The Sewing Place
The Emporia => A Good Yarn => Topic started by: Ploshkin on December 29, 2020, 17:14:45 PM
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Having got a small 10" rigid heddle loom at the beginning of December I haven't had a lot of time to try it out but I have managed a bit just using some left over knitting wool.
I wound a narrow warp using up the remains of a dark green DK yarn and started off with some plain weave.
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I can see that my beating is inconsistent but in my defence the yarn is stretchy and spongy and probably not the most suitable for weaving with. I have had to keep cranking up the tension of the warp (though I don't actually know how tight or loose it should be). I'm pleased with my selvedges which seem reasonably tidy and that the piece is a consistent width.
That's where it got left until today. The instruction booklet that came with the loom has instructions for a sampler so I tried out a couple of different weave patterns.
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I like them both and it was a useful exercise in spotting errors. I realised that I had unwanted weft floats on the basket weave pattern but I could see what had happened and was able to make sure I avoided it. I found the bit with the blue bits in tricky to get the edges neat and though the left edge has gone ok the right hand side is a car crash. I stopped trying to work out how it needed to be done - that's for another day. I think if there was just one more warp thread on that side it would be work ok. It's useful doing this because I am finding out things that I need to learn to do like weaving in ends when the shuttle runs out and you start a new one.
I haven't got much spare knitting yarn but I have quite a bit of grey and pink which is thinner so when this warp runs out I will have a play with that. Enjoying the journey so far :).
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Looks great, practise is the best way I have found to learn.
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Great stuff... I have yet to try my ‘surprise’ Christmas gift.
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Oh dear :( it sounds much too complicated for me. I faint at the word tension and couldn't cope withything that wasn't straightforward.
I was just coming round to the idea although to be fair the price of looms was putting me off.
Good luck with your journeys
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What did you get @Efemera ?
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Well @Ploshkin ...I had visions of something like yours, something I could sit with on my lap.
What I got was a 32” Ashford rigid heddle loom! So no sitting with that on my lap. DD has a lot of textile/ weaver friends and she got this at a ridiculously low price. I haven’t done anything with it as yet. I have a load of Linton Tweed yarns in my stash so I’ve got no excuse.
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Ooh, that's big. I'll be interested in how you get on with it.
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Ooh, that's big. I'll be interested in how you get on with it.
So will I! :laughing:
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@Efemera was that the Christmas surprise you've been mentioning?
I think that's the size I have. When a friend moved out of state she left this on my doorstep one day. Poor thing has been in the garage since. Too many helper cats.
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I've completed some random bits of weaving on the short warp that I threaded (installed/warped/) It's not pretty but I learnt lots along the way including things that I need to find out before my next attempt.
What I learnt:
I enjoy doing it and it's definitely for me.
It takes a lot of concentration when you're doing anything other than plain weave (I didn't really get an opportunity to spend any time on it - just wove a few rows in passing every so often)
My beating at the start (left hand side) was too heavy
I need to find out how to weave in ends - I didn't bother on this bit.
I need to learn how to hemstitch to stop the weaving coming apart at the ends
Thickish knitting wool is definitely not for weaving with
I hate practising and just want to get on and do something 'real' (I know that already!)
Warts and all here it is. I was pleased that I managed to keep the weaving width pretty consistent (only 1/8" variation) despite using different thickness yarns for the weft and different weave patterns.
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I have googled a bit to try and find out what 'beating' is. As with many topics, they are often US sites and I haven't found the term there. I think it's likely to be the squashing together of the weft threads so they sit evenly and are spaced correctly. Of course, as I have no intention of taking up weaving, never say never, I don't need to know this.
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Yes, @Flobear that's what it is. I seem to recall that you were not going to be lured to the dark side :ninja:
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Yes, @Flobear that's what it is. I seem to recall that you were not going to be lured to the dark side :ninja:
(https://yoursmiles.org/tsmile/no/t2635.gif)
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That looks really good...I’ve not warped mine yet...too busy sewing.
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Get warping @Efemera
I realised why I like doing it. There is nothing electric / electronic so you have complete control and if something goes wrong you can work out why and (hopefully) fix it. It doesn't make any noise either. I used to machine knit and liked it for the same reason ( though there was a bit of noise with that).
I've put another warp on in 2 different colours but any suggestion that I might have known what I was doing is entirely coincidental :)
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I've had a play with another short warp - just leftovers from knitting again but I had 2 balls of each. The blue is a wool / acrylic and the pink is cotton / merino. The warp is alternating 2 blue, 2 pink all the way across.
I tried several weft variations
From the bottom 1st - all blue weft, 2nd all pink weft, 3rd alternating 2 rows blue and 2 rows pink. It's really intersting to see how the colours interact differently depending on what is used where.
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I continued with the same warp. The bottom bit is alternating 1 row blue, 1 row pink weft. The top bit is all blue weft interspersed with 4 rows of white cotton perle
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What did I learn?
How to weave in the weft ends when I started / finished a new colour or length of weft.
How to hemstitch the ends to keep the weaving from coming out at the start and finish of the piece (you can just see the hemstitch in the first pic)
Any colour theory I may have used previously for quilting etc goes out of the window. It's a whole different ball game.
Don't use Drops Cotton / Merino for a warp - I could see it had potential for shredding on a longer warp.
It's not easy to get tidy selvedges when using more than one colour.
I need a weaving stool.
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I like the top third ... almost like stars!
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This is all very intriguing and fascinating @Ploshkin. Can I find room for a small loom? :thinking: I would love to have a go. Note to self - research looms on tinternet.
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@Iminei it comes out like a houndstooth check
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It's a rabbit hole @Silver Rose Get yourself down it, we'll see you next week! :)
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Looks very technical...I’ve only done about 6”
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Which make of loom have you got @Ploshkin
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@Lowena it's an Ashford 10" Sampleit.
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I am so pleased to see your weaving @Ploshkin and glad you seem to be enjoying it. What’s your first project going to b?
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Here is my latest project, it is just a scarf in wool/alpaca mix DK really like the way it’s come out, I needed to do something simple but effective
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Ooh, not sure yet @Celia . i do have a couple of things in mind but they will have to wait for my bigger loom as I only 8 1/2" weaving width from the 10" loom. I have 10 balls of a linen / cotton / viscose yarn that I bought to knit a sweater but I think it will weave very nicely.
When I've run out of leftovers I will probably get some yarn and do a scarf so that I've done some 'proper' weaving.
I'm having great fun and am so pleased that I decided not to wait until I have space for a bigger loom. :)
Just seen your post. That's lovely and very striking. I like a wool / alpaca mix.
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Opps should have put my photo on the other thread sorry to steal yours @Ploshkin. You can make good scarves on a 10 inch loom and you can learn sooo much
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I've had enough of playing now - this is my last bit. Apologies for the appalling light.
Still with the pink & blue a bit of simple plaid. There isn't enough contrast with the pink & grey for the narrow grey lines to show up where they cross the pink but the principle works just fine. Still struggling with getting neat edges but as I went on it became more automatic to twist the two main colours consistently (though I'm good at forgetting)
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I finished off with a bit of waffle weave - I'm going to try a waffle weave scarf. I've said it now so no going back ;)
I can see that I managed to get an extra row in at the beginning.
