Kelly Marshall Rep Workshop

WOW! Kelly came, she talked and demonstrated and we listened. We all just hope we remember what she told us. But she does have a great book to help us remember. We were blown away with her awesome examples. Some of the most beautiful ones were woven on only TWO shafts!!! Her color play is wonderful.

Kelly Marshall 

Jane and Shirley C , I am loving their colors.

Carol has Kelly's book close at hand.

Barbara Z is really moving along.

Kelly demonstrating how to get great selvages. 

Learning how to create a draft, figure out the threading, treadling and tie-up for Rep Weave.

This is my 'sample' place mat showing lots of different variations with this threading and tie-up that Kelly provided for the workshop. (I used my own color way.)

Indigo Dyed Woven Shibori Towel

Woven Shibori

If you will look back to my March 26, 2016 post you will see I was working on weaving with a white warp, a colored weft, and using a single dye color. Here is the finished towel. It has just taken me a little time to get it washed, hemmed and pressed.

My dye was an indigo vat. The indigo is more muted than I envisioned. Not really the red-white-blue I was wanting, but very acceptable.

This is the back side.  

Strips Photo Shoot

Washed and pressed and ready for the kitchen. I like these small towels. They should do a good job in the kitchen. I used red, purple and white as my wefts on this multi-colored strip warp. My goal was to hide a pattern strip in a color strip.

I was surprised at the amount of tracking, but I think that adds to the effect. I liked both sides, so turned the hem to reflect that on one of the towels.

Loopers to the Rescus

Here is another example of using loopers. This was a post from October 10, 2013.

I have used my nylon potholder loopers to help me while threading the heddles. They don't slip or slide. Maybe we should change their name to 'weaving nylon choke ties that also help when threading the reed and heddles'. 

 

view from behind the beater

view from in front of the beater

Loopers Bear repeating

Yes, I know it is isn't a bear.... I was attempting to be funny (sigh).

When using choke ties, remember that if you use the looper method they really must be nylon! The cotton ones will not work. They are reusable and come in lots of pretty colors. And if they don't work for you, you can always make a pot holder.

This tip comes from my good friend the "warpped weaver" (yes he spells it that way), Jeff. Thanks Jeff!

Complete Stripe

While looking for the perfect weft color, I found that white worked best. This was a fun project where I was trying to hide pattern strips in color strips. It will need to be washed and pressed to see how it really looks.

My view from on the loom. 

Here I have tried white, red, multi-colored, and black. This is the back side view from off the loom.

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The Perfect Weft ?

I am attempting to find a weft that I like. I am hiding my strips of pattern in strips of color.

This draft is from "A Weaver's Book of 8-Shaft Patterns" page 227.

 I like the areas of plain weave and basket weave. Gives it an extra 'humm' factor.

Strips

I have the inkle loom waiting in the wings for an August workshop. I have the baby wolf waiting in the wings for a Rep workshop at the end of this month. So now I can get back to the big loom and finish putting on this very colorful warp. (8/2 cotton)

My draft is a combination of plain weave, basket weave, and twill. I am going to hide strips inside of strips.

Inkle Loom Pick-up

Working on my pick-up skills.

My dictionary does not have the word 'inkle' in it, but it does have 'inkling'. So I guess I am weaving with "the slightest notion" of what I am doing. Or to quote my dictionary "I haven't an inkling of what you mean".

According to Anita Apinis-Herman her dictionary says the word "inkle" is an old English word for a linen band or drawstring. She has a really nice article online about Latvian Band Weaving Using Letters.

More Inkle Loom Fun

Weaving on an inkle loom my DH (dear husband) made for me! This is a closed sided loom. It took a while to remember how to thread it, but with the help of DH 'we got her done'. This is just simple pick-up without any 'dropped' threads. I am having a rainbow of fun!

Inkle Loom Fun

I am still playing around with my inkle loom. I have a monograph I found in my personal library that has been a lot of fun to explore. "Handwoven Decorative Trim, An introduction to weaving passementerie trims" by Robyn Spady.  This monograph is an excellent place to explore decorative trims. If you don't have an inkle loom, any loom with two shafts will work.

One warp but using two wefts. Both wefts are white to blend into the edge color. 

This monograph introduces weaving with one warp and two, three, and four pattern wefts. She shows a great way to weave looped and cut fringe. There is even some information on adding beads. A great resource if you can find it.

Another example of one warp and two wefts. 

Woven Shibori Show and Tell part 3

Here is the rest of our show and tell from the dye workshop we held in June. Gosh, I was really impressed with the textiles and color ways. I think I have given some of them a bite to continue weaving more using the Woven Shibori technique.

Marilynn dyed some warp chains.

Scarves woven by Marilynn. She had twill as her base cloth. Click and enlarge to see detail. Awesome!

Tomi had woven towels. Great color combinations. 

Tomi also dyed silk scarves.

This is from Tomi. I just love the soft look of this. 

Tomi and her scarf.

I am pretty sure that Marty did this.

Marty didn't want to take out the pleats so this is her 'crimp cloth'. 

Marty and her yardage she is planning on turning into a shawl. 

Rossanna not only wove and dyed this great scarf, she then used her braiding technique  Kumihimo to make a necklace to match!!!!

Rossanna dyed some warp chains too.

Rossanna is show her 'practice' piece. We all love the look of the indigo pot.

Two more kimihimo necklaces from Rossanna

Woven Shibori Show and Tell part 2

More wonderful textiles from the Woven Shibori Dye workshop July 2016.

Janice did a shibori wrap on this commercial fabric.

Janice wove this shiboir textile for a garment. 

Janice dyed these T-shirts and will cut them into strips to weave with.

Here Jance dyed some silk hankies.

Kayla had some really great towels. I think I like the one she is holding the best. Or maybe the indigo one..... I love them all!

Kayla's towels!

These are just some of the items that Missy wove.

Woven Shibori Show and Tell part 1

Tuesday was the big reveal from our dye workshop held in June. Our main focus was on dying something we wove using the woven shibori technique. And did we ever have some impressive textiles. We also dyed the usual warp chains and a few other items. Here is a look at some of the fun!

Anita painted these rocks for a fun project the town of Bolivar, MO is doing. 

This is my bag of woven shibori. I have posted most of it already.

Anita and the indigo pot!

Carol and her indigo towels.

Jan wove this awesome scarf and dyed it with the woven shibori technique.

Jan's shibori towels.

Carol's towels.