Last week I did a bunch of threading and rethreading. The first up was a rethread of my favorite napkins project. (The previous threading was just a smidgen off center) So I centered the pattern and I added a couple of stripes in the center that were not in the original pattern by Mary Black.
This happens to be the underside of the fabric, but I had advanced so far on top that you couldn't see the pattern. I plan to do a lot of red napkins for the fall shows, I am going to have to wind on some more of this warp, (my never ending 100 yd warps) but I think I have enough on the loom for 8 napkins right now.
Once I was sure that this project was in good shape I turned to the kitchen towel warp on the 6 harness loom. I had played with my weaving software and I thought that I had a really nice twill pattern, but when I sampled it I really did not like it at all. I tinkered some more with the tie up and treadling sequence and then decided to see what it looked like in plain weave.
I like it quite a lot, but I will continue to play with the software and see what I can come up with that involves some twill runs.
All the while that I was doing these adjustments on the big floor looms, I was thinking about what narrow band I was going to put on the newly returned "Alice" the small ancient Leclerc, when it dawned on me that I had a band in progress on the box loom, that I plan to use as tabs for these kitchen towels.
My warping board it full of skeins of 8/4 carpet warp at the moment, but that is a different story, and I did not want to unload it to wind a new warp, so I decided to wind the band on the box loom onto little "Alice".
"Alice" has a 26 inch weaving width, and it seems a little silly to put on such a narrow warp, but I was curious how it would weave up for me. I have been contemplating getting one of those "band looms" that everyone is talking about, so that I could weave longer bands than on the Inkle looms, but I thought if this worked, I wouldn't have to buy something else!
I have some work to do on these edges but I think I am in business. I am not using the reed to beat the weft in, but I did use the reed to cram the warp really close together, and I think it has really helped me get a consistent band width. It may also be that I can get a much higher warp tension on the floor loom than I was ever able to get on the Inkle, or the small band looms that I have on hand.
As I was weaving on this band I encountered an unrelated but reoccurring problem I have been having. I have been having a problem with sliding forward off of the loom bench as I weave, I think it is a posture problem, and I am working on that, but in the mean time, I discovered something that is going to make you laugh, that really helped!
I had some gripper stuff that I used under the box loom to keep it from sliding forward and I all of a sudden though to put it on the bench it to keep my bum from sliding forward off the bench, and you know what, it works! Hurray!
LouAnn and I went to the Museum today to demo spinning and weaving to a bunch of 4th graders, we were pleased to have several of the kids really take an interest in the process. Who knows maybe we planted some seeds today.
Until next time, Happy Weaving, Tina
Once I was sure that this project was in good shape I turned to the kitchen towel warp on the 6 harness loom. I had played with my weaving software and I thought that I had a really nice twill pattern, but when I sampled it I really did not like it at all. I tinkered some more with the tie up and treadling sequence and then decided to see what it looked like in plain weave.
All the while that I was doing these adjustments on the big floor looms, I was thinking about what narrow band I was going to put on the newly returned "Alice" the small ancient Leclerc, when it dawned on me that I had a band in progress on the box loom, that I plan to use as tabs for these kitchen towels.
My warping board it full of skeins of 8/4 carpet warp at the moment, but that is a different story, and I did not want to unload it to wind a new warp, so I decided to wind the band on the box loom onto little "Alice".
"Alice" has a 26 inch weaving width, and it seems a little silly to put on such a narrow warp, but I was curious how it would weave up for me. I have been contemplating getting one of those "band looms" that everyone is talking about, so that I could weave longer bands than on the Inkle looms, but I thought if this worked, I wouldn't have to buy something else!
I have some work to do on these edges but I think I am in business. I am not using the reed to beat the weft in, but I did use the reed to cram the warp really close together, and I think it has really helped me get a consistent band width. It may also be that I can get a much higher warp tension on the floor loom than I was ever able to get on the Inkle, or the small band looms that I have on hand.
As I was weaving on this band I encountered an unrelated but reoccurring problem I have been having. I have been having a problem with sliding forward off of the loom bench as I weave, I think it is a posture problem, and I am working on that, but in the mean time, I discovered something that is going to make you laugh, that really helped!
I had some gripper stuff that I used under the box loom to keep it from sliding forward and I all of a sudden though to put it on the bench it to keep my bum from sliding forward off the bench, and you know what, it works! Hurray!
LouAnn and I went to the Museum today to demo spinning and weaving to a bunch of 4th graders, we were pleased to have several of the kids really take an interest in the process. Who knows maybe we planted some seeds today.
Until next time, Happy Weaving, Tina
3 comments:
LOVE red and white anything. I had the band loom by Glimakra, hated the sideways orientation, the poor materials and the less than even "good" fit and finish. Folks have to wrap their back beam in metal to keep the threads from grooving it. Anyway, the Leclerc floor inkle "Cendrel" is 150% better made and quite fun and comfortable to weave on. Less expensive too, just saying....
Did I mention you can use it as a warping board too....
That tape works perfect for the towel warp. That will be a nice addition to the towels. Your twill block napkins are looking good!
I love the napkins! And I like that simple stripe down the middle of the sea of white, too. Band weaving on a full-size loom? Hmmm...
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