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I'm ready to put another warp on - this time for real. This is the lovely Malabrigio Sock yarn I got - it is so soft. The warp will be the plain colour - it probably looks a bit bluer in the picture, it is a minty green. Watch this space, I may be gone for some time!
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I put a 90" warp on my loom and have been weaving away. It seemed to start very slowly but as I have got into the rhythm it seems to be coming on surprisingly quickly, I've done about 50". I'm happy with the way it is going, I'm finding the warp a bit stretchy (but I don't really know what's normal!) so I increase the tension from time to time, it seems to be working ok. In the skein there's quite a contrast between the green and the darker variegated blue yarn but woven together the green blends in much more than I would have thought. Anyone would think I had planned it :) [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
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Lovely, such soft beautiful colours. How long did it take to put the 90" warp on? It will make a super wrap or stole.
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The length of the warp doesn't really add to the time @Silver Rose though it did involve a lot of walking to and fro. it's threading the ends through the slots and holes that is time consuming - there are 120 and it's only a small loom.
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Looks very neat and lovely colours :)
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My very first proper bit of weaving is complete! I'm pleased with how it has come out and having wet finished it yesterday (left it to soak in hot water / wool wash for half an hour) it's now lovely and soft. Things are supposed to shrink when they are wet finished but mine got bigger. I did 64(ish)" weaving on the loom, when I took it off and it was no longer under tension it was 57" but after finishing it is 60". It also got half an inch wider after finishing. I got a fringe twister to do the fringe as I could see it being very frustrating doing 60 cords with crappy hands. It took a while to do it anyway partly because I didn't want a green fringe and all the warp threads are green so I threaded a piece of blue into each bunch of warps to get some blue in the fringe.
I'm slightly regretting getting a 10" loom and not a 12". It is serving the purpose for which I bought it i.e. learning to weave, but there are a couple of things I want to do that need just a bit more weaving width so will have to wait.
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That is really lovely. :loveit:
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Lovely, well done you. Is an upgrade in the offing? You have mastered it quickly.
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@Silver Rose this is just a stopgap until I get my sewing room. I have already bookmarked a 24" loom but got fed up waiting so got a small one to get started on.
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Beautiful .... Now sell on and upgrade!
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That looks great love the texture.
DONT sell on and upgrade , I made that mistake and have ended up buying another 10 inch loom, the small one is great for sampling especially if you are going for a 24 inch eventually. It is much more effort to warp up a bigger loom even if you do a narrower width because you have to do a longer warp, hope that makes sense.
If you do decide to upgrade (i usually do the opposite to what I should :devil:) make sure it is a short loom maybe even a Schacht Cricket 15 inch if you want some thing different to to the Sampleit, the front and back beem on the Cricket makes for excellent warp tension.
Keep on weaving I love the company
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That looks very neat, love the colours.
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Thankyou for your advice @Celia and also for inspiring and encouraging me to go for it. I realise I inadvertently made a good choice for my first weave. The variegated yarn and the textured weave hide any inconsistencies in the weaving though I can truthfully say that there are no mistakes in the weaving pattern - I noticed when I went wrong and was able to correct it. I suspect Malabrigio sock yarn wasn't the best choice of warp because it is very stretchy.
I hadn't thought about the length of the loom affecting the warp tension though it's obvious really. I've seen good reviews of the Schacht Cricket but they dont do bigger than 15" and the heddles are very pricety. I particularly want to be able to weave fabric that i can use for making clothes which is why I'm looking at 24" though I will admit to having eyed up table looms :ninja:
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Well, you never know, @Ploshkin, you might have a buyer for your little learning loom just over the English border :ninja:
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That's really lovely
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That’s lovely. Colours work really well together
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Very nice! :thumbsup:
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That’s lovely and very accomplished for a first attempt. You must be a natural.
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Wow! @Ploshkin that's gorgeous :loveit: Another hobby to add to the rest.
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This really needs viewing in a darkened room, it wouldn't win any prizes but it's all part of the learning curve. It's just a short length to try out a different weave pattern and I've stitched the sides together and put a strip of narrow velcro round the top so that I can put my specs in it when I chuck them into my bag. I used 50/50 bamboo/cotton dk weight. It's a bit of a slippery customer. I found it hard to keep the width consistent on a narrow piece. I don't think I helped by adding some extra warp threads on each side after I had started and unwove because it was coming out too narrow. The outside warp threads got a bit floppy as I went along and it was hard not to get wavy edges. I am happy with the consistency of the weaving though. One thing I have learned is whatever length I think I want for the warp, add a bit on.
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Have only just seen this, it looks great love the colours
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@Celia unfortunately I no longer have room for even the small loom as we are increasingly compressed into 2 rooms. All the light fittings and bathroom stuff I have ordered is piled up on the table where my loom was. All only temporary and I'm looking forward to getting going properly.
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I’ve not ‘loomed’ for a while....
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No I’m not looming either at the moment but will get back to it soon I am sure.
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@Ploshkin I read through this whole thread with interest and am very tempted to try weaving. Do you or anyone else have a suggestion for a beginner weaving kit?
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@annieeg the only kit I've seen is one with the 16"
Ashford Sampleit loom (https://www.winghamwoolwork.co.uk/ashford-complete-weaving-kit.html)
The 'extras' it has are a bag, a couple of additional reeds, a book and a couple of balls of yarn.
TBH the loom alone that I bought (the smaller Sampleit) was all I needed apart from some yarn and I had plenty of knitting bits. The little booklet with it was very good with full instructions for putting together, warping the loom and several different weaves. I didn't need any extras.
ETA Ashford have several good tutorials on their website / You Tube
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I have finally got a warp on my new loom (a 20" Schacht Flip Loom).
The yarn is King Cole Splash DK which is acrylic. It's a bit hairy and sticky and when I was threading the heddle it went all static and was floating about and sticking to itself. So, not a good choice of yarn but I couldn't find anything else in the colours that I specifically wanted. All will be revealed when the thing I am weaving it for is finished.
I did get a couple of balls of plain orange and yellow with the intention of putting in some random bits of clasped weft (Celia will know what I mean) but I really like the way the yarn is weaving and don't think I would add anything by adding anything. I have just realised as I need to wind a second shuttle that to get the continuity in the colour changes I need to wind the yarn off the ball first onto something else then wind it on to the shuttle.
Here is where I am so far.
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Fantastic are you enjoying the stand I am still very tempted, I don’t like leaning against a table all the time. Looking forward to seeing the item
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@Celia it's very comfortable sitting at the stand with the loom slightly angled. I can sit on a standard height dining chair and tuck my knees under the loom. One advantage is that I can turn it around to get the best light. Disadvantage is that it's relatively light weight so will move when you beat but I keep my feet on the cross bar to stop that. I may find some rubber feet for it as I'm always going to be using it on a laminate floor - that's all we have. Alternatively, I could find a square of something non slip to stand it on.
I think I'm glad that I didn't go for a 24", weaving doesn't involve any stretching from side to side, I think it might have done with a bigger one.
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Thank you @Ploshkin that is the sort of information I need, my problem is having things leaning against my stomach, this is the main reason I thought of the stand, the downside is the extra space to leave the stand and also the silly price they charge.
