PWN Exhibition at Fibre Spectrum, Nelson

For the month of January Peg and I, along with Sue Broad and Jane Clark, are exhibiting as the Top of the South members of the Professional Weavers' Network of NZ. The venue is Fibre Spectrum, a cooperative shop run by fibre enthusiasts for over 20 years.  The space is small but there are great nooks and crannies to show work on the walls or on plinths. Here are my exhibits.

There are more photos on the Marlborough Weavers' blog, marlboroughweavers.blogspot.com and on pegsweavingblog.blogspot.co.nz

Happy New Year

For some years now friend Meg has encouraged her weaving colleagues to post an update of 'what's on the loom(s)' on the first day of the year.  For the first time I have a blog of my own to do this. It's just a pity I'm not in a better space to show my work.  I have two looms and they have both ground to a halt waiting for me to make decisions or find different weft yarns.  On my countermarch loom I have been weaving a table runner for a family commission.

Colours were intended to be predominantly red, grey and black with small amounts of other colours taken from an art work on the wall behind the table. What transpired was nothing like my original intention and just proves that I am a weaver, NOT a designer.  I cut off this piece, washed and pressed it, then went back to the loom and dropped off warp ends, changed others and re-sleyed.  I don't know that I am any happier with the result, but will find a different yarn for the weft as this piece has slub linen/cotton both ways.  But I think it needs to be back to the drawing board completely.

On my jack loom I have a similar story, but not quite so messy.  It is warped up with white cotton for napkins which I hoped to team up with a blue tablecloth.  I wove six in plain weave with a small lace motif in one corner and then ran out of yarn.  I cut off the six and have them washed and pressed and ready to hem next time I go to visit family and need to take  hand work to do.  I would photograph them if I could find them! (Yes, I do seem to be having a senior moment.)  The warp is now tied up and ready to go again but I'm not happy with the two alternative wefts I've tried. I think I need to re-sley it as it seems a bit too close. 

I hate all this indecision; it is not characteristic of me and I hope  it is not an omen for the year to come.

My table loom is in hibernation mode, wrapped in a blanket in my garage where it will stay until our weaving group decides they would like another workshop. Who knows what that will be about.

I'm looking forward to seeing what other people are doing and hoping for inspiration.

Back to Weaving

It's time I showed a few photos of weaving again.  These are the projects I have been enjoying lately.

This is now off the loom but will be a work in progress for some time as I have to cut three panels to join together for a tablecloth.  I've started a narrow tatted lace insertion which I intend to use between the panels. That will take a little while as well.  As always, this sort of work takes hours of wishing/planning/warping - then getting more yarn as the project grows! Then there's threading sleying and re-sleying to fix errors. When it all comes together on the loom the weaving is so quick and easy it seems to be all over in a flash.  Watch this space for the finished cloth . . . but not too soon.

Another quick and easy project was a table runner, the colours inspired by the aqua colours in a glass fruit bowl.  Surprise, surprise, I just happened to have some yarns the right colour.  I used huck spots within squares outlined with a textured yarn. I tried to add in some blue as a supplementary warp but gave up after about four attempts as they all appeared to turn purple in the weave.   Here is the warp

The small mat has the blue but it was replaced with the ground colour for the runner.

Here is a photo of the fruit bowl superimposed on the small mat.  In due course I will get a proper photo when the recipient gets over her surprise.  This is an interim runner while waiting for yarns for a 'proper' one for a brand new table.

Diverging into Book Making

Finally worked this one out of my system . . . temporarily anyway.  It's a fabric book pinning down not only various bits of fabric significant to me (handwoven jacket, shower curtain, favourite old t-shirt . . . ) but also giving a home to various mementos from Festivals and other gatherings. Here are a few of the pages.

I invented the binding to allow for the bulk of some of the items. The little book at the end is a cute 8 page model folded from one sheet of A4. It contains the information about the book and its contents, stored in a shirt pocket I will never have to iron again!  I had such fun doing this. Now I will go back to the loom.

And something different again!

Today I made a book . . . 96 pages, exposed spine with three different types of stitching, handwoven fabric covers.

It is ages since I have done anything like this but I thoroughly enjoyed a whole day with other people also enjoying themselves. It reminds me of several ideas I've had for a while but never get time to work on.

Here is a view of most of the 14 books produced in today's course. Covers ranged from felt and handwoven fabric to velvet and paper. 

Now for something different

I haven't made anything like this for years . . . but it worked out to be just the right size and shape to use up the last of the turquoise mohair.  Also a serendipitous find of the belt clinched the decision.  Will just have to watch that anyone wearing this doesn't sit on the turquoise throw !

I'll post another photo when I find someone nice and slim and elegant to model it.  This was one of two pieces cut off the looms during Labour Weekend.  The other is a work in progress so I won't post a photo yet.  I thought I had enough length for three panels to join as a tablecloth but my calculations were not brilliant and I decided the proportions were wrong . . . so it will be two panels only (but longer) and I have sent for more yarn to warp up again for the third.  Sounds easy, but I managed to ask for the wrong yarn!  (Agnes is probably still rolling around the floor laughing.) The silver lining is that I now have a good supply of cottolin for teatowels to make when the tablecloth is done.  In the meantime I have put a warp on the jack loom for white napkins to go with the blue cloth . . . so plenty to be going on with. Can't have two empty looms sitting around!

Navy Wrap Finished

As last - ends finished, fringes twisted and at last a photo that shows much nearer its correct colour.  The light must have been just right. (It was taken with the same camera).  Esther's "bodies" make superb props for showing it off.  I'm pleased with the way the alpaca/silk and cotton behave together and the almost-but-not-quite-identical colours give just a little kick to avoid the whole thing being too sombre.  At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.