sewing thread and supplementary warp… I like the sheen of the cloth.
Spools for Warp (click to enlarge)
Weighted Supplementary Warps
Here is the back of my loom–weights are holding the purple supplementary warp and also the selvedges. I’m sampling to see what the colors in the warp will be like and to see if I can get sheer again. The extra warp isn’t threaded in the heddles, but between every 8th warp thread. They are in the same position as floating selvedges–in the middle of the sheds. When I want the supplementary threads on the top, I shoot the shuttle under them. When I don’t want them to show, I put the shuttle over them. I learned this technique as “split broche.”
Supplementary warps above heddle eyes
I made this post yesterday–but suddenly the blog software isn’t allowing me to post any images. You” have to imagine. I hope when I get back at the end of the week it will be fixed.
Here is the back of my loom–weights are holding the purple supplementary warp and also the selvedges. I’m sampling to see what the colors in the warp will be like and to see if I can get sheer again. The extra warp isn’t threaded in the heddles, but between every 8th warp thread. They are in the same position as floating selvedges–in the middle of the sheds. When I want the supplementary threads on the top, I shoot the shuttle under them. When I don’t want them to show, I put the shuttle over them. I learned this technique as “split broche.”
I’m going up the coast to Gualala, CA, for a few days. I love the country-side and ocean so much. Back in time for the SF Opera Opening Night, then back to blogging, I hope to take some pictures of naked ladies (amaryllis) and the surf/coast for future blogs.
My Weaving Apron (click to enlarge)
Here’s my weaving apron. I couldn’t weave without it. The pattern is in my book, Weaving for Beginners, beginning on page 374. I hope you are inspired to invent your own.
Things to know before you throw a shuttle:
Important Information About How to throw the shuttle
Weft Diagonal (click to enlarge)
Beginning weavers learn about the diagonal of the weft but they think they should have the weft loose at the selvedges. In my book, Weaving for Beginners, I tell how to snug up the weft for good selvedges and no draw-in problems.
Throw the shuttle into the correct open shed. Take out the shuttle so the weft is in the shed on a diagonal as shown in Figure 245. Holding onto the shuttle, snug up the weft to the outside warp thread—the side where the shuttle entered the shed—just so it touches and barely moves that outside thread. Then, swing the beater and gently place the weft next to the previously woven weft. You do not want to actually beat it as the name implies. You are simply placing the weft against the one woven before it. Now, while the beater is toward you after placing the weft, change the shed. Then, swing the beater back toward the heddles and begin the process again. The steps
are: throw the shuttle, beat in the weft, and change the shed. I like the rhythm of saying: “Throw, beat, change the shed.” That’s 4 counts, with “the shed” as one
beat. (On the fourth beat you’re pushing the beater back toward the shafts.)
The other day a student complained that the boat shuttle I loaned her was too big for the sheds on her table loom. I suggested that she throw the shuttle closer to the heddles and advance the warp often. The reason is that the shed is bigger the closer it is to the heddles (shafts). It’s obvious that the shed is small when it is closer to the fell of the cloth (the place where the last weft is woven).
Ruffle No. 1 detail (click to enlarge)
I made the picture horizontal–a big achievement for me, and a thrill!
Ruffle No. 1 full size (36" wide)
Here’s the piece I’m putting in the show as it should be.
Ruffle Number 1: Turn it horizontally
This is my first ruffle, maybe a year or two “old”. Today a special friend held it horizontally–it looked fabulous! I’m thrilled to be entering it in an exhibit where there will be mostly painters. I think it will hold its own in the show. There will be 144 pieces. I’ll keep you posted. Be sure to look at it horizontally (turn it 90 degrees).
Detail, Ruffle No. 1: Turn it 90 degrees.
Two Kitesticks and Horse Hair (click to enlarge)
Close-up of Kitestick (click to enlarge)
I’m using a supplementary warp (egg plant color) for the punch. The technique for the supplementary warp I’ll use is split broche. The threads will not be in the heddles as they are threaded amongst the warp threads which on are 4 shafts. More on this when I get started. For now, you can see those threads on their own small kitestick.
I think I’ll put in some horse hair–I love the color of it.