The other thing on my wish list is a full size Inkle loom, him in doors made me 2 one small like a sample loom size and the second larger one which was never finished and was only a prototype made in rough wood. The small one is great but I really would like to do some longer lengths, my idea is to make some dog leads for my friends little Yorkies amongst other things of course.
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@Celia I tried once with my small loom leaning against the table but it was awkward working so close to my body. I used it clamped to the dining room table and got a stool so that I was sitting high enough to use it but actually I found myself standing to weave a lot of the time.
I've looked at Inkle looms several times but don't feel I would have enough use for bands so I have compromised and got a Sunna heddle which I am going to try with my small Ashford loom. Susan Foulkes (Durham Weaver) has some excellent stuff and her videos are informative with no woffle.
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Thank you now I am off down another rabbit hole just going to look her up. My Son offered to buy me an Inkle for Christmas maybe some money towards a stand might happen instead. My whole house in carpeted except the kitchen so the stand would probably be ok.
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@Ploshkin i will not be seen anytime soon :devil:I can’t stop reading and watching this amazing women, she is very succinct which is something I appreciate. I have just realised I have one of her books, it was a present but I didn’t have the extra bits I needed so haven’t really appreciated it.
No sewing today
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I have been doing some tubular weaving to go with the 'thing' I am weaving. I found a good video of it being done on an inkle loom so I had a go on my small rigid heddle loom. I had a few false starts but once I found the rhythm it was easy and moved along quickly. I used 14 warp ends and fussy cut my yarn to get the coloured bits into the warp.
It worked ok with the heddle but because the warp needs to be reasonably slack the heddle kept flopping forwards but I pretty much solved it by putting the heddle in the back slots though it did occasionally flop backwards!).
Here is my tubular cord:
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On my birthday last year I received a surprise package through the post. It was a lovely fabric panel with a bumblebee on it which had winged its way from Dorset.
It had come from our very own @Iminei who undoubtedly had something quilty in mind, as did I when I received it. I wasn't able to do anything at the time, building work preventing it, but as I had just decided I was going to learn to weave I resolved to do something weavy. Having now got my sewing room and taken delivery of my new, larger loom I made it my inaugural weave. I'm sure the weaving element is far from perfect (don't look too closely @Celia , the piping has several dodgy bits along its length but overall I'm happy with the outcome. It currently has pins keeping the opening closed as I'm looking for some narrow velcro to try. Here it is, warts and all.
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Well I have even zoomed in and I can’t see any warts all I can see is a lovely cushion, you should be proud of.
What’s next?
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Wow!!! 0_0 :perfect10:
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Looking great, @Ploshkin :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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@Celia I've been playing with the Sunna heddle.
It's starting to not look too bad now I have found a rhythm but I think I spent the first hour doing more unweaving than weaving, which isn't easy with a pick up pattern.
It was a bit challenging warping a floating heddle but I made a device to hold it upright. I have fortuitously found that my small loom sits nicely on top of the Schacht with the back notches on the back cross beam and the front against the front cross beam so it means I can sit at the stand.
Here is my first attempt at its current stage - the really ropey bit is wound onto the cloth beam so you can't see it.
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Wow that’s looking good, what good fortune that you can put the small one on top, I am still thinking of getting the stand it’s working out where to put it that is also my problem.
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I am curious do you have a plan for what to do with the bands, I love making bands but got put off by a friend who is usually very supportive saying, they are nice but what are they for ….. I answered with a belt or guitar strap etc and received a very definite sneer. Sort off put me off but you are encouraging me again.
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Whenever I make anything my husband always asks " what's it for "? "Where's it going"? or, "what will you do with that?"
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@Celia at the moment I'm just experimenting with the process as another string to my bow and another technique to learn on my loom. I've also been a bit put off band weaving not knowing what I would do with them - there's only so many guitar straps one can use ( zero in my case as I don't have a guitar. :)) Its like people who get a lathe and say they'll
be able to make chair legs! Thats why I got the heddle rather than buying an inkle loom that most likely wouldn't get used much.
I always like to make things that are useable or wearable and occasionally decorative for a specific location. I'm thinking that woven bands could possibly be used on clothing and I would like to be able to weave to make garments. Even then a bit tricky because I tend to wear quite plain garments, I'm not in to frills and frippery.
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I am curious do you have a plan for what to do with the bands, I love making bands but got put off by a friend who is usually very supportive saying, they are nice but what are they for ….. I answered with a belt or guitar strap etc and received a very definite sneer. Sort off put me off but you are encouraging me again.
But surely sometimes the joy is in the making and the end product is just collateral damage!!! Does it have to be 'for' anything? We watch a film for enjoyment without worrying about an end product so why not just enjoy making something?
Those braids could be for a belt or bag handles or curtain tie backs or they could be used to throttle anyone who sneers at something they can't /won't do!! :P
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@reelable I love you that is something I have been trying to teach myself for years. :dance:
I love learning new techniques
Handles is a good idea though @Ploshkin
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I suppose bands like that would be too sturdy to make a door hanging thingy for the summer when you want to deter beasties from flying in through an open door.
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Whenever I make anything my husband always asks " what's it for "? "Where's it going"? or, "what will you do with that?"
@Lowena At which point you smile sweetly and say you're going to wrap it round his neck* in a minute... :devil:
*or stuff it in an orifice? ;)
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Another diary that has been in the doldrums. Apart from a bit of band weaving I haven't had anything on a loom for ages. I have decided to have a tea towel marathon. Firstly I have the most manky collection of tea towels in the universe, secondly I have, as yet, woven very little and thought it would be a good opportunity to get some weaving hours under my belt and thirdly it should result in having a bit of a stash of weaving yarn. Having nothing currently available is one of the reasons I haven't done much weaving.
So, I got 3 cones of a nice, slubby cotton to kick off (navy, denim blue and grey) and have put a warp on my 20" loom which should be enough for 2 tea towels. There is quite a bit of waste yarn at the start and finish of weaving so I thought it would be more economical to do 2.
I put on a 90" warp yesterday with 196 ends - that's the widest warp I have done.
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@Celia as you will know it's not that easy solo warp winding especially with a wider warp. I went a bit off piste but it worked (I think). Because the loom is on a stand and on a laminate floor I left the loops round the warping posts and wound it on to the back beam letting the stand slide along the floor which kept the threads nicely under tension.
This morning I have threaded the heddle and tied the warp on to the front beam so I'm ready to roll once I have wound some shuttles. So far so good!
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Looking good @Ploshkin, I sometimes use a warping board but it does take longer than direct warping.
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Tea towel #1 is coming along, I've done about 18". I think it took me the first 6 inches to work out which way to cross the colours to carry them up the sides. It's not pretty but it's all part of the learning curve.
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My first two tea towels are off the loom. 48" of weaving in 2 different weft patterns.
Lesson learnt is to always add a few extra inches on the warp. By the time I got near the end of the weaving it was getting very tight and hard to get the shuttle through the correct threads.
I used a pick up stick to slide through and open up the shed for the last couple of inches. @Celia will know what I mean.
I have wet finished the length, cut them apart and trimmed the bits off the ends ready to hem.
As I was weaving I was struggling a bit to stop it drawing in (it annoyed me as a child when my weaving always ended up skinny in the middle but I didn't know how to prevent it then). I hoped that when it was taken off the loom and able to relax that it wouldn't be too bad. It did indeed relax and I am pleased to find that my weaving width is actually consistent all the way.
