"E" is for Echo Weave

"E" is for Echo Weave

Echo Weave is on my bucket list!

I am just now trying to research it. The color interaction is just about enough to make you say "Aaaaaahh" all day long! I have found where a Max Hailperin has called it "corkscrewed network twill" and when he used 8 shaft he called it "8 shaft polychrome corkscrewed network twill." There has been some exciting things made by Alice Schlein and Bonnie Inouye too. Marian Stubenitsky has a book I am just now reading called "Weaving with Echo and Iris"

Taken apart- network and twill and corkscrew - these words might mean something to you. But combine them with color and WOW is all I can say. If this interests you, check out the book by Marian or find a Weaver's issue 32 for an article by Alice Schlein. Or check out Complex Weavers for any resource they may have.

Show & Tell for Divas in October 2015

When it is time for Show & Tell, you will want to grab your camera and note pad and see what the Divas have been up to. A lot of creativity has been going on. What makes guild meetings so grand is all the sharing and questions and answers and even the great treats to eat. What a great way to spend an afternoon!!

The new sigh to welcome the Divas when attending guild meetings at Marilynn's studio. It is for YEW!

Janice has been working over a year on this painting inspired tapestry.  When her DH noticed the slits in the windows and between the building, he was concerned. But Janice assured him that was they way it was to be. Her tapestry skills have jumped to the expert stage. Oh, and did I say, she dyed her cotton yarns to get the colors she needed for this tapestry? Well, she did!!

Marilynn pulled out all the stops - again - with this felted wool jacket.  There was almost a knock-down-drag-out to see who this fit the best. 

Tomi has taken a man's shirt and created an apron. 

Tomi wove this 'snake skin' scarf. Her colors really work. Just great!

Marty and Anita who are members of MOFA (Missouri Fiber Artists) entered their weaving peices into the :Pairings" exhibit through the St. Louis, MO guild show. There were 108 entires. The exhibit will travel to William Woods University in Fulton MO later this month.

Marty and Anita! You Go Girls!!

Here Missy is explaining what fibers she used, what the sett was, how the colors played in creating different looks on the same warp. 

An up close of Missy playing around with color. She is using Cottolin on an 8 shaft loom.

Even after her wonderful examples from her program, Rossanna still had more! This is a draft from the JOY Workshop we had earlier this year. She has used 10/2 Tencel as warp and 240/2 and 120/2 silk in the weft. Some of can't see well enough to wind 240/2 silk, let along weave with it. Rossanna is Awesome!!

Rossanna finished weaving off the warp on her table loom from the JOY Workshop. Love her colors!!

Rossanna with another kimihimo  necklace. She is a master at this technique!

"D" is for Dent

D is for DENT -

An opening in the reed through which the ends of the warp are put. The more dents a reed has per inch of it's length, the finer the materials which may be woven with it. Often more than one warp end is put through each dent of the reed.

According to my (faulty) memory, the first reeds were made out of 'reeds'. And even though today we mostly use metal reeds, we still call them "REEDS." The reed is inserted in grooves in a movable frame called the beater. It is a very good idea to center your project in the center of your reed!

This chart will help you get the ends per inch you need for your project according to the reed you have to use. 

Let us say you only have a 12 dent reed and your project is 20 inches wide. Using your 12 dent reed, you would enter your ends like this. The first dent sley one end, the next dent sley two ends, the next dent sley 2 ends. Repeat this across until you run out of ends. It is written like this " 1-2-2"

Another example is with a 10 dent reed, project is 5 inches wide, you would sley your reed 0-1. Meaning, you skip one dent and sley one end in the next dent. Skip the next, sley one end in the next dent. It is written like this "0-1".

30 dent reed and 15 dent reed.

Or sometimes, when you can afford it, you can have several different reeds. That is why I have a 30 dent reed. I had a project that was 60 ends per inch (epi) and I just wanted to thread the reed 2 per dent. Or if I want something that will be 30 epi, I will only have one thread per dent. Yeah!

10 dent reed and 8 dent reed.

Divas in October 2015 Program

Have you ever wondered what MOIRE' means? The "morie' effect is a new pattern which appears when two regularly spaced sets of lines are superimposed and cross at small angles. HUH? You say... Moire' is closely related to 'echo' weaving, but you are using two different sets of shafts. If interested in seeing what this is all about, You might try these publications:

1. A Handbook of Weavers, by G.H. Oelsner
2. Mastering Weave Structures, by Sharon Alderman
3. Sandra Rude in the Complex Weavers Journal Issues 79 and 80

You will find words like: NETWORK, INTERLEAVE, SHADOW WEAVE, ECHO............
You can get awesome effects on lots of shafts, but some wonderful examples on 8 shafts too.

Thanks to Rossanna for sharing her awe inspired exploration of Moire'.

8 shaft scarf in Moire'. Notice the two different sides. 

Quilts were once threads just looking for a home.

Inspiration!

Stopped in the PIZZA AMERICANA in Willow Springs, MO for a bite to eat. I was blown away with these quilts!! Food was great, by the way...

Who says we can't take our handwoven fabric and make some great quilts too. (I think that is a challenge for those of you who can sew!)  You could even dye the fabric for the colors you wanted. But for now, just enjoy these awesome quilts!! Sorry I forgot to get the name of the quilter.

"C" is for Crackle

C is for Crackle,
or jamtlandsvav or jamtlandsdrall appeared in the November 1928 Bulletin put out by Mary M. Atwater. She found the Swedish name hard to understand or say, so she called it "Crackle Weave." Her thoughts were the background of the woven piece resembled the crackle of some pottery she had.

This is a twill based block weave. The blocks are a 3-point twill with an extra or 'incidental' to balance between non-consecutive blocks in order to preserve an odd-even progression. It is mostly woven in the overshot manner alternating pattern with tabby. The 4 shaft tie-up is usually a standard 2/2 twill.

"B" is for Boundweave

"B" is for Boundweave

Boundweave is not, in itself, a technique. It is a method of treadling.  There are three treadling methods. First is the flamepoint. In this treadling, four shades of one color are used. The second method is boundweave woven on opposites. Stylized figures, animals, flowers, trees, and abstract designs form the third group. *

Depending on the materials used, many things can be created. From wall hangings to floor rugs to inserts for clothing. Just use your imagination and see what you can dream up! These Santa's of mine are on the bottom of a finger-tip towel. I have used the stylized method on a rose path threading.

Santa's on bottom of towel

Just playing around with the threading. The brown is a TV !!

*New Key To Weaving, Mary E. Black, copyright 1957, page 330