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Archive for April, 2010

Apr 18

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Bamboo meets Ribbed Weave

Progessing with the Pics to Picks challenge I’ve managed to wind a long 9 metre warp onto my loom ready to test out some ideas and yarns in the weft. I know the warp is long (at least for me) and I promised myself that I wouldn’t put on long warps anymore because I get a bit bored sometimes… but here I go again. I must admit that it is totally fun now winding and beaming warps with my new AVL warping wheel, so maybe it’s all an excuse to use my new tools.Using the bamboo image I’ve isolated the actual bamboo from the photo and used this as a basis for a ribbed weave with 3/1 and 1/3 twill stripes in 2/20 silk. Meg’s explaination about the use of bamboo in Japan and China in connection to food has challenged me to look again at the project. Either I create a piece that can be used in conjuction with food such as a table runner…or should I just eat nice food (or health food such as chocolate) as I’m weaving it. I was going to weave collapse style scarves but I could easily include a non-collapse table textile on the same warp, perhaps allaying any boredom with the long warp if it creeps in.

Look at the ‘seams’ on the bamboo photo. These are more interesting than the bamboo itself for weave design. So I’m trying to include lots of these in an intermittent way. This possibility is only achievable with lots of shafts. I have 4 shafts devoted to the basic ribbed weave structure. The other 20 shafts offer another 5 arrangements of bamboo ‘seams’. By changing the tie up again I can also combine arrangement to create more ‘seams’. The ‘seams’ are simply an exchange of the 1/3 twill with the 3/1 twill in small areas.

Here is a design showing the front and back view of the structure, followed by photos of the warping process.

 See all my Pic to Picks entries so far.

Apr 17

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Colouring the underworld for babies

With so many babies being born in Australia’s baby boom I’ve taken to jazzing up singlets so the little ones feel connected to the textile world from the get go.

I used to buy the pale coloured singlets and do bullion roses on them. This looked great but the roses are a bit lumpy for their little chests. Also who wants insipid colours on a child when you can have your own shades of tie dye flocked with simple flower embroidery or applique. I was disappointed that some of the neck bands, from the same packet of singlets, didn’t dye with my cellulose fibre reactives as they must be polyester. Don’t you think the manufacturer would warn us of such horrors! Perhaps if weavers ran the world this would attract a major fine or even a jail sentence with the Textile and Weave Protection Board!

These photos are especially for Alex – the mum to be -  so she can see how to make them. I just concertina folded (or pleated) the singlet then wrapped string around them very tightly. In another lot I used clothes pegs to do the resist rather than string. You can see this effect in the two purple singlets above.

Apr 11

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Circle Clothes

Exploring the new Japanese sewing pattern books is a delight for looking at clothing design in a fresh way. Converting 2D Cloth Into 3D Works (1) by Natsuno Hiraiwa has a collection of beautiful simple designs which have inspired me to get sewing and use some of the fabrics in my stash..I’ve made several things out of this book. The ‘jacket top’ at left is cut from a beautiful Japanese traditional width (15″) ikat silk that I bought in Melbourne. Even though most of the patterns are cut from wider widths joining the 15″ widths together still works. Great for handwovens. This pattern is basically a circle and many of the other patterns are variations on this idea.The only problem I encountered with sizing was in the expected length of the top. I found I had to add another 10cms (as a bias cut) to the bottom. So I think the patterns are designed for neck to waist lengths that are shorter than the average expected in western sizing.The other problem is missing out on pattern details because I can’t read Japanese! It’s enough motivation to learn how to.
The top is more like the richer blue above.  
I purchased the book from yesasia This is how you put the top on.
   

Apr 4

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Saori Children

Darby and Lewis working on the Saori loom

Easter was so full of fun and activity. Not only did my daughter come home but also my sister in law with her three children.
Any children on site get dragged into the studio for activities around here. Painting easter eggs, building with duplo, drawing pictures and, of course, weaving.

Darby weaving flowers into the weave

 

 

 

 

 

Darby started weaving a flower garden on the Saori loom with her 3 year old, super inquisitive brother supervising. It is a few years since she first wove on this loom and I was amazed and very encouraged by her ability to  work the pedals and shutlle so efficiently and f a s t!. She was also able to change the shuttle bobbins and pick up the shed she was weaving on after a change of colour quite intuitively. We had some silk flowers to insert in the warp to make the garden.
I’m off to study Saori weave in Osaka later in the year….just can’t wait.

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