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That's great, you are clever
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They look great.
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Looking good @Ploshkin I am interested to see how much they shrink, it is a problem I have had.
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wow! super impressed at you weaving your own tea towels!
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@SewRuthieSews I decided to have a tea towel marathon because I've only done a minimal amount of weaving and really need to get in some ' flying hours' before I do anything significant. I want to weave fabric for garments.
@Celia do you mean shrink when taken off the loom and wet finished or shrink with repeated washing? If they shrink with each wash I could end up with a drawer full of mug rugs :)
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With mine it is the repeated washing. I am not quite at mug rugs but maybe nearer to a guest hand towel, heading towards a flannel …… probably the cotton I used
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They look great, how long did they take to make?
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This book looks interesting https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/216426303/get-weaving-clothing-from-your-rigid @Ploshkin
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I have that book @Celia i wouldn't make most of the garments but the information on weaving the fabrics is useful as I have no real idea of appropriate yarns and setts. I have got a couple of her patterns too.
I hope when I've completed my tea towel marathon I will feel confident to have a try.
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Yes that is what I was thinking, I don’t feel confident with the types of yarn and set for wearables, I am fine with scarves etc. I agree the patterns don’t look that interesting, unfortunately a lot of the hand woven garments you see are a bit too home made for my liking.
Looking forward to seeing you progress to garments it might inspire me again.
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@Cazlyn it's hard to say how long they took because the loom is set up in my sewing room so isn't in the way of anything and I just sit down and do a bit at a time when I'm up there. I can see that i started on 1st May. The biggest job was putting the warp on because each thread has to be threaded individually and cut off and tied when colours change. There were 196 warp threads. I think that bit took me a whole afternoon and part of the next morning.
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Yes @Celia some people may be able to wear 2 rectangles lashed together but it's not my style.
Daryl Lancaster does proper dressmaking and tailoring with hand woven cloth but is so desperately tedious in her presentation I can't stick her for more than a couple of minutes.
My view is that I've been garment making for more than 50 years and have worked with plenty of tricky fabrics so I should be able to manage a hand woven cloth. I have no fear of cutting it.
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@Ploshkin , they are lovely <3 Far too nice to use for drying dishes!
Jessie
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Wow @Ploshkin it sounds complicated but the end results are lovely.
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Very impressive @Ploshkin.
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:laughing: I just played Inkle in my WWF game for 50 points !!! YAY!! and I'd never have known that word if not for you lot ... thank you xxx
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Well done
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I've finished tea towel #3. I've used the same slubby cotton as the other two and it's a sort of houndstooth plaid (if such a thing exists). I must have had a malfunction of the brain because it is 2" shorter than the first two. I used the same piece of marked tape to measure the weaving but I must have added on the inch at each end for hems on the first two and incorporated it into the measured weaving length on this one. It doesn't matter one bit - it's big enough.
The whole process is definitely becoming more intuitive which is the aim of the tea towel marathon. I managed to get very little draw in this time and crossing the 2 colours at the edges just seemed to click though I think that was easier because everything was in even numbers.
@Celia you asked before about my thoughts on the loom stand. If I had £1 for every time my weft got caught on one of the knobs I would be able to afford another loom :) With 2 colours I also work with a stool at each side of the loom so I have somewhere to put the non working shuttle. I have seen some stands (I don't know about Schacht) with a shelf each side which would be useful and would stop the catching on knob business. I am also finding it a bit light weight. The cotton yarn needs quite hard beating and the back of the loom tips forward even with my feet braced on the crossbar.
Here is tea towel #3
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@Ploshkin the tea towel looks great and I am glad to hear you it is getting more intuitive. Thank you for your opinion on the stand it does help me considerably, at the moment I am holding fire on buying anything more for weaving as I still have a few problems with the physical positions and amount of time I can weave.
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Oh dear, when you get the 'not posted for 60 days' message you know you have been a bit idle though, in my defence, I think weaving is more of a winter thing (for me).
Anyway, back on the tea towel marathon amble - I got some cones of 8/2 cotton which comes in a multitude of colours. It is very fine. I am using it doubled in the warp and weft which is fine when weaving, just a bit of a faff winding the shuttles. I had a few moments when putting on the warp when I thought I might have to abandon the last couple of feet as the threads looked as if they were going to get into an impossible tangle but I persevered and managed to get it wound on ok.
I'm doing this one in a log cabin pattern which is deceptively easy, just needs a bit of concentration getting the warp threads in the right order.
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@Ploshkin your weaving is lovely.
I would love to have a go but don’t dare start another hobby, lack of space etc.
Creating your own fabric must be so satisfying.
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Absolutely lovely, though I also won't be getting into weaving.
(I do have a bead weaving loom and a small kids handloom if I really want to)
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Love the purple tea towel (?).
Some of you may remember I thought about taking up weaving I think back in 2021 and took a couple of classes. I was thinking about buying a loom but in the end I never did which I'm kind of glad about now with having to deal with two long distance moves in a year. Depending on how big the place is that we end up buying I may revisit it next year.
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They look fabulous, I will be interested to hear if they shrink, the ones I made shrunk so much they are now nearly face cloths :laughing:
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@Celia I have just got one of these (https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1175084198/sett-sampling-loom-colour-testing-loom?click_key=125c11147c676bc83d3a84c900d35a199db68bd4%3A1175084198&click_sum=d6edc7f1&ref=shop_home_active_6&frs=1&crt=1) from Etsy. It may be of interest to you. It's a bit pricey for what it is I suppose but I have been looking for ages for some type of mini loom that I can use for sampling. Previously, the only one I have seen that has multiple setts is only available in the USA and is very expensive.
I haven't done enough weaving to know how setts and colours are going to work out and I am loathe to put a warp on my loom just to find out - I don't have cupboards full of weaving yarn to be able to waste. I know sampling isn't a waste but even on my 10" loom there is a lot of loom waste.
I have some yarn that I bought for knitting but I am hoping to use it for weaving. I will be quite happy to weave a couple of small samples on this to see how it goes.
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I totally agree @Ploshkin this is one of my problems as I have a lot of knitting wool and I really do want to use at least some of it, I am off to look at this Thankyou for telling me and do let me know how you get on.
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Looking back I can see that I was doing the log cabin weaving on 21st November! That is one of the things I like about weaving, like knitting you can just do a bit at a time. I'm fortunate to be able to leave my loom set up. I finally cut the finished cloth off the loom about the beginning of March I think but there it sat until a few days ago still draped over the loom. @Flobear and @Iminei can attest to that.
I wet finished it, cut the two tea towels apart and hemmed the ends. I had a few weft threads to weave in by hand where I couldn't change colours tidily by tucking them in to the weaving as I went along.
The weave pattern is known as log cabin and is much easier than it looks. Getting the colour sequence right when setting up the warp is quite time consuming.
Here are my 2 finished tea towels (they are folded into quarters). Just to vary things a bit I did the right one in blocks of log cabin with an alternating band of dark & light in between. They are made from 100% cotton. I've had enough of tea towels now - it was a plod rather than a marathon but I feel (reasonably) confident to attempt a length of cloth for making a garment now.
