Weaving samples gives you valuable information about the yarn, color, and sett. But what to do with all those samples has always been a challenge to me. In the past, I saved them in zip lock bags in shoe boxes with notes about the sett and the yarn. After years of weaving I still make samples but I don’t save them in boxes. Instead I try to make something useful from the sample and just keep pictures and make notes. These reel cases are made from samples. I dyed the rug wool and sampled it to see how the colors worked together before designing a rug. The warp is black 20/2 cotton sett at 10 ends per inch and the rug wool is used single in plain weave. I cut 1/2 inch foam with a slot for the reel handle. I used spray glue to cover the foam and the the unpadded side of the reel case with commercial fabric that looks like sheep’s fleece. I was able to make both sides of the case match by weaving my sample 16 to 17 inches wide and cutting the pattern circles side by side. These were a great gift for my fishing friends too.
Lovely Tartan
Tartans are one of my favorite things to weave. You have to be disciplined and consistent with your beat. This is a shawl woven in the Cameron Hunting pattern for a friend. This is her clan tartan. Hunting tartans are usually designed in more earth tones. The blue and brown are a lovely combination in this tartan. I use the Scottish Register of Tartans for research and to obtain the thread count. The yarn for this tartan is Marino Wool from Jagger Spun. Its 2/18 and is sett at 30 epi. The colors are Williamsburg Blue, Chrome, Garnet, and Sable. Consider the size of the person when you are designing a shawl or scarf. I find that one size does not fit all. My friend is tall and has large shoulders. I don’t think she would enjoy a shawl that was skimpy so I finished the shawl to measure 81” woven and have 6” twisted fringe. The width is 24 inches. I’m glad I made 2 of these because I love the colors of this tartan. I wore this shawl with a persimmon shirt and blue jeans. It was a perfect combination.
Swedish Art Weaving
Never stop learning! My interest in Swedish art weaving started with a coverlet at the Cascade Locks Museum that our History Study Group discovered and examined. The coverlet was woven in Krabasnar style by a weaver who was an immigrant from Sweden. I started reading everything I could about this weave structure and became fascinated by Swedish art weaving. So, during this time of COVID and staying home with no buddies to weave with, I decided to teach myself Swedish Art Weaving. My first attempt was in a structure called Dukagang. I wove a blue linen background with a red star motif.
Summer Winter Weaving
What if….? That’s what I think of when I weave the Summer Winter weave. This weave structure provides the weaver/designer the opportunity to design on paper and at the loom. In these Honey Bee Towels i picked up the bee pattern where I wanted and turned the bee l80 degrees for interest. The warp in these towels is cotton in 3 tones of yellow. This gives more movement and depth to the ground cloth. The tie-down structure is in the Dukagang style giving a straight line look to the bee motif.
History and Coverlet Project
The Hood River County History Museum was planning a textile exhibit for June through August this year. My friend and fellow weaver volunteers at the museum and asked several of us weavers and spinners if we wanted to help. Of course I wanted to be part of this project! The exhibit is called Follow the Thread and will be up until August 31st.
During the planning of the exhibit we explored what textiles were in the archives at the museum. There was a very old remnant of a coverlet that came to the Hood River Valley via wagon train from New England. I was totally infatuated with this piece of history. It made me wonder what it was like to leave your home in New England with so few things leaving behind family and friends. The remnant was only a piece about 30 inches by 20 inches and threadbare. Most likely the coverlet was used as a blanket until it couldn't be used any more and was cut up to cover a window in the log house. This is only my guess but history indicates everything was used up completely and then made into something useful still.
Needless to say I dug into researching this piece of weaving. I wanted to take on making Carriage/Buckboard blankets using this draft and commercial yarns as close to what I was seeing in the coverlet. I hit the books to discover what I could about the design and how to start. Helene Bress's The Coverlet Book was the best resource and helped me with my observations.
Observation Notes
Weave structure- Overshot with single tabby
4 block on a 4 shaft loom
24 ends per inch
22 picks per inch
Warp appears to be hand spun with “S” twist of 2 fibers (one thinker and whiter than the other). It is my suspicion that the warp is cotton with a thin linen thread in the ply. This kind of warp was used prior to 1830 (H. Bress The Coverlet Book).
Weft is dark blue wool for pattern and white cotton or linen for tabby tie down.
Draft was in the broad-narrow fashion (again this kind of draft was used prior to 1830).
Weaving angle appears to be 51 degrees
One repeat is 6.5 inches.
There is a seam indicating there were more than one panels. The seam is matched perfectly which indicates to me that this coverlet was woven by a professional weaver.
I cannot determine if there was an border woven into the coverlet
There is no date woven in the piece
There is a woven fringe sewn on the weft selvage for decoration. This appears to be cotton or linen
My research indicates this coverlet was from the New York area and likely woven between 1790 and 1830. The timeline would be right and WOW what a delight to work with this remnant. I started my drafting and weaving. Three times I threaded and unthreaded the loom until I got the pattern right. I wove 3 Carriage/Buckboard blankets, one for the museum's archives, one for the museum to raffle off and one for me.
In the picture you can see my coverlet on the left and the remnant from the museum archives on the right.
If you are in the Hood River, OR area before August, visit the museum and you can buy a raffle ticket!
https://www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org/exhibitions
If you get to Madrid
It seems like this year has flown by without a blog posting. Sometimes you just need the change of pace. So now the fall weather has set in with rain, rain, and the promise of snow and more rain, I can get back to weaving and my website.