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Wow! They're lovely - and they definitely do look complicated! :thumb:
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Too good for tea-towels was Imi's and my verdict!
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Gosh, they look good.
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Too good for tea towels! :)
Re the mini loom. I haven’t got into weaving but we had to do it when I did C&G. We made our own little looms from stiff card from what I remember.
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They're fab. The one on the left makes my eyes go all squiffy!
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They are lovely @Ploshkin cant wait to see your next endeavour
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Those look very intricate to my untutored eyes. Lovely work. :thumb:
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As previously mentioned, I have had some knitting yarn for ages. It's DMC Natura linen/viscose/cotton mix with a slubby texture. I got a couple of balls of blue to go with it and have woven a small sample using a mercerised cotton for the warp.
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I am going to have a go at weaving a length to hopefully make a top using the Itch to Stitch Bainbridge pullover pattern.
I have used this pattern with a sweatshirt fabric and it is one of my most worn tops. It is designed for a knit fabric but the fabric I used, although a knit, has minimum stretch. But, I have traced the pattern in one size larger than previously used.
I'm getting ahead of myself a bit because I haven't started weaving yet but I needed the pattern to calculate the fabric requirements. Ive done lots of calculations and I am going to do it in 2 separate bits - a 20" warp (that's the max for my loom) to accommodate the sleeves and a 12" warp for the remainder of the pieces. I will have to have a centre back seam.
I'm off to warp my loom, I will probably report back at Christmas! :)
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@Ploshkin I’ve been an Itch to Stitch fan for ages but never noticed the Bainbridge, it looks very useful. I may have to order it despite supposedly being on a pattern fast, heigh ho!
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@Ellabella if you do make one, cut 2 of the collar and use double. A single layer, as instructed, is very floppy and with sweatshirt fabric that is white on the back it looks dreadful.
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So, I went out to get some cat biscuits and ended up with a floor loom! ( I did remember the cat biscuits).
Detaiks for @Celia
I had been looking online at table looms and had more or less decided that the Louet Jane 90cm was what I wanted. The shop in town sells Louet. But in conversation with the weaver he told me that he finds table looms very tiring to use and he is only 40. It's because the levers are hand operated at shoulder height which means constantly reaching forward. He said that a floor loom gives you a much better balanced body position and is much more comfortable to use. I already have a frequently dodgy right shoulder and had wondered about the hand operated levers.
So I have bought a Harrisville 36" 4 shaft 6 treadle floor loom. I think he is the only agent in the UK for Harrisville. He sells online - the website is Wonky Weaver. I opted for the 4 shaft because I'm not particularly interested in weaving patterned stuff and you can do a lot of patterns with 4 shafts.
It has quite a small footprint - 42" x 32" and is only 42" high. It folds up to only 14" wide and has wheels so it can be tucked away. He is bringing it on Monday, fully assembled. The only thing I wasn't so keen on is that it has metal heddles and chain tie ups for the treadles which could be a bit rattly but I could change them if I really find it bothers me. The chains on the treadles apparently make it really quick and easy to set up or change the treadling because they just hook on. Needless to say I will need to buy a number of other bits and pieces too - boat shuttles, bobbins , bobbin winder etc.
It will be a steep learning curve but I have found a series of good, non woffly videos using the very same loom.
I bought it on the spot because it was the only one of that model that he had in stock. I said I was in no hurry it have it but he saud that he will put it together on Sunday and deliver it on Monday!
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Oh, you lucky thing 😊. That looks a lovely loom with plenty of scope for all kinds of weaving, from plain or freestyle through to patterns. It looks nice and compact and the bonus of folding up for moving or space saving.
A few months ago, I opted for a Saori which is only 2 shafts, but suits me perfectly, as I concentrate on free-style/Saori style. I did think about 4 or more shafts, but decided to start off ‘small’.
I find the rhythm of throwing the shuttle very calming and almost meditative, without the extra effort of lifting/replacing the heddle with a rigid heddle loom.
Look forward to seeing some of you work as you progress 😊
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Now I am very jealous :laughing:
I also have thought about the Jane table loom, really don’t have the room for a floor loom but I think if I lived near your local shop @Ploshkin i would probably buy one, I really couldn’t face trying to put one together by myself. My tiny Louet Erica loom was bad enough.
I have also looked at the Saori style looms @BlueCat but again nothing local to actually see, no one at the local weaving club has one either. They are mainly into spinning or tapestry weaving
Do let us know how you get on ploshkin
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@Ploshkin has it arrived and :pics: please, I don’t think I am the only person who would like to see it.
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:pics: :pics: :pics:
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@Celia yes, it arrived yesterday evening. :)
I'm off dog training today but will take pictures later.
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Great Thank you :loveit If you are anything like me you will be both nervous and excited
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@Celia @Lowena this is my new loom. I haven't quite decided where to use it. Although my sewing room is big, one long wall is pretty much out of use for furniture because there are 4 doors in it - the room door, a single door cupboard and a double door cupboard. I've got the sofa bed in the one gap which would be an ideal loom spot but I'm not sure where else I might fit the sofa bed. I don't really want the loom under the window as it will be in the sun (when we get some) for part of the afternoon which is probably not good for the wood. It's easily moveable though, if you lift one end there are wheels on the other. It does fold up too to only 14" wide.
I need to put a finish on the wood, it came with a tin of Danish oil but I think I might mix that with beeswax and turps to make a polish. I used that on my pine bedroom furniture after all the building work and it made it look really good. It really should have been done before it was constructed but I wasn't going to complain after having free build and delivery.
Haydn hadn't put any heddles on (not a good idea before transportation) but I have put 100 heddles each on the first two shafts this afternoon. I should get to do the rest tomorrow. I think it came with 600 heddles so there are more than enough. I need to go down to the shop when it's open and get a couple of shuttles, some bobbins and a bobbin winder. It's going to take some getting used to treadles, he said it is like playing an organ - I don't play the organ!
Here it is
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Wow that looks very impressive please do keep us up to date with your adventure.
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Wow!! :o That is incredible. Can't wait to see it all wooled-up. (Is that the technical term? ;) )
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Wow, it does look fabulous.
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@Ploshkin has it arrived and :pics: please, I don’t think I am the only person who would like to see it.
Indeed you are not!
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A..maz...ing! :thumb:
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@Ploshkin that is a stunning thing to see :loveit: I can't wait to see what you make with it :D
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That is wonderful @Ploshkin
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That looks like a beautiful piece of machinery Ploshkin. My Mum used to have a table loom quite a big size as well and I used to beg her to let me have it and she refused - such a shame as woodworm got to it in the end and I don't know what happened to it. However my father made up a very useful board with lots of different holes in the board, and then you could put in thick say broom handles cut to size and then this was used to wind the warp threads around - again i do not know what happened to this. This loom used to reside in my bedroom much to my disgust as it was in the way and never used since 1956 when we had moved house. Of course it got dusty and rusty because it was never covered up - such a shame.
I hope you have a lot of fun using this and of course look forward to seeing what you make with this.
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When you are proficient I expect to hear Bach's Toccata and Fugue played on it.
In D minor, of course :laughing:
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That looks fantastic @Ploshkin. Good job you’ve got your new room.
Once you can work this you can take up the organ! :laughing:
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It looks fab @Ploshkin enjoy xx
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I've now put 400 heddles on, 100 on each shaft and there are plenty of spares.
I need to adjust the shafts so that they are all level.
I need to get a warping board, a raddle, shuttles and a bobbin winder then I'm good to go.
I'm trying to work out where to have it, it's fine where it is space wise except that the sun is on it in the afternoon which isn't good for wood.
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That looks an interesting piece of kit. I'm extending my knowledge with heddles, warping boards and a raddle. No idea what any of them are but I'm nodding sagely as you tell us about them. 0_0
Can you throw a sheet/quilt/cover over it so the light isn't so detrimental to it?
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I thought raddle was a sheep term.
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@Flobear A raddle is indeed a sheep term. It's when you put paint on a tup's chest, either direct or in a block fitted into a harness, so that he marks the ewes as he serves them.
@Bjay On a loom a raddle is a bar with nails along its length. You lay the warp threads between the nails in small groups to keep them in order and stop them from getting tangled when you are winding a warp on.
Heddles are bits on the loom that individual threads pass through and they lift selected threads up for weaving (alternate threads for plain weave).
A warping board is a frame with a number of pegs (dowels) round it that you wind yarn round on a measured path for the warp. The way you wind keeps all the warp threads in the right order for threading through the heddles.
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That looks wonderful.
I'd love to see some :pics: when it is in use and with some weaving in it.
And the finished article as well obvs.
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There's a bit going on in the weaving department here. I've taken off the first length (to be made in to a top) from the rigid heddle loom. This piece is 18" wide and 48" long and should make the 2 sleeves. I will do a second length 12" wide and 108 " long for the rest of the bits. [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
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That looks lovely :loveit: You are so talented.
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I'm all prepared for my first experiment on the new floor loom.
I got a raddle and warping board from Etsy - vastly cheaper that buying 'badged' ones from the loom manufacturers.
This is the raddle, the seller was quite happy to make one to the length I required.
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I have put a warp on the warping board, not sure if I have done it exactly right. It's 100 warp ends in 10 groups of 10. The cross at the top is each individual thread crossed so that they all stay in the right order. The cross at the bottom divides the warp into 10 equal sections though that would be easy anyway because I've used alternating colours.
Next move is to take it off the board, after putting some ties on it, and thread the loom.
PS Any suggestion that I know what I am talking about is entirely coincidental.
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That's lovely, is it linen?
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Amazing!
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My friend spins and weaves. She has made herself a jacket.
She makes me " things" she has spun, dyed and woven.....I'm not sure what they are or what to do with them.....but I thank her prettily :laughing:
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that looks amazing - I have no idea what you're talking about, but it looks amazing 0_0
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That looks good to me and you do look like you know exactly what you are doing :loveit:
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Looking good 😊. I normally only have 1 cross at the top, but it is the most important part of warping IMO. Good idea to cross them in bundles of 10 (or even 20) at the bottom - saves counting and tying them mid-warp.
Looking forward to seeing your progress
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@Silver Rose it is a linen / cotton / viscose that I had bought for knitting. The blue is the same.
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It looks lovely and I suspect there is more effort required to maintain the randomness than it appears.
I'm keeping my distance from that instrument of turture, mind. :faints:
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that looks amazing - I have no idea what you're talking about, but it looks amazing 0_0
Me too also.
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Beautiful fabric.
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@Ouryve I don't do random very well, I have a tendency to overthink it. But with weaving the fabric is rolled on to the front beam as you weave so only the last 6 or 7 inches is ever visible ( on the loom I was using). That makes it much easier because you can't stress over what you can't see.
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DH was busy hauling straw and didn't come home last night so I spent the evening at my new loom. I had been threading the warp in fits and starts over the last couple of days and it just needed lashing on to the front rod. So, I did that and had a play. I started off very cac footed and got an inch or so of very poor weaving with loopy edges then I recalled that floor looms have much tighter tension on the warp than rigid heddle looms so I cranked up the tension and hey presto it was a different ball game altogether.
I've only got a 10" wide warp and it is a bit twisted on the back beam but once I got into a rhythm I didn't find it difficult at all. I've got a couple of aide memoirs in the shape of painters tape which I have written on to remind me which treadle lifts which shaft and the treadling order for the pattern. There are a few things I am finding out - with some patterns the shuttle doesn't catch the outside warp thread but I now know how to avoid that in the future. For some reason the cable keeps jumping off one of the pulleys for the first treadle, I have managed to resolve it by putting something on the floor undernneath it so that treadle doesn't quite go all the way to the floor as that seemed to be when it was happening. I'll have a word with Haydn when I next see the shop open but in the meantime it works fine.
Here is part of my first attempt, I will just keep doing stuff until I run out of warp. [ You are not allowed to view attachments ] [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
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That looks brill, super impressed!
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Wow, that is very impressive :thumb: Glad you're getting the hang of the footwork!
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Wow!
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That looks lovely...you’re off to a great start :D
When using a finer warp (usually 8/2 bamboo), I keep my warp edges as stable as possible, either with a floating warp (thread), or doubling my outside warps.
Looking forward to following your weaving journey!
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Wow that looks great!
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Wow! That. Is looking lovely, to say you're just getting the hang of it!
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Looks good, I just wouldn't have the patience to do all that!
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Looking fabulous @Ploshkin
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This is my first attempt at 4 shaft weaving on my new floor loom.
Winding and threading the warp was all new to me and getting the warp wound tidily on the back beam is not easy single handed. I ended up with the 20 warp threads on the right getting floppier and floppier as I wove. I hung weights on the back (bags of coins that were waiting to be banked) that helped for a bit. I must look for some fishing weights and/or improve my warping.
The 3 pictures going from left to right are my yard long piece of weaving - it's not pretty! It started off as a bit of a car crash, improved greatly by the middle and then started to get a bit troublesome, mainly because of the floppy warp threads, at which point I cut it off. I did achieve my main aims which were to become au fait with treadling and throwing a boat shuttle, neither of which I had done before. I started to find a good rhythm and with some of the patterns I could weave quite fast. I've got a book of 4 shaft patterns and I just picked ones that looked easy to do.
I purposely didn't pay much attention to the selvedges as there were too many other things to think about but on my next sample I will make that my main aim.
A very dim light might aid the viewing experience :)
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Well done Ploshkin that is excellent for a first go on the floor loom, as you say many things to think about as you attempt to weave.
You have mentioned the group of warp threads that seemed to get looser as you went, and you need to find something to weight them, have a look and think about getting some machine knitting ribber weights - they come in two sizes, and for some knitting machines there used to be a wire piece a bit like a figure 7 that you then hung a claw weight on - claw weights are flat as opposed to the ribber weights.
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I think they're fab, whichever eye I look at them through, @Ploshkin :thumb:
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It all looks brilliant to me 0_0
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Wow! Looks very professional.
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An excellent first effort.
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Those look good. I like the different patterns.
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That looks great especially as you are so new at this, I know how difficult it is to warp on your own, just wish I could do the Star Trek thing and beam across to help you.
I need to warp up my table loom and I keep putting it off, I am still busy weaving on my Inkle loom though.
Are you going to keep your RHL or sell it?