Early this fall I spent time in Scotland and Spain. Both countries inspired me with a color pallet unique to the country and the light, sometimes filtered and sometimes bright. In Scotland the sky was mostly broken clouds so the color contrasts were greater. In Spain the sky was clear and light blue giving the subtle hues of the stone a gentle washed tone with occasional vivid bougainvillea on the walls. Both countries were very different and both beautiful. But what inspired me most was a visit to the Royal Tapestry Factory in Madrid. http://realfabricadetapices.com
The Royal Tapestry Factory is an institution founded in 1720, and devoted to the handmade production of tapestries, rugs, and wall rugs. Tapestries and rugs from the Royal Factory can be seen in every palace of the Spanish Crown: Royal Palace, Palace of El Pardo, Palace of la Granja de San Ildefonso, Aranjuez Palace, Riofrío Palace, Reales Alcázares, Pedralbes Palace, and many other national and international institutions which have opted to decorate with tapestries or rugs made at the Royal Tapestry Factory.
King Felipe V decided to found this tapestry and rug factory in order to make the Spanish palaces more comfortable, which until that time had been austere. Because of the factory, many artists started to paint cardboard and drafts for their tapestries. Tapestries made by Goya, for example, can be admired in several museums. Today, the factory continues on with the handmade production of tapestries, rugs, and wall rugs, as well as training new craftsmen. It also functions as a foundation that preserves the documentation and disclosure of the historical legacy, looks after Spanish historical heritage, and restores rugs and tapestry.
Even if you aren’t a weaver this factory should be on your ‘must see in Madrid’ list. My daughter requested a tour in English that was fantastic. I had to beg to get a picture but check out their site for more information and pictures. Very impressive!
Kilt for Michael
Mary Black wrote “tartan weavers are born, not made, and it takes a bit of doing for most of us to achieve a well woven tartan until we have had considerable practice.” I find this to be true and add that attempting to make a kilt from the weaving through the tailoring is not a project for the timid or inexperienced weaver. I have been weaving for about 30 years and found that the weaving was actually, for me, the easiest part of the making of the kilt. The challenge of fine yarn, lots of color changes, and as even a beat as possible are disciplines learned over time at the loom but when it came to measuring pleats to the sett, hand sewing thousands of stitches, and then (the most frightening part) cutting out the bulk of the 25 pleats made me question whether I had taken on more than I was capable of.
So channeling my inner Mary Black and Kati Meeks, I took on this project. I found excellent tartan wool imported from Scotland at Camellia Valley Farms. It is fine enough to make a kilt with and the sett of 32epi was perfect for the tartan sett size. There are many fine books and articles on tartan weaving and finishing the yardage. I recommend reading them all before tackling a project like this. For sewing the kilt the Barbara Tewksbury and Elsie Stuehmeyer book ‘The Art of Kiltmaking’ is the best reference and I used it to make the kilt. I would read a section and then reread it. Next I basted the kilt, then, it seemed, took out the basting and basted it again. Reread the book and did the whole process over if it wasn’t as good as I could get. Whew!
Someone asked me if I would ever make another kilt. Yes I would, but only for a very special person. This is truly a labor of love – love for weaving – love of sewing – and love for my son-in-law.
Color and Design
The ‘rules’ or ‘color theory’ of colors explains the color hue, value, and why some colors look pleasing together. A weaver should know that the color theory is simply a guide on how colors relate to one another and that it is by no means a formula for making successful art.
When I began weaving I studied the basic color theory learning about: Monochromatic, Neutral colors, Analogous, Warm/Cool colors, Complementary, Intensity, Triad, Primary, Secondary, Intermediate, Split complements, Double complements, ect…..
After many years of weaving I still rely on the basic theory for a lot of weavings. That being said, however, without the unexpected in weaving you wont get the ‘WOW’. When I want the WOW I break the rules. On my loom at the studio I am warping towels of orange, purple, yellow, green, red, and pink with a white boucle float in some stripes. One of my friends stopped by and asked, “when do the we get the margaritas?” This pleased me because that says these towels with be very festive! Just what is needed for a summer patio party.
I can’t wait to post the pictures of these towels however due to having recent hand surgery, it will be a few weeks. Stay tuned!
June 9, 2016 The towels were finished! These towels have the 'WOW' factor and I'm sure they will be in demand.
Tartan Blanket
I love September weather. Here in the Pacific Northwest the warm and sunny days can change to chilly with the slightest breeze or shadow. I can’t think of a better way to extend outside time than to curl up in a soft wool blanket and just enjoy being outside. This plaid blanket was woven using sock wool. Sock wool is a merino wool with a touch of nylon. Like socks, it can be washed in the washer on cold water and hung or laid flat to dry. Merino wool is a breed of sheep from the Castille region of Spain and is regarded as having some of the finest and softest wool of any sheep. This blanket is hand dyed and handwoven for a light but warm wrap with a soft drape.
Up Coming Show 'Altered Threads'
Getting ready for an art show is exciting! Fiber artists from 3 guilds are coming together to show our works. The Columbia Center for the Arts is hosting the show which runs through the month of November. Fiber art will be for sale so if you are looking for a unique piece of fiber art for a holiday gift you won't want to miss this show. I am happy to have several pieces on display and sale. You can view my 3D Right Angle Rug on the Columbia Center for the Arts web site at https://www.columbiaarts.org/events/altered-threads-a-fiber-exhibition/