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@Celia I will definitely keep the Schacht 20" rigid heddle, I may move the Ashford 10" RH on though I've found it handy for band weaving and sampling.
However :) having had a first go at using the floor loom I realise that there is a lot of loom waste and being a novice I wouldn't feel confident diving straight in without sampling, which would end up using an awful lot of yarn, so I have been contemplating getting the smallest available 4 shaft table loom which appears to be the 12" Louet Erica - the one that you have.
Does that sound a sensible plan?
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@Ploshkin
Yes I do think that’s a good idea, it’s a great little loom and for the price etc it’s good and doesn’t take up too much room when you are not using it. Do be warned it isn’t too easy to put together but only really needs time and patience.
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I've finished my warp threading marathon. It's 490 ends and they are now all threaded through the reed and heddles. One advantage of working from front to back rather than vice versa (there are proponents of both methods) on this particular loom is that you can drop the back beam to the floor and sit close to the heddles. My step stool is a perfect height though I did put a cushion on it after a while for comfort. I have only threaded the first 30 or so heddles here.
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I am going to double check the heddle threading before I tie on to the back beam - there's no going back once the warp is tied and wound on to the back beam.
I did the warp in 4 sections and each section is in one of those mesh bags that comes with a lot of knitting wool when you order online. (you can see them on the floor at the front of the loom). I was glad to find a use for them :)
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Wow looks like a marathon job!
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Well done that is an achievement this is my little Erica
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I have absolutely no idea what's going on where in that pic - but it all looks very clever!
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I've finally got the weaving underway after the threading marathon.
It may seem a bit daft to pick a challenging warp for my first proper attempt but that was deliberate. It took me a long time but I learnt so much along the way that I wouldn't have done if I had played safe. After I had tied on and started weaving a scrap header I could see that I had 2 threads that weren't right. It took a great deal of head scratching and cursing but I eventually worked out what I had done wrong and was able to correct it.
Here is the first 6" of weaving, I'm finding the treadling quite easy but throwing the shuttle with my left hand not easy - it keeps stopping half way along the race. I am really chuffed with the way it is looking and really enjoying the weaving process.
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That is looking great @Ploshkin :thumb: I love the colours
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We had/have a spinning weaving workshop /exhibition (https://blandfordfashionmuseum.co.uk/home/events/) at fashion museum ... I thought of you and wished you were nearer !
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Very impressed @Ploshkin. Have you taken any lessons at all or are you entirely self-taught? Even more impressive if the latter. :love:
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@Puzzler learning to weave was my lockdown project. ( it was Celia's fault for mentioning her inkle loom) I got a little 10" loom to learn on because we were squished into a couple of rooms while our building was ongoing. I've taught myself with the aid of a couple of books and a bit of YouTube.
I particularly like it because it doesn't involve anything electronic and there are no warning bleeps or unintelligible error messages.
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A bit of an upgrade from my Inkle loom, which I still love by the way. :laughing:
Your weaving looks lovely
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Wow, that is very impressive. Very neat work. It must be great to produce your own fabric. :thumb:
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@Ploshkin and @Celia I must have missed your posts with your fabrics underway. They both look fantastic. Can’t believe you only started during lockdown Ploshkin. I think it would be great to make a jacket from fabric you’ve woven yourself. An extension of the dressmaking craft.
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Wow @Ploshkin you really have taken that new craft and run with it. Seriously impressive.
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@Ohsewsimple that's why I've now got a 36" loom. I want to be able to use my weavings for garment making. Having been a garment maker for my whole life ( minus the first decade) I have no qualms about cutting handwoven fabric. It would appear that a large proportion of weavers are not sewers would be terrified at the prospect.
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I look forward to see what you make with it @Ploshkin.
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That looks fabulous @Ploshkin. I love the colours and the pattern. Well done you for being self taught and for introducing us to a new set of vocabulary - heddles anyone? :laughing:
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Well, I have finished weaving my 5 yard warp, cut the weaving off the loom and it is currently soaking in the bath (process known as wet finishing). It will be cut and hemmed to make 5 tea towels.
The aim of this was to get to know my new loom. I went for a long warp which I knew would be tricky to wind on, a large number of threads (483 I think) and a fairly complicated threading sequence for said ends. I thought that by making it moderately difficult I would learn far more about the process than keep doing easy stuff (and be more interesting). It took me the best part of a week to get the warp on the loom and threaded and I certainly had a number of issues to resolve along the way and learnt a lot - so mission accomplished.
The actual weaving was a repetetive treadling sequence so that I didn't have to think too much about it after the first few inches and I was able to concentrate on keeping the edges tidy, maintaining a consistent width, warp tension and using a shuttle. It took me almost until the end before I could throw the shuttle consistently with my left hand.
My verdict is that I LOVE this loom. It is just made for my 5' 2" height and so comfortable to sit at and weave. I'm so glad that I spoke to Haydn (the weaver in the shop) who told me that a treadle loom was much better for the body. The longest I sat and wove for in one go was about half an hour but I did not get one single twinge in my back, neck, shoulders or anywhere else and could have sat there for much longer.
Here is my weaving fresh off the loom before its bath.
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Looks really great, well done. It’s amazing what you can achieve in 30 minute slots, my problem is stopping the cat helping :laughing:
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Very impressive!
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Well done Ploshkin, that is quite impressive, and now of course you have some really useful tea towels to use as well.
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That’s fantastic @Ploshkin. What’s next? :)
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Splendid job, well done :thumb:
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Very professional. @Ploshkin
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That looks splendid :loveit:
For a 'try out the loom' effort it's very well done. :thumb:
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Wow! It looks so neat!
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Beautiful work. :VV:
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Wow @Ploshkin just Wow!
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Absolutely gorgeous!
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@Ploshkin That is beautiful :loveit:
Can you get a softer fabric by using finer threads or are you restricted on what thread you can use by what loom you use?
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@Bumblebuncher you can get reeds with different numbers of slots across the width of the loom to use yarns of different thicknesses and you can also thread more than one end in each slot with finer yarns. Different loom types will suit different types of weaving but with a lot of overlap. I can use fine yarns on this loom but it wouldn't be suitable for rug weaving. A floor loom can achieve much higher tension than a rigid heddle loom. A RH loom is particularly suited to knitting yarns. I've used a fairly thin cotton yarn for this weave as I knew it would be manageable. I would like to try silk some time I think.
It's all a learning curve.
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@Ploshkin Fascinating stuff but I think I will stick to the learning curve from a third party :D
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@Ploshkin your work is wonderful. I am in awe. :thumb:
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Looking fantastic :perfect10:
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That is beautiful: too good for tea towels! Wouldn’t it make a lovely scarf. :D
I am so impressed.
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@Sheilago there's 5 yards of weaving it would be a very voluminous scarf! :)
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Very up-market tea-towels. I hope Mr P will not be wiping his hands on them after fiddling about with engine parts :[
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Very up-market tea-towels. I hope Mr P will not be wiping his hands on them after fiddling about with engine parts :[
:scream:
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The washing off of grease and oil happens out in the back porch where I had the vision to have a sink fitted when we had the house renovated :)
Here is the finished set of 5 tea towels. I noticed a treadling error on 2 of them when I was hemming but 2 errors out of about 3600 picks (rows of weaving) is pretty good going I think.
I have kept the orange one, the other 4 have been sent to each of my 4 sisters.
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They're lovely @Ploshkin & I'm sure your sisters will love them.
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They are lovely. Those 2 little errors are because you're human, not a machine
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Beautiful work @Ploshkin
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Well, I took the plunge and have cut out my handwoven cloth. There is very little information out there about sewing with handwoven fabric. I did force myself to sit through a couple of Daryl Lancaster's videos - a very knowledgeable lady whose voice and delivery grates on me big time.
The blue wefts I have put in the fabric proved very useful in keeping the fabric squared. Because the fabric is a fairly loose weave I have stabilised all the edges with strips of fine fusible knit interfacing. That also gave me something to mark notches on. As I cut each piece I did that as soon as I had removed the pattern piece. It really didn't take too long, I had a bag of strips that I had rotary cut beforehand.
Before I start sewing I am going to try lots of things on some of the offcuts to find the best stitch length, tension, seam type etc.
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Oh sneaky. :) Seriously, putting the blue threads in was genius. Look forward to seeing it made up.
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I have achieved my goal :) I took up weaving wanting to weave fabric for garments and I have completed my first one.
I am currently on the run from the weaving police, probably having broken every rule in the weaving book. I do think that it is sometimes good to be inexperienced and not know stuff because you end up doing things that you might not otherwise try because you think they are difficult.
I wove the fabric on 2 different types of loom but I don't think there is any discernible difference in the weave. My choice of yarn, which I had bought for some knitting but never used was, I think, fortuitous. Because it is slubby it hides inconsistencies in the weaving of which there are plenty I'm sure.
Having stabilised the cut edges I found the fabric very easy to sew on both the sewing machine and overlocker and it pressed /steamed really well. Once again my moderate stash of quilting fabric came up trumps with a very old 1/2 metre that was just the perfect shade of blue.
It is another Itch to Stitch Bainbridge top which is one of my tnt patterns. The pattern is for knit fabrics but it's a boxy shape so I did a size larger than usual and it's just fine. I will get a picture of it being worn when I look a bit less like Worzel Gummidge.
Here it is ......
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Well done Ploshkin that looks brilliant, now enjoy wearing this and then on to the next project.
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Absolutely fabulous, from start to finish, congratulations it looks lovely.
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Wow! :dance:
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I am currently on the run from the weaving police, probably having broken every rule in the weaving book.
Cant you cram them in your field shelter with the Quilting Police ??? Or is the shelter a bit too 'Sleeping Beauty' now ?
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Brilliant! You should be proud.
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Well done it looks brilliant
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That looks fabulous. And what a sense of achievement you must have. Well done. :thumb: :perfect10:
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Well done @Sis :star: :star: :star: It looks great.
Just to say, Bryn-the tea-towel is about to get his first go in the washing machine!
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That's wonderful! :thumb:
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Amazing @Ploshkin That's fantastic.
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Absolutely beautiful @Ploshkin you must be so satisfied.
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That is very impressive @Ploshkin. Must be very satisfying having woven the cloth as well as made the garment.
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That's great @Ploshkin. Very impressive. I suppose the next step is spinning your own wool - but I recall you saying your sheep are evershedders so I suppose you'd need to scavenge the wool from fences & brambles. :S
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@Lachica i don't know why but I've always had zero interest in spinning - I'd rather stand on a plug. That said, i did do a drop spindle workshop last year just in case I wanted to incorporate a bit of handspun in my weaving.
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The weaving police can go take a running jump. It's fabulous.
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What an accomplishment. Well done. :thumb:
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Brilliant!!
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I'm embarking on a new weaving project.
Sis in FoD (not Flobear) has a set of 4 dining chairs, inherited from mum. I remember them being bought c1967. They are Scandinavian design and look every bit as modern today as they did then. I don't know what the wood is but it is a very light colour - she has the table too. The seat and backrest covers are now decidedly threadbare (mum had re covered the seats once many years ago) so I have offered to re cover them with handwoven fabric.
I have warped my floor loom with some thread to do a pattern sample. The yarn is 100% cotton, recommended by Haydn, the weaver in the weaving shop. These are the colours I am using to fit in with her slate floor and newly painted 'Sahara' walls.
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I'm doing the 6" wide sample warp half and half each colour and I will do the weft in blocks of each colour too as I am trying various twill patterns and don't know which colour will be dominant with each pattern. I have threaded the warp through the reed and heddles but haven't tied on yet.
Watch this space.
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@Ploshkin look forward to seeing these done.
My Danish table and other furniture is beech. But they also has maple at the time which was even paler. I love Scandi stuff. As you say, looks modern even if it’s older. We’ve had our furniture 25 years I would think and I still love it.
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Sounds brilliant, I am looking forward to seeing it.
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Wow, what a project! Am in awe - I'm looking forward to seeing the results too xx
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I have woven a sampler with 9 different twill weaves (+plain weave) - all the same threading but different treadling sequences. I have used each of the two colours in the warp and the weft so there is a block of 4 for each pattern. It is really interesting to see how the colours play with each other - 2 blocks of the same weave pattern can look entirely different depending on which colour is in the warp / weft. It's also interesting to see the textured patterns in the plain colour sections.
I am sending it to sis for her to choose what she wants. She was quite keen on the idea of having each chair in a different weave and I sampled the ones she picked out of my pattern book and added a few extras until I ran out of warp. There were a couple of treadling errors that I have marked so that she knows it is not part of the pattern.
Here is a bit of the sampler
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Wow!!! Just... wow!! :loveit:
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You are clever Ploshkin, that all looks so very complicated and it is beautiful, your sister will be a lucky lady.
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Wow, fabulous! Interesting how they are all so different
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That looks amazing. Love the differences achieved by using just two colours.
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Amazing, there are some lovely patterns to choose from.
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Lovely patterns.
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Amazing and really interesting to see the different and lovely patterns made from the same two yarns.
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Many of the patterns are different on the reverse side so, even more choice.
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What a great way to demo the different weaves! They're all good, looking forward to seeing what your sis chooses.
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Those are absolutely fabulous :loveit:
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Very fine weaving. How lovely to have bespoke cloth.
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Sis has chosen a different weave pattern for each chair, all of which have the sand warp and grey weft.
In between lambs I have been winding the warp and preparing it to thread the loom.
The total warp is 330 threads (ends) each 5 yards long. Astonishingly, that makes the total warp I have wound just 110 yards short of a mile!
I have done the warp in 3 sections with 110 ends in each third.
Here is one section on the warping board. At the top each thread crosses the previous one so that they all stay in order and don't get tangled when putting the warp on the loom.
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The three sections are off the warping board and tied in several places to keep everything in order. Strips of t shirt fabric make brilliant stretchy ties
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Oh my gosh, that looks involved!! Well done for sorting it out - in between lambs!!
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I'm imagining to results if Youngest got his hands on that lot :scream:
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I'm imagining to results if Youngest got his hands on that lot :scream:
I'm imagining the results if I did!!
That looks so impressive @Ploshkin !
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:faints:
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It's all fascinating - the preparation, the process and the results. I love the endless possibilities.
The stories of the people who become weavers can be just as interesting.
WovenintheBone (Sam Goates) is an Instagram account I follow.
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Wow very